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TICKETS ARE OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE!

How often do you hear of someone throwing a birthday party and choosing to give away every dollar raised?

Our dear friend and longtime supporter, Tom Bui, is celebrating his birthday BIG this year, and he has generously chosen to donate 100% of the event proceeds to The Doan Foundation and Dong Son Collective.!

Tom could have celebrated his birthday any way he wanted, but he chose to turn his special day into an opportunity to give back to the community. That kind of generosity speaks volumes about the person he is, and we couldn't be more grateful.

Every ticket purchased will help fund our cultural celebrations and community initiatives, allowing us to continue bringing people together through arts, culture, and community.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Tom Bui party without going all out! Expect live performances, DJs, delicious food, and plenty of surprises!

📅 Saturday, November 7, 2026
📍 Lotus Garden | San Diego
🍽️ Food included with admission

TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE! Scan the QR code on the flyer or visit the link.

We hope you'll join us in showing Tom the same love and generosity he's shown our Foundation.

Let's pack the house and celebrate a man who continues to show up for his community!

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#philanthropy #birthday #giving #community #culture

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San Diego showed up today.

We packed the house for Dr. Thao Ha's Author Talk for "Love Letters to the Dirty South", and it was heartening to see so many people from our communities come together for an honest conversation about memory, survival, identity, love, and the Vietnamese American experience.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, listened, shared, and helped make space for these stories.

And thank you so much to Mixed Grounds Coffee for being so hospitable, for opening this beautiful space to us, and for continuing to show up for the community.

We’re grateful for all of you.

Love,
Thao Ha, Dennis Doan & Mimi Phung

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Photos taken by @lorimalay
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#coffeehouse #author #memoir #community #culture

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One of our beloved donors is celebrating his birthday BIG this year… and it’s all for us?! 🥹❤️

Our dear friend and longtime supporter, Tom Bui, is throwing a birthday celebration on November 7th at Lotus Garden, and he's generously donating 100% of the event proceeds to The Doan Foundation!

We're talking live performances, DJs, food, and a few special surprises! All in support of our cultural celebrations and community initiatives.

Tom has been such a wonderful friend to our Foundation over the years, and we're incredibly grateful that he's choosing to celebrate his special day by giving back to the community.

📅 Saturday, November 7, 2026
📍 Lotus Garden, San Diego
🎟️ Ticket information coming soon! Food included with admission.

If you want to come celebrate with us, comment “LET'S GO” below!

Let's make this a birthday to remember!

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#birthday #philanthropy #community #littlesaigon #party

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Behind the Counter: The Heartbeat of Paris Bakery

There is a quiet kind of magic that happens every morning before the sun even clears the horizon on El Cajon Boulevard. Long before the doors open, the ovens at Paris Bakery are already roaring, filling the cool morning air with the warm, comforting scent of freshly baked bread.
For decades, this little bakery hasn’t just been a shop it has been the soul and stomach of City Heights.
To understand its magic, you have to look at the bánh mì itself. It’s a food born from history and resilience: a French baguette completely reimagined by Vietnamese hands, swapping heavy European textures for an airy, cotton-soft crumb and a shatteringly crisp golden crust, stuffed with savory pâté, bright pickles, and fresh herbs.

But step inside Paris Bakery, and you realize the food is only part of the story.

This place has spent years quietly, faithfully feeding the people of this great community. It’s where elders find a sudden, tear-softened connection to a Home they left behind decades ago, tasting home in every bite of a warm sandwich and every sip of rich cà phê sữa đá. It’s where neighbors gather, where weary hands find rest, and where the diverse, beautiful tapestry of San Diego sits down at the exact same table.
And perhaps most beautifully, Paris Bakery has a way of calling people in from every corner of the city folks who might never otherwise venture into Little Saigon, but who cross town, mile after mile, drawn simply by the irresistible warmth of a legendary loaf of bread and the generous spirit waiting behind the counter.
Here, over a paper-wrapped sandwich, strangers become regulars, differences melt away, and everyone is welcomed like family.

To the hands that knead the dough before dawn, and to the hearts that have kept our community fed and connected through every season: Thank you.

What does Paris Bakery mean to you? Drop your favorite memories or go-to orders in the comments below. 👇

#BehindTheCounter #ParisBakery #LittleSaigonSD #CityHeights #sdfoodies

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Paris Bakery
📍4616 El Cajon Blvd Unit 15

This place has spent years quietly, faithfully feeding the people of this great community in Little Saigon!

See what we get for $10! Have you been here before? Let us know

#sandiego #sdhiddengem #cityheights #parisbakerysd

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Years ago, I convinced my dear friend @kentleeforsd he should run for the City of San Diego D6 seat (Mira Mesa, Convoy, Kearny, Sorrento..) and lo, he did, he won, he’s been doing good work, and we want him to keep advocating for the folks in D6 and beyond. Several of us held another fundraiser for him, and we are grateful for all who continue to support him. I do not live in D6, but I have loved one who do, so I want to be sure they have representation who is actually going to represent.

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⚜️🎬 HOLLYWOOD MEETS THE WHO DAT NATION! 🍩

Look who’s getting a little taste of New Orleans right here in San Diego!

Shoutout to actor and fellow Saints fan, @tombui known for his appearances in NCIS: New Orleans, A Circus Tale & a Love Song, and Hypnotized, for stopping by Taste & Thirst during our Saints watch party!

And of course, you can’t bring New Orleans vibes to San Diego without trying a beignet! 🍩🔥

From the big screen to the Black & Gold, it’s all about good food, great people, and bringing the Who Dat family together!

📍 Taste & Thirst | 715 4th Ave, San Diego

⚜️ 504 ➡️ 619
NEW ORLEANS VIBES. SAN DIEGO FAMILY.

👇🏾 WHO DAT NATION — HAVE YOU TRIED OUR BEIGNETS YET?

#WhoDat #WhoDatNation #TomBui #NCISNewOrleans #SaintsFans SanDiegoSaints NewOrleansSaints SaintsWatchParty Beignets NOLA 504To619 TasteAndThirst SanDiego

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We showed up for our shops. ☕🌧️

Last time's storm flooded our storefronts and our insurance didn't cover what we thought it did. This time, our owners sat down together at the Boulevard office and got ready flood insurance, El Niño prep, what your policy actually covers with Linh Huynh Insurance Services walking us through it page by page.

Thank you, Linh Huynh Insurance, for coming and sharing what you know and to every owner who refuses to get caught off guard again.

Have insurance questions? Reach out to Linh Huynh at 858-583-7727.

Missed the meeting? Reach out to us we'll make sure your shop is protected too. tom@theboulevard.org

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To see our lot and our neighborhood come alive last night was an indescribable feeling. The pride and gratitude. The joy on peoples faces. The delicious smells and amazing performances and music. Thank you to everyone who helped pull this off and a bigger thanks to the community for showing up, rain and all! #littlesaigonsandiego #cityheights #nightmarket

@tombui @sensationazn04 @dizzydoan @mimosaaaas @michaeldeep1987 @wesley.quach @aqtang @jessmandig

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5 lessons I’ve learned about community in the last few years:

1. Community is beautiful when people come together to give what they can, whether it be skills, time, talent, money, etc.
2. Everyone craves community and there’s a community for everyone. You belong somewhere.
3. We are stronger and better together.
4. A good community shows up as they truly are and in rain or shine.
5. In order for the community to thrive, love and care must be given freely and cannot be forced.

Last night, the Little Saigon Night Market in City Heights, San Diego took place at @sinleefood. The same market that hosted a comedy show for and about the immigrant community by @jennyyangtv a few months ago.

This event, orchestrated by @tombui, is the epitome of what community is all about. Honestly, I am so incredibly proud to know him and witness all the work he’s put in for this community. The community line up was stacked - the lion dance, performance by @vanlangsd, the live dj @amy.phn, the bartending experience by none other than our beloved tattoo artist @dizzydoan and @lorimalay, the beautiful photos from @jtran_photos (not these photos but the beautiful black and white ones 😂), the security detail by @wesley.quach, the volunteer coordinator and boss babe @miumiu_theninja - to name a few.

Last night, the people showed up and showed out to an event made for the people, by the people. It was beautiful to see. Let’s run it back.

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We didn't hire any photographers for the Little Saigon Night Market. We wanted the evening to be raw, authentic, and unfiltered. Nothing staged or overly produced. Just the community being the community.

For those who have walked the streets of Little Saigon San Diego their entire lives and those discovering them for the first time. For the youth and the wise. For the folks getting off their 9-to-5 jobs, looking for a warm meal and familiar faces. For those who came out of curiosity and those who simply wanted to be reminded of where they came from.

The idea of a Little Saigon Night Market has been talked about for generations, but somehow never made it beyond conversation. Sometimes all it takes is a few people willing to put aside their individual interests and make something happen collectively.

We're incredibly grateful to Tom Bui of the El Cajon Boulevard BIA, Sin Lee Food, and our collective of folks from different organizations who came together to make this possible. Thank you to every vendor, passerby, friend, and family member who stopped by for a little glimpse of love, compassion, and community.

A special thank you to Sin Lee Food for opening up their home to everyone and generously donating all proceeds from the cash bar to The Doan Foundation. Your kindness means more than you know.

And to James Tran, who happened to come by with his camera and quietly documented the evening. What we appreciate about his approach is that he wasn't trying to make the night appear grander than it was. He found beauty in the things we often overlook. The vendors working, families sharing meals, friends laughing, even a couple of empty plastic stools. His black-and-white photographs capture the honesty of these moments without asking anyone to perform for the camera.

There's something beautiful about documenting a community simply existing.

Little Saigon doesn't need to be reinvented to be celebrated. Our culture, our history, and our people have always been here. Sometimes we just need to create the space for everyone to experience it.

For the community, by the community.

📷 James Tran

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#photography #littlesaigon #nightmarket #foodie #community

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SAN DIEGOOOO, TONIGHT WE’RE COMING HOME 🥹❤️‍🔥

Eastside San Diego aka City Heights, THIS ONE’S FOR Y’ALL!

Home to some of the best food, the richest culture + the kind of community that reminds me why I love San Diego. There’s just something about this part of town that feels like HOME to me. The people, the food, the energy.

So come see your girl tonight!! 🫶🏽 Bring your friends, come hungry and shop small! Whether you’re here to support LOOK YAY! or just want to be outside with your people, I’d love to see you.

Let’s show Eastside some love ❤️‍🔥

Hoodie from @statislosangeles
AND IDK WHY I SOUND LIKE A CHIPMUNK IN ALL MY REELS 😭

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