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Tom Tom

@tombui

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Living life behind the scenes & in front of the 🎥

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The Heart of Little Saigon is Ready to Glow!

For over three decades, Sin Lee Food (4665 El Cajon Blvd) has been an absolute pillar of our community supplying our favorite local spots, keeping our kitchens stocked with the freshest ingredients, and serving as a true anchor right in the heart of San Diego's Little Saigon!

That's why there is no place more iconic or fitting to host our next massive community gathering.

Mark your calendars, bring your appetite, and get ready for an unforgettable evening!

Little Saigon Night Market
🗓️ Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
📍 Location: Sin Lee Food, 4665 El Cajon Blvd
Admission: FREE

Get ready for:
Sizzling Eats: Incredible street foods and local culinary delights!
Epic Performances: Live entertainment and culture lighting up the Boulevard!
Community Vibes: Coming together in the space that has supported us for generations!

Let's pack the block, celebrate our culture, and make this night one for the history books. Tag your crew and we'll see you there!

#sandiegoevents #elcajonboulevard #talmadgesandiego #cityheights #littlesaigonsd taken in San Diego, California by @tombui

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2 days ago

Real question for my Little Saigon San Diego business owners 👇

Do you have an accountant? And be honest how well do you actually know them?

Not just “they do my taxes.” Do you know their name? Have you sat down with them this year? Do they know YOUR business your goals, your struggles, your plans?

Here’s why it matters: your accountant isn’t just a tax person. They’re one of the most important people in your corner. They see your numbers before anyone else does. They can spot trouble before it hits, help you plan for the slow months, and make sure you’re not leaving money on the table.

When storms hit literally or financially the businesses that survive are the ones who know their numbers and have someone in their corner who knows them too.

And let’s be real your high school kid is not your accountant.

If you don’t have one, I want to know why. Let’s talk about it.

And if you do have one: call them. Take them to coffee. Build that relationship before you need it.

Your business deserves that. ❤️

#LittleSaigonSanDiego #SmallBusiness #ShopLocal taken in Little Saigon San Diego by @tombui

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2 days ago

We have the vendor lineup for the 2nd Little Saigon Night Market and we're SO excited! 🥳😎

In this beautiful community, there are over 40 languages and communities who call Little Saigon and City Heights home and we're doing our best to celebrate every culture in it. This vendor list reflects exactly that.🌟

Join Us Sat 10/10 | 6-10PM | SinLee 4665 EI Cajon Blvd

FREE ENTRY 🌝

#sandiegomarket #littlesaigonsandiego #cityheights #sdfoodies #sandiegoevents taken in El Cajon Boulevard by @tombui

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3 days ago

What an unforgettable night. But looking back on it, this was never about an award or a nomination. It was about stepping into rooms that weren’t built for us and claiming our rightful place inside them anyway.

When we walked through those doors, we were few in number, but we carried a massive presence. Getting into the room is only the spark. The real, generational work is ensuring we become a permanent fixture in these spaces so our voice is never an exception, but a permanent standard. We carry our culture, our legacy, and our history forward because our stories belong at every table where decisions are made.
To every friend who showed up, stood shoulder-to-shoulder, and celebrated this milestone with us, and to everyone who sent calls and texts: your support fuels this fire.

I also want to recognize a few people whose incredible dedication makes all of this possible the ones behind the scenes whose hard work often goes unnoticed and without recognition, yet without whom none of this would happen. Thank you for your tireless efforts and your heart.. @dizzydoan @michaeldeep1987 @sensationazn04 @aqtang @jessmandig @mimosaaaas @wesqme @melissa.phan @miumiu_theninja @littlesaigongo @littlesaigon.official @sinleefood @doanfoundation @alexnsandiego @kimhuynhphan @yummiekiwi @hantc @thaofrenchart @vit_cam

My name might be on the poster but I am simply carrying our collective history. This victory belongs entirely to the community, and the mission to cement our place in every room continues right now. Let’s keep building. by @tombui

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4 days ago

Dear little me,

Look at you. Those eyes have already seen so much, haven’t they? I wish I could reach through this photo and hold your hand. I wish I could tell you that the scared feeling in your chest won’t live there forever.

I want you to know something no one told you back then you were never too much, and you were never not enough. You were a child carrying weight that was never yours to carry and you carried it anyway. That was your first act of showing up, even if you didn’t know it.

Here’s the secret I need you to hold onto you don’t have to change the whole world. You just have to show up.

Show up with your shaking hands and your tired heart. Show up on the days you want to disappear. Show up for the people nobody else sees, because you know exactly what it feels like to be unseen. The magic was never in being perfect, little one. The magic is and always was in showing up.

One day, people will tell you to keep your head down. To work twice as hard to be seen as half as good. To not be a problem. I need you to hear me: the world doesn’t change because of the people who stayed quiet. It changes because someone who was once scared and small decided to stand on a sidewalk and stay until the way people see things started to shift.

And I know you’re chasing those words “I’m proud of you.” Listen to me: you will get them. And when you do, it will be everything you thought it would feel like. But until then, just know he is proud of you. He loves you in his own way. It’s the only way he knows how. He was never taught how to say it, so give him some grace. You’re just two people trying to understand a world that wasn’t made for yall

Every late night, every tear no one saw, every time you chose to keep going it was all leading somewhere. You were becoming someone that little kid in this photo desperately needed.
So show up. For your community, family, friends and For every child who looks in the mirror and wonders if they matter. Be the proof that they do.

Just show up. That’s the magic word. That’s the action. That’s everything.

And the saints did win a Super Bowl we should have won a few more but thats for another letter

With love

Thuong Tom Bui by @tombui

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6 days ago

Still taking this in.

Thank you @sdbusinessjournal for nominating me as a finalist for Nonprofit Leader of the Year. This honor was never just mine this honor belongs to everyone who worked beside me: every neighbor, every small business owner, every volunteer, and every friend who believed in this work when it was just an idea and a sidewalk.

To everyone who stood beside me who showed up, who believed, who carried this vision with me thank you. Every late night, every hard conversation, every small win for our neighborhood led here, and I never walked any of it alone.

Grateful beyond words. See you September 29th.

#SDBJ #NonprofitLeaderOfTheYear #SanDiego #CommunityFirst #LittleSaigon @hiepdiep @haothach @analegalcommunity @anacal0604 by @tombui

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7 days ago

$10 Little Saigon Meal Deal Series is back this week at @phominhch!

Dive in with us as we continue finding meals at $10 or less

What was ordered:
-Pork Banh Mi
-Shrimp Spring Rolls
-Egg Rolls

Although not $10, their delicious pho starts at $13 and they have very affordable Vietnamese coffee! 👀

Have you spotted any deals of your own you think are worth checking out? Let us know ✨

#littlesaigonsd #cityheightssandiego #elcajonblvd taken in San Diego, California by @tombui

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10 days ago

Who remembers that headache? 😩🌧️

Flooded storefronts. Leaking roofs. Insurance that didn’t cover what we thought it did. Last time’s storm hit our businesses hard — let’s not go through that again.

Join the Boulevard Business Severe Weather Risk Meeting for some coffee and pastry come learn how to protect your shop before the next big rain.

📅 Tuesday, Sept 29, 2026 | 9–11 AM
📍 The Boulevard Office, 4660 El Cajon Blvd #202, San Diego, CA 92115

🎤 With Linh Huynh Insurance Services and all emergency specialists

Scan the QR code on the flyer to RSVP or email Tom Bui at tom@theboulevard.org if you have any questions by @tombui

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11 days ago

El Cajon Blvd Business Owner! 📢

Join us, Linh Huynh Insurance Services, and City of San Diego Emergency Specialist on Tuesday September 29th at our office (4660 el cajon blvd ste 202)

Let's protect our businesses and properties the right way this time 🙌 taken in San Diego, California by @tombui

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12 days ago

For 40 years, family-owned gems like Thoi Tan in City Heights have been the heartbeat of our neighborhoods. Established back in March 1985, they’ve spent decades welcoming us in like family whether we’re looking for traditional Vietnamese and Chinese apparel, unique gifts, or even hunting down the latest trending treasures

Places like Thoi Tan remind me why community work, storytelling, and celebrating our local roots mean everything. It’s about honoring the elders, supporting family-run businesses that built the foundation we stand on today, and preserving the rich history of our neighborhoods.

Thank you, Thoi Tan, for decades of warmth, resilience, and heart. Wishing you many more years ahead serving our community! And thank you to all of you who support our local spaces and keep our culture alive every single day.

📍 Thoi Tan | City Heights, San Diego
📞 (619) 281-8698

#CityHeights #SanDiego #SupportLocal #LittleSaigon #CommunityFirst

Photo Credit: @wesqme by @tombui

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12 days ago

The vendor lineup for the 2nd Little Saigon Night Market drops soon and we’re SO excited! In this beautiful community, there are over 40 languages and communities who call Little Saigon and City Heights home and we’re doing our best to celebrate every culture in it. This vendor list reflects exactly that.

👀 Think you can guess who’s on it? Drop a vendor guess below

📅 Sat 10/10 | 6–10PM | SinLee 4665 El Cajon Blvd | Free entry

⚠️ Please Note: This is the official poster for the event. Any other posters or flyers circulating beside this one are not approved or authorized

#LittleSaigonNightMarket #SanDiegoEats #littlesagionsandiegoNightMarket

@vit_cam @lohredwin @johnnytranmusician @just_another_antique_soul @lovecityheights @littlesaigongo @littlesaigon.official @phodaculture @wesqme @xhainhhhi taken in Little Saigon San Diego by @tombui

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13 days ago

Happy Birthday, @hantc chị đẹp .
Seeing everyone come together recently to celebrate someone as truly special as you just reminded me of the profound, ripple effect impact you have on everyone around you. You don’t just walk into a room and brighten it; you fundamentally change people’s lives for the better. You carry the weight of so many hearts with such grace, always pouring out into others without ever asking for anything in return.
You mean so much not just to me, but to so many people who have the absolute honor to call you a friend. You don’t just make us feel like friends you make us feel like family.
As someone who is thousands of miles from home, you have a way of making @shankandbone feel like home for all of us who are searching for a taste, a smell, and the warmth of home.
And... thank you for that call and …. Shotssssss . Thank you just for checking up on me. Even when I try not to show it, and even when I think I’m hiding how I’m doing, you just know. Thank you for noticing the quiet signs when I needed someone the most, and for seeing right through my armor to pull me back up.
I am endlessly grateful for your heart, your unwavering presence, and the anchor you are to all of us. Wishing you the most beautiful, deeply deserved birthday!!

Photo credits: @thaofrenchart by @tombui

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14 days ago