This long-anticipated restaurant is opening at the Asian Night Market Festival. What to know

When Jenny Nguyen first made plans for her Bun Box restaurant concept, she had no idea that it would take as long as it has to get to her grand opening.

Originally pegged for a fall 2022 opening, Nguyen didn't anticipate all of the life changes that would come amidst the creation of her restaurant. She had a specific plan in place for after having her now 1-year-old daughter. However, motherhood had other plans for her.

"I just thought, 'Ok, I'll have her and then six months later I'll be able to go back to work,'" Nguyen said. "I didn't really know what I didn't know, which is I can't just go back to work after having a baby, you just can't, it's so difficult. Six months is a lot longer than most people get, and so I thought that would be plenty of time."

Nguyen's daughter faced health issues that required around-the-clock attention, and the first-time mother spent the necessary time focusing on her infant daughter. Still, she moved forward, slowly, quietly and deliberately with the restaurant and her other duties, including her role at her family's other restaurant, city staple Lee's Sandwiches.

"Just trying to balance having her and then Lee's Sandwiches at the same time and then throwing in the construction of the restaurant, that's kind of my timeline," Nguyen said. "I kind of bit it off before I had the baby so now I've got to just kind of round the corner and get there, and then I think once everything's up and going I'll be able to relax and take a deep breath."

Now, the time and patience has paid off with Bun Box, 2600 N Classen Blvd., set for its grand opening this weekend during the Asian District Cultural Association's annual Asian Night Market Festival from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. And Nguyen is planning to go big, even in a small space.

What you can get at the Bun Box pop-up collaboration at the Asian Night Market Festival

Danny Bowien, Oklahoman, James Beard winner and celebrity chef-owner of acclaimed restaurants in New York and San Francisco, is returning to help Nguyen kick things off with a special pop-up collaboration for opening weekend.

"He is going to be making a special banchan bun box. Banchan is all those little small plates you get when you go eat Korean food — like the kimchi, the potatoes, sometimes they have pickled cucumbers, things like that," Nguyen said. "It'll be completely vegetarian. And then the other one he's going to do is going to be a collab with me. I have a lemongrass pork that I'll be serving, but he's going to create a sauce and a special pineapple kimchi for that, I believe."

The main menu for day-to-day orders at Bun Box is designed to provide quick and easy ordering with simple, flavorful options.

More: OKC's Asian District Night Market Festival now 2 days of food, celebration: What to know

"People can just expect a very simplified menu. You're walking up and ordering. You place your order at one window and you pick it up at the other window and seating is first come, first serve," Nguyen said.

With only 28 seats in the restaurant, Nguyen anticipates a need for overflow seating and is planning to require those sitting on the patio to turn over tables every 30 minutes. She also will have additional tables set up outside the Pink Building, 2520 N Classen Blvd., which is across the street and features a mural by artist Denise Duong, which she helped commission back in 2021.

Nguyen has been an active leader in the community for years, including her current role as vice president of the Asian District Cultural Association.

"I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I think that I bit off a lot this year trying to do the opening and the festival at the same time," Nguyen said. "I probably won't open a restaurant at the same time as the festival again, but I'm excited. I'm really excited."

Nguyen said the drive-thru for Bun Box will not open until staff gets fully accustomed to indoor operations, but she anticipates having it up and running in the near future. Hours for Bun Box are expected to be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bun Box set for grand opening at Asian Night Market Festival in OKC