The ‘culinary connector’ who wants to make Philadelphia a better and more vibrant city, at least when it comes to food

Roland Bui is a man of many trades.

Sometimes he is modeling for a home goods brand, serving cocktails at a nearby lounge, or writing a list of the best bites for the Lunar New Year. The longtime Philadelphian holds all his roles in high regard but his most treasured occupation is being a culinary connector.

What’s that you ask? Through extravagant dinner parties and curated soirees, Bui connects Philly chefs, business owners, and dining connoisseurs to “bridge gaps.”

“There are a lot of creative people and creative silos in the city, and they don’t necessarily interact or merge,” he said. “If you look at a Venn diagram, you have a lot going on in Philly. But what I see is a lot of people who should be talking to each other.”

Originally from Brussels, Belgium, Bui arrived in Philly 20 years ago to attend Drexel University, and quickly immersed himself in the city’s dining scene. He established close relationships with chefs and attended fine dining events and invite-only galas, and has since forged connections with Black Dragon Takeout’s Kurt Evans, El Chingon owner Juan Carlos Aparicio, and Kevin “Sushi Whisperer” Yanaga of Yanaga Kappo Izakaya — among others.

With his experience growing up overseas, paired with the friends he’s made over the years, Bui wanted to start something that placed local culinary artists at the center, and reflected his larger ambitions for his adopted city.

“It’s my interest to help better Philadelphia, and to offer more experiences that I want to go to and see,” Bui said. “I have amassed this network, but I’m happy to leverage it to create these experiences.”

Along with his new role as a project manager at Visit Philly, Bui is often the face of dinner parties and ticketed celebrations that highlight seasoned or newly established chefs. Their dishes are always at the center of these events, but their engagement with the city’s residents and restaurant-goers is what makes these curated experiences especially intimate. These elements, he hopes, will raise the profiles of the chefs and help them garner the media blaze they deserve.

What started as a series of dinners to promote Citrine’s table arrangements and dishware has evolved into Com.unity, his company that serves as a marketing arm for Philly’s artists and culinary talent.

“It’s different from a PR company because the chefs don’t pay me,” he said. “It’s an amplifier with purpose.”

The name, suggested by his wife Sandy Sanchez-Bui, harks back to his Vietnamese roots. The Vietnamese word cơm translates to “rice,” and ăn cơm means “to eat.”

Bui officially launched the brand in January, and he’s spearheaded several themed dinners and hospitality-focused events with the same vision of connection in mind.

“I get satisfaction from seeing people connect and making those introductions that help them achieve something,” Bui said. “I get asked if I know a graphic designer, a chef, a real estate agent, and other inquiries all the time. Com.unity is a way to make it fun for myself, while still helping people find those creatives.”

In January, Bui held an event spotlighting chef Timothy Dearing for his first Little Owl Philly dinner. For this, he brought in five Vietnamese chefs for a five-course Tết or Lunar New Year celebration. He also organized a “Sushi Sup & Snack” fundraiser for InLiquid’s 25th anniversary.

To Jacob Trinh, chef de cuisine at Little Fish, Bui is more than an event organizer or consultant; he’s a booming presence in the food industry.

“He’s bolstering up things we don’t see often, or giving people the opportunity to see chefs and restaurateurs in a different light,” Trinh said. “There are chefs who are doing their own thing, but then there are other chefs cooking in one space that want to cook things from their own culture and upbringing. He’s creating spaces for them to showcase themselves.”

“He’s like Scotty in Star Trek,” chef Timothy Dearing said. “He’s the engineer making sure the people at the top can utilize the tools he’s presenting. And the people utilizing the tools he engineers are the city’s chefs.”

While there are other supper clubs and community-wide dinners in Philly, Kalaya owner and chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon said the source of Bui’s abilities comes from his vast network of connections, his charming personality, and fearless attitude.

“He didn’t just wake up and say, ‘I’m going to do this.’ He tried, he failed, and tried again,” Suntaranon said. “He did different things to see where his heart is, and he finally found a project that’s his love. I’m very proud of him. He’s a gem.”

With Com.unity still in its infancy, Bui is figuring out just how far he and his connections can go, and how much he can improve the city from his current post. He’s on the hunt for more nuanced ways to spotlight chefs, artists, and musicians.

He insists Com.unity isn’t a money play for him. It is, he says, is centered on the same goal he had when he first started organizing dinner parties: To make Philadelphia a better and more vibrant Philadelphia.

“There’s no bigger goal here,” Bui said. “I’m not trying to make this a production company. That’s not it. It’s really to do cool and fun stuff. it’s a creative outlet for myself, and if people enjoy it, I’m quite happy with it.”