We were in the area checked Yelp and this place came up. Â We were able to grab a seat at the bar right away. Did not feel like making any decision s so had the bartender order dinner for us. Â All I can say is WOW!!! Brussel sprout salad who would have thought, mind blowing. Jicama salmon taco unreal. We will be back. Â Did I mention great service.
Review Source:I'm not the biggest fan of raw fish, but with my uncle in town who is a pescetarian sushi is one of the few fish dishes I can offer him. I was not disappointed in the slightest with this restaurant! The ambiance of the restaurant is very cool, but it was quite loud and hard to carry on a conversation (thus the 4 stars). We split the Sunda Seaweed Sunomono Salad, Salmon Jicama, and Seared Crab Crusted Ahi Tuna Sashimi - it was all fantastic. The mix of flavors in each dish was something I would have never thought of and absolutely delicious. I will definitely be returning next time I crave sushi!
Review Source:Phenomenal Asian fusion restaurant in river north. I made reservations for 8 girls for a bachelorette party. The server recommended ordering family style which was perfect! We were able to try lots and it was very reasonably priced. The total came out to 320 and that included a bottle of wine and 5 cocktails.
Here's what we tried:
Brussels sprout salad - phenomenal chopped sprouts with crispy shallots in a salty/spicy nuoc Cham sauce.
Lemongrass beef lollipops - tender meat with some spice. Good but there's lots better on things on the menu
Rock shrimp - one of my favorites! Very similar to honey walnut shrimp on Chinese menus
Spicy tuna rolls - simple but tasty
Stuffed avocado - amazing presentation of Tuna tartare wrapped in a fan of avocados bathed in a Japanese ponzu sauce. Delicious!
Chicken pad Thai - my least favorite dish of the evening. It was ok just a bit bland.
Oxtail potstickers - loved the tender meat, definitely a great twist on the typical pork potstickers.
The server was very friendly and helpful. He brought out a cake on the house for the bachelorette and made sure we were enjoying everything. The cake was dry but it was free so wasn't a big deal. The food came out quickly, it was about 1.5 hrs which is great for a large party. The decor was very modern and contemporary. I will absolutely be adding this on my list of restaurants to return to.
My wife and I came here on our first night in Chicago. We did only the plates for sharing and didn't try any of the larger entree dishes. Â We started with Hamachi Tartare and Oysters which were really great. Â Then we tried the Snowcrab Roll and Pig on a Stick. Â The snowcrab roll was absolutely delicious. Â The pig on a stick was pork belly and good, but was our least favorite dish of the evening. Â We then tried the No You Didn't which was a roll with 5 different kinds of fish and was quite yummy also. Â For our last dish we had the Rock Shrimp Tempura with Walnuts which was probably our favorite of the evening. Â We tried the Sans Rival for dessert which was a many-layered pistachio dessert, also quite yummy. Â We will definitely be back to Sundra on another trip to Chicago to try the many other delicious sounding dishes on the menu.
Review Source:This place has some of the best sushi in Chicago. Â I would have given 5 stars but it can get so loud in this place that you have to shout to hear each other which for me is annoying. Â But I guess that just comes with a hot place such as this.
Rock Shrimp Tempura= Amazing
Snow Crab Hand Roll=Drool Worthy
Brussel Sprout Salad=Yes
Tale of Two Tunas=Excellent
The sticky rice in the sushi is the key! Â Come here and you will enjoy! Â Service is excellent and this is a really cool place aside from the noise factor.
I've been to this restaurant probably close to ten times. Â I have to say it gets worse every time. Â I'm not sure if they're just comfortable with their success, but the food and service gets more "meh" each time I'm there. Â For the price, it should be outstanding. Â But, some of the sushi rolls and entrees are just average. Â I would say their appetizers are by far and away the best items on the menu. Â And they have a great Asian beer list. Â If you can get a table in the lounge, go for it - it's a great vibe, though the seats at the low-tops are a little uncomfortable (no back).
Review Source:Last night was our third visit to Sunda, and it never disappoints. Â The plates here are made to share, so we always try a lot of different items. The shishito peppers are our favorite appetizer--they're so simple yet delicious. The beef lollipops are great as well. The mushroom and asparagus salad is delicious with just enough freshness to bring up the grilled vegetables and some great crunch. We tried the shitaki and edamame dim sum, which was very good, and the ginger sauce it was served with was superb (I started using it on everything). The highlight for me was the beef short rib, which was fall-apart tender and moist with great sauce. The lamb was great as well, and the truffle mushroom brown rice that came with it was definitely one of my favorite bites of the night. The only thing that underwhelmed me was dessert. We shared the chocolate mousse, which was good, but the cake it was served on was dry. I can definitely let that slide after the amazing food we had. It's a loud place, so keep that in mind if you're looking to get into deep conversations at dinner. Despite the noise, the service is wonderful. Our waiter was great, and the food never took long at all. Sunda is a must-try.
Review Source:what we ate- family style ordering for 4 people:
Brussel Sprout salad - recommended by waiter and while not something i would have picked out might have been the best thing of the night. get it.
Edamame dumplings: very very plain. ginger sauce on the side was good. skip. Braised Pork Belly buns: mediocre at best, pork belly was overcooked and tough. skip.
Sunda's Signature Classic Crispy Rice Topped w/ Spicy Tuna: an ok version of crispy rice. served in 4 pieces so was easy to split. your choice but i wasnt impressed.
yellowtail and jalepeno: i love yellowtail and jalepeno combinations. im thinking nobu here yall. but this was really not good though the presentation was nice. skip
tuna two ways roll: probably my favorite of the rolls we got. get it.
firecracker roll: awful. just tasted like deep fried nothing. we didnt bother to finish. definitely skip.
red dragon roll: had potential but overall was basically an overhyped shrimp tempura roll. i had 2 pieces of it and one of them didnt have any eel in it. fail. skip.
stir fry noodles and shrimp: greasy and nondescript. skip
so... with all of that food, the only things i would order again are the brussel sprout salad and maybe the tuna two ways roll. not a good showing sunda.
my cocktails were just ok- sakitini and berry limeade (i preferred the berry one by far). restaurant was incredibly loud so much that even at a back corner table we could barely hear each other in our group of four. service was ok but i felt that were not adept in clearing plates / cleaning without being very intrusive into our space and conversation. it was frustrating.
i'm guessing people like this place based on the overall 4 star rating and how packed it was last night. but i wouldnt bother coming back!
Overall, the food was mediocre. Â
What we ordered:
Braised Pork Belly on Crispy Rice Platters (heavy)
Tom Kha Gai Soup (decent and flavorful)
Sunda's Signature Classic Crispy Rice Topped w/ Spicy Tuna (the rice wasn't crispy and, having had the same dish elsewhere, Sunda's "signature" version of it is the worst anywhere)
Sake Nigiri (wrong temperature but edible)
Escolar Nigiri (wrong temperature but edible)
Hamachi Nigiri (wrong temperature but edible)
Sweet Potato Caterpillar (okay, but I wouldn't order it again)
Baked Snow Crab Hand Roll (terrible)
Mochi Ice Cream (it's mochi - it'd be hard to mess up taking it out of its packaging)
Standard pleasantries aside, the service was poor.
In some instances, service could make up for crap food, but unfortunately - in this case - it couldn't. A bowl of soup was brought to the table, but it was another 10 minutes before a runner brought bowls and spoons. Throughout the meal, the server wasn't even aware of what had and hadn't been brought out. Nigiri sushi - Â which was really disappointing, not the freshest, and served at the wrong temperature - was brought to the table without soy sauce; we had to ask for it minutes later. It was an ordeal to get honey for my green tea. And it took an hour before someone stopped by the table to refill our glasses of water. With the server having what appeared to be all of 3 to 4 two-top tables at any one time, it'd be impossible to excuse the lack of awareness - or perhaps flippancy - on him being overwhelmed by some rush of diners. When you're ordering dessert, please note that it's somehow too onerous a task for them to bring you the flavors you'd prefer from the assortment of ice cream.
The ambience is decent. I like the space.
It's cute. The seating was comfortable. The color scheme is warm and pleasant.
The valet is a joke. He handed me the keys to my car which he'd parked across the street. Quality. I normally tip valet, but the 12 dollars for the hour and fifteen minutes I was there, combined with his uselessness, made it so I couldn't.
With all the hype and the great reviews, I was hoping for more. Sushi in the city ought to be better. Sunda is for the scene, not the food. It's too bad Sushi Wabi has closed and Mirai wasn't open for lunch.
On a side note, FOH is integral for some restaurants. If it's Sunda's aim to provide diners with a superior experience from start to finish, perhaps its hostesses could open the door for guests instead of standing over their OpenTable screens and using the host stand / countertop to support the weight of their bodies; it doesn't present well.
* SUNDA IS OVERRATED *
We went on the last night of restaurant week for dinner. The food was fantastic, but the service was sub-par. They kept getting the orders mixed up. And drink service (including water) wasn't up to par as well. I'd go back for the food and will cross my fingers that the service that night was just a hiccup.
My food faves:
- Mushroom Tuna melted in my mouth (Truffled shiitake and enoki, crispy onions),
- Kale and Seaweed Salad was so simple but full of flavor (Mizuna, toasted seaweed, carrot, wakame, cabbage, cucumber, mint, basil, onion, pickled beet, radish, sesame seeds),
- Wagyu Beef Roti Prata had great spice to it (Ichimi togarashi crusted Wagyu, pickled cabbage, carrots, sprouts, scallions),
- Crispy Pata (Confit pork shank with garlic-foie scented gravy, wilted mustard greens),
- and their Adobo Braised Pork Belly was my absolute fave I almost ordered another plate (Vinegar, garlic, caramelized onions, herb salad, mustard greens)!
Sunda does not kid around for restaurant week! Even lunch was a nice selection of dishes for a good deal.
I think I'm extra picky about Asian fusion because I'm so torn on whether I like it or not. I love good authentic Asian food and comforting Asian-American stereotypical foods, but something modern and very American just reminiscent of authentic Asian flavors is something I'm having trouble adjusting to. The Asian flavors have to live up to my mom's cooking, and that's a pretty tall order even for authentic restaurants. So to me, it really has to be creative for it to be worth the "fusion."
We tried the pork belly on a crispy rice cake off the Saturday brunch menu, and it was an example of a creative, well done fusion dish, though the meat was just not quite there in terms of being... something more? We tried their wonton soup, which had crispy duck skin and foie gras wontons - SO flavorful, but I think I would've enjoyed it a lot more if it weren't so extra salty like the broth sat and reduced too much or something.
The restaurant week lunch boxes were only okay, not as good compared to the two dishes off the menu. My char siu bbq pork was way too sweet and the whole thing was very dry. The tonkatsu curry was bland and had no curry flavor. But the spicy tuna roll was nice, as was the little salad. The mini-desserts were really good - very light and refreshing surprisingly. I couldn't finish my entree but loved the dessert.
I remember thinking everything was really good while eating, but an hour after the meal nothing stood out at all. I'd love to give it another try for brunch, but since it's not easy to eat my way around Chicago, this didn't make my return-soon list as I had hoped.
3.5 stars - would have rounded to 4 if the meal were more memorable...
There are two reasons to try out Restaurant Week spots... a) you want to try it and haven't yet, duh and b) to get a great deal on usually pricey meals. Â This was definitely in the A category and probably lost a couple points in the B category.
I'm not saying everything wasn't absolutely delicious but for the size of the RW portions, I don't know that the $44 price tag was worth it. Â Both husband and I agreed and we really have no problem shelling out for good food and it was good but I just wanted more of it. Â I may also have a portion control problem. Â Damn you, Chicago and your big plates.
Our server started out awesomely, he did a great job of explaining the very large menu and pointing out his favorites and some seriously creative dishes which had us questioning our RW menu choice. Â After some hemming and hawing we stuck with the RW menu but now I want to go back to try some of the others. Â And also to see how big portion sizes are because he mentioned most of their menu is meant to share but RW dishes were tasting sized. Â Anyways, I'll get past the portions, I promise...
Started out with miso soup, pretty standard miso with big chunks of tofu, yum. Â Up next was the sushi course, I got the ebi salad with mango and avocado, one shrimp over rice. Â Delish. Â Third course we both got the kale and seaweed salad. Â The greens were fried and super crispy and delicious. Â Apparently there was supposed to be a whole host of other stuff on the plate but mine just had greens. Â Husband had the rest... carrot, cucumber, mint, basil, beet, radish, etc. Â Looked good, he did not share, so I can't say for sure.
Next up was a hot course and a main course. Â I got the pig stick, a small piece of soy braised pork belly with some pickled slaw. Â Husband got the crab puff which he said was awesome, once he figured out how to eat it. Â I got the miso glazed black cod and husband got the pork belly. Â My fish was cooked perfectly and the glaze made it absolutely so buttery and delicious, I just wish there was more of it. Â There I go, back to portions. Â Husband actually had a good sized piece of pork braised with adobo and I had a tiny piece and it was delicious.
Last was dessert, the berry cobbler came in a small sake looking glass, about two bites... the chocolate cake was not so much cake as the mousse in two small chocolate cups with berries. Â Again, fantastic and probably all I should have as far as dessert goes but I wanted more, dammit.
I also got the mango soda, it comes as a small glass of syrup and a carafe of soda water so you can mix your own. Â I dug the presentation and it was super refreshing.
Overall, I want to come back and have a legit meal here because I think the RW was a tease. Â Which I guess is the purpose right? Â Hook you with a good deal and make you come back and spend boats of money?
I visited Sunda for Restaurant Week 2013 (RW'13). Â It has been on my list for some time now (according to my Yelp bookmarks since March 18, 2010). Â I finally made it an afternoon date thanks to an easily made reservation via <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FOpenTable.com&s=c91bdbc3a0ec574526e58696cba3aeccf3c9f0bf51b27a302b229c80b40f42ac" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://OpenTable.com</a>. Â The decor is fantaaastic (as most Chicagoans would pronounce the word) with a clash between modern American and rustic Asian. Â I was particularly drawn-in to the light and airy straw dangling in an ominous pattern above the sushi bar. Â Just as their slogan claims: East [does] meet West. Â Some great design choices were made to have various waiter stands throughout the restaurant which had their own beer taps, and tables with a built-in wine/champagne bottle chiller. Â Being that it was Saturday afternoon, there was an Asian-inspired Bloody Mary Bar (i.e. Siracha, Kim Chi, bamboo sticks, ginger) and a Hot Tea Sampling Bar for brunch. Â Of course, being the tea lover that I am, I tasted each one and read their descriptions. Â Unfortunately, the teas had been steeping wayyy too long and were quite bitter.
We started our meal out with drinks.  My partner and I each had a glass of sparkling.  I tried their Moët Ice Imperial Champagne which was served over ice with blackberries and mint.  Think a slightly sweet blackberry mojito.
Sunda's RW'13 menu was a Bento Box with your choice of meat (Seafood Curry, Grilled Spare Ribs, Grilled Salmon Filet, Crusted Pork Loin, Grilled Chicken Breast, Char Siu BBQ Pork, Grilled Petite NY Steak, and Chicken/Pork Adobo). Â Each Bento Box came with a deliciously healthy seaweed salad, bland miso soup, an oversized pile of white rice and your choice of four rolls of spicy tuna, avocado & cucumber, or California roll. Â The waiter warned us claiming that other patrons complained of the small sizes, but it was more than enough food. Â My two-cents is that us Americans have over-sized portions and our stomachs are accustomed to being overfed. Â Maybe they just gave everyone more white rice to balance it out. Â Who knows? Â Back to the meats, both were quite tasty. Â My steak was cooked perfectly and charred with a semi-sweet glaze. Â The adobo pork was very lean and flavorful due to the vegetables that accompanied it.
Our Bento Boxes were then followed by dessert.  Yes, I would agree that the desserts were small in size but gave us a good idea of what the restaurant had to offer (Isn't that what Restaurant Week is all about??).  We did one of each option: Berry Cobbler (Warm seasonal berry cobbler with berry-hibiscus purée and vanilla bean ice cream) and Chocolate Mousse Cake (Chocolate mousse fudge cake with yuzu pineapple and
blackberry purée with grilled pineapple, crispy feuilletines, and fresh blackberries).  The Mousse Cake won the price with the dark chocolate flavor and texture, although I wasn't a fan of the hint of pineapple.  The Berry Cobbler was mediocre with the cobbler having little to no flavor at all (the crust and cobbler are usually my favorite part).
All in all, I would most likely come back to Sunda, where East-Meets-West
We dined at Sunda on a Saturday early afternoon during Restaurant Week. The atmosphere is so nice! Plus they have a build your own Bloody Mary bar! (Not included in Restaurant Week but still yum!)
Ok, down to the food.
The restaurant week menu began with a bento box which included seaweed salad, miso soup, rice and 4 pieces of spicy tuna, avocado or california roll. It was such a nice presentation and balance.
The entree I chose was the Char Siu BBQ Pork with honey, miso and palm sugar glaze placed right on top of the bento box rice. I was very happy with it. Very nice flavors. My sweetie picked the Seafood Green Curry with shrimp, cod and seabass. I'm not a spicy fan so I didn't try it but he said it was delish!
Dessert was a choice of Berry Cobbler or Chocolate Mousse. These were 2 bite desserts. Nice but nothing off the charts. The service was great and I'd love to come back and try some sushi.
Thank you, Sunda for using Restaurant Week to showcase some really nice menu choices instead of phoning it in like so many others do.
I love Asian Fusion. Â Therefore, Â Sunda, you have stolen my heart. Â Where do I start? Â First of all, Lindsay our server was awesome, sweet and very cool! This place was filled with beautiful people. Â The crowd kept coming. Â We were in there till almost 11:30pm and the place stayed busy. Â
We ordered a bunch of small plates. Â Every. Dish. Was. AMAZEBALLS!
The pig sticks, the kale and seaweed salad (sooooooo good), sashumi, ox pot stickers, shrimp (can't rememeber the name but they tasted like bang bang shrimp from bonefish girll), truffle brown rice.... Â All great!! We had other dishes but the names escape me. Â There is a gluten free menu, Â Awesome. Â The drinks were excellent! Â Strawberry Fields ( I believe is the name) and this is bad but I can't remember the name of the other drink I had either. Â
Definitely visit Sunda. Â It's great!
Sunda never disappoints! I've been here at least 4-5 times, and every time it is amazing! I've tried everything from their Sushi rolls to their Lemongrass Beef Lollipops to their Spare Ribs and Potstickers -the sushi is always fresh and all the food has crazy-good flavors. Â
And you have to get their best dessert, The Ridiculous! This dessert, because it is "ridiculous"-ly delicious, is their number one specialty . It's a special spiced carrot cake with caramel and ice cream all in a big ball, seriously too good to describe!
Sunda is a bit pricey, but you will never leave unsatisfied.
Twas a pretty penny Sunda was. Not sure it if it's all its cracked up to be.
It was a GNO: Girls Night Out and SUNDA was our first stop. Our waitress was super helpful in picking out our cocktails. Anything with LYCHEE and my second love, ST. GERMAINE liqueur I knew the Lychee Luxury Drop was going to be my choice of cocktail for the evening. Our waitress recommended the Pear Sake. MMM was that  great. Both drinks weren't too sweet or too strong. Presentation for both made it even more appealing.
My girl and I were debating whether to take advantage of Restaurant Week and their Prix Fixe menu or their house menu. We were given Miso Soup already because the waitress had thought we were going to go with that menu. When we told her we would go with the house menu she said sorry and said the soup was on her. That was incredibly nice of her.
The sushi/nigiri menu was so tempting we had to order one of each. Of course we ordered the No You Didn't... The Ultimate Handroll. And yes, we surrre didddd and it was sooo fiiiiiinnne! I wish the nigiri came with more than 2 pieces because the Escolar was so fresh. The flavor was in the truffled shavings and the potato chip as well.
Being Filipino I couldn't pass up Loompya. Their version was a high class egg roll. It ain't what my mama makes.
What was incredibly disappointing was their Pad Thai. I don't recommend it. I wasn't anything special. We had to send it back because the noodles were undercooked. The second batch was a bit better but we were full by then and not in the mood for it. I was curious on how their Adobo tasted so I had to get it. My friend isn't a fan of pork so it was too much big for her. It also was her first time trying Adobo. I guess the texture and flavor isn't for everyone. I have to say I was quite pleased. The pork belly was so tender, you didn't need a knife. It wasn't too sweet, saucy, or how some make it too sour. Â I needed white rice with all this meat of course. It sucks it didn't come with the dish so we had to order it.
I rate it a 3 star kinda place only because we were treated so well from the moment we walked in. Service here was top notch! If I were to go back I would definitely drink more cocktails and maybe stick to starters and  the Japanese menu.
What. the. hell...is that "Ridiculous" desert made of? If I had to guess I'd say...unicorn horn and mermaid tears? Certainly something not of this world.
Best desert of all time, from the Bing Bang until now. I won't go too much into what it consists of, just take my word that if you eat it you will transcend time and space.
The food was all good, stand-outs were the Pig Sticks (how could a stick of pig meat not be good?) and the Ox Tail Gyoza. I felt the Tale of Two Tuna roll wasn't too spectacular - seemed to me just a plain, slightly spicy tuna maki. The short ribs, while delicious, were too fatty for my taste - though the presentation makes you feel like Fred Flinstone devouring a dinosaur leg.
Also the service had much to be desired. The girl we had seemed like she just wanted to end her shift and bust the "F" out. We overheard a server the table over that sounded awesome though: explained the menu, talked about the best dishes, and even talked about the awards the Chef received. I guess we just got a dud; definitely not a reason not to check Sunda out.
(Read: Get the "Ridiculous" dessert.)
Many of the food items here and several of the drinks were fantastic for our group of 8. However, numerous service errors and possible food-borne illness marred our experience here.
We came for a friend's birthday party. He unfortunately got sick a few hours after the meal. Because it was restaurant week and we had significant overlap in what we ate and drank, we've been able to trace it back to the Miso Bronzed Black Cod or a dirty nigiri plate.
First, the bar. When we came in, we decided to order a cocktail while we waited for the rest of the group. Each of 3 of us ordered a drink and then wanted to close out our tabs. The bartender assumed (incorrectly) that we all wanted to be on the same tab, running the whole amount on the first guy's card. My 110 was ok but too bitter. Â The bar is not designed well for the traffic flow. I got knocked into at least 3 times by ladies carrying shopping bags in. What part of the universe are we in where none of them would say excuse me when they hit me with their bag?
Then we sat down to a table. One side had a bench and the other side had 4 chairs. We were asked if we wanted to check our coats. Again, instead of giving each of us our coat check, they were all given to one person at our table. I didn't even know they had done this until the end of the meal when we had a round-robin to get our coats. This is highly insecure since some people check bags there. The bench at the table made it extremely awkward for those on that side of the table to get in and out to go to the washroom, which is incidentally, a million miles away from the front of the restaurant and down many stairs, and down another hallway.
Next, we had 7 people who wanted restaurant week and one who wanted to order a specific entree. They gave us a lot of grief about this, claiming ordering restaurant week was all or nothing for a table. They had to get a manager involved, who made an exception but not until after asking a lot of questions about what the 8th planned to order. Seriously, we're about to drop $700 at this table for our meal and Sunda is fussing about one person who wants to order something different? Incredible.
Then the waitress asked whose birthday it was and we pointed to our friend. We thought that meant she was going to do something special. But no - the only indication of birthday for him was a HBD! on the back of the bill. They brought us a complimentary corn succotash with some spice to it, but took it away from us before it was finished and without asking anyone.
They were totally overwhelmed and understaffed on the floor, but yet there were 3-4 people behind the empty bar at any given time, including the manager who stood chit-chatting with them in plain sight of us. I waited 15 minutes to order a drink at one point while staying attentive for a bus boy or waitress. I have to say, it was fantastic. The peared sake. It comes with cinnamon on the rim and a piece of pear and is delicious and strong.
They brought our miso before taking the rest of our restaurant menu order. I have to hand it to them, at least they gave us selection and decent portions for the tasting menu. I had the Tomato Salmon Nigiri, which was big enough for 2 bites - and this would have been perfect if the waitress didn't keep spilling soy sauce on our table from an errant bottle. I physically moved to the left when she poured mine for fear it would drip on my clothes. She made no attempt to wipe it clean for any of us - and only noticed the problem on the 7th soy sauce pour. My friend, who was later sick, got the salmon nigiri on a dirty plate.
Next came the salad. I had a mushroom and asparagus salad, and the highlight of it was the crispy enoki. It had a nice ginger vinaigrette.
The highlight of my meal were the next two tastes. First a wagyu beef roti prata and an adobo braised pork belly. Both were good sized portions and quality cuts, expertly marinated. The wagyu in particular was bao taco style - and the bun was perfect. The only issue here is that each of our previous courses took 15-20 minutes to come out, and the wagyu beef came precisely 4 minutes before the adobo. My birthday friend literally had to stop the servers from taking it away from him before his next course was served. Pacing and extreme noise is a problem at this place.
The chocolate mousse cake was more of a chocolate mousse tart - it came in a neat dark chocolate shell that was edible. It was quite good, with blackberry and pineapple accent puree to add flavor.
At the end of the meal, after taking the cash away, they did not return the main receipt. This is a huge annoyance for the small-business man in me.
The coconut candy on the way out is good, but two of my friends didn't like it.
In all, I'd come here for the food, but they have major service issues. At this price point, they should get this correct. And the possible food-poisoning of my friend concerns me - they have an awful lot of fish out at the sushi bar.
Super overrated for being such a pretentious place mainly due to the poor service we had. Â I experienced the worse service of my life the last time I dined here with friends. Â Our waitor (Will M.) accused us & charged us for ordering 2 items we didn't even order. Â Then, he tried to blame it on the bartender. Â What's worse is we saw him talking smack about us to another server thinking we didn't see. Â He kept offering us off menu items that the place didn't even HAVE!? Â LAST -- when we gave him our credit cards to pay...he goes...DOES THIS EVEN ADD UP TO THE TOTAL?
Seriously??????????????
Hands down the best Asian inspired restaurant in Chicago. The tapas style servings and the recommends from the waiters and the food are terrific. I now have so many favs that I'm not going to start until I write my own blog at TLT.
Warning: it can get loud for the over 40 person (like me) but it's kewl and happening all the time and the food/drinks and service are so worth it.
Delicious!!!! This place was really busy for a wednesday night and I can see why, it's SO good!! iIt's a great place for a date and because it's mostly small plates and sushi, it's great to share.
Here's what we had to eat...
Oxtail pot stickers....MUST GET! This was the first bite of food we had here and I couldn't wait to try what was next after these! sooooo good!!
Escolar....HAVE to get. I don't know what they put on this  sushi to make it so good but we ended up ordering more of it because it was so delicious. We made sure to have this as our last bite of the night. I'm not a big raw tuna sushi fan and I can't recommend this enough
Unagi/Fgie...this is definitely a double bite suhsi but again, delicious. The foie gras on top was just the perfect touch!
Lemongrass beef lollipops.....these were good. very lemony tasting because they cook the beef on the lemongrass. But once you dip it in the chili sauce, it's much better. Crazy how the chili sauce can take away some of that lemon taste.
The Number 10...we got this roll because it came highly recommended to us. But it was our least favorite thing on the menu. The waiter was correct when he told us it was a heavy roll. There was so much cream cheese in there that you couldn't even taste the fish. It was a typical roll to me. Something that I could get at any sushi place. With all the other delicious items on the menu, i do NOT recommend getting this.
It is a little pricey, but to me, it's totally worth it!
Excellent food and experience. Had a great server Christin who really took care of us well. She was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and there when you needed something. Basically what you would expect from a nice restaurant but too infrequently receive.
Food line up: stuffed spicy tuna, white tuna, oxtail pot stickers, brussel sprout salad and braised pork belly. My wife hates brussel sprouts but we tried it at the suggestion of the server. Awesome, should be a required food item for all 6 year olds so we do not get tainted on brussel sprouts at such a young age.
Would certainly go back again. Â It is a bit on the pricey side but worth it.
This place rocks....arrived early for a 6:30 reservation and sat down at the bar. Right away the bartender noticed my wife was pregnant and whipped up a mangotini filled with fresh fruit that was not on the menu which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Dinner was with another couple which was nice since they have over 2 pages of appetizers /small plates that you can all share. We started with something I have NEVER ordered before, brussel sprout salad.....which was loaded with favors but none too overpowering. Then moved on to the beef lollipops which were also flavorful and tender. I had the jalapeño bacon and crab roll as my main course and my wife had the sea bass which was cooked to perfection. Our friends ordered the beef short ribs, the stuffed avacado and oh no you didn't roll....we all shared a bite of each others which allowed us to sample the various flavors.
I'm not big on dessert, but when I noticed the top of the menu had a dish named "ridiculous", I knew we had to try it and it definitely lived up to its name.
All in all the food and service was spectacular and I cannot wait to return....
Came here on a wednesday night without reservations, it was about 80% full, so we still got a table.
The environment here is amazingly loud. I'm not sure if it was from the surrounding table or the music, but the noise level was on par with a night club. I notice the building design wasn't really optimized for sound absorption, so maybe thats why the noise level gets amplified.
Anyways, I digress...
Adobe clams: Too salty, had to send it back and waiter was nice enough to oblige. It came back less salty, but the dish itself still isn't that flavorful.
Rock shrimp: Absolutely perfect! I love it. Shrimp dipped in tempera batter, covered with a sweet creamy aioli syrup that is explodes with flavor. nuff said
Sushi Firecracker: Pretty good. sushi roll had all these awesome ingredients in there like cream cheese, unagi, jalapenos, tempura, tuna, spicy mayo...but I'm not sure if all of it shined through in every bite. My taste bud got confused and it tasted like I was eating a cooked tuna roll with guacamole and tempura. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but not amazing and nothing notable compared to other sushi rolls. Â
Garlic crab noodle: Tastes like ramen noodle. Not really flavorful and the crab was sparse and underwhelming. Pass.
Duck Hash: Aaaaa-Mazing! Perfect blend of ingredients...when it isn't too salty. First time I had it a few years back, it was too salty, then the 2nd time, it was perfect.
Overall, the experience at Sunda is A-OK. They are often inconsistent with their salty levels. Each time I come back, one of the dishes is too salty, then the next time, it'll be good, but another dish would be salty. It would get a 4-star if it wasn't so inconsistent.
I hate to admit it but it was good.
The ambiance is pretty cool. Some people might say too trendy.... but I just came for the food and experience.
Here is what we shared and I regret doing so. Because it should have all been for me. And only me.
Adobo clams (how is this so deliciously possible?), Mushroom Tuna (Wow), Truffled Tataki wagyu (Oh my Jebus!), and the Firecracker roll (more? yes!).
All this was accompanied by some great cocktails... Skyliner and Hello Kitty (I'm not saying who had the latter - but I heard it was very very very good).
Great place for food....
I came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon and while I could appreciate the decor and the atmosphere was very nice (also points for the sleek server uniforms), my meal was .. not great.
They do place bowls of Chinese-style chips on each table which is great, so yummy! Â Don't be afraid to try them even though they look like packing styrofoam, they've got an amazing texture! Â As for the main course, I ordered miso ramen and was severely disappointed -- broth was not flavorful at all, noodles were weirdly thin and overcooked and rather mushy, and the slices of pork were really big to the point of being unwieldy. Â And I'm a proficient chopsticks user, I swear!! Â But yeah, probably the worst ramen I've had ... ever. Â 10cent Maruchan and Cup Noodle excepted. Â If you love ramen, avoid Sunda's.
I give it 2.5 stars and round up. Â My rating might go up if I happen to stop by again and order something else -- it seemed like everyone else in my lunch party enjoyed what they had, but weren't amazed. Â I doubt I'll be back again, though?
Don't come hungry. Â The meal will be lasting two hours, and you will be waiting long intervals for your food between them. Â Also-- we ordered some sushi and never got it. Â So there's that.
Our (largely inattentive) waiter suggested we order tapas style, planning to share everything and have it come out in stages. Â Would have been okay if those stages hadn't coincided with my life stages.
Still-- the food we did get and eat was absolutely incredible. Â Highlights included the crispy brussels sprout salad (I've never tasted anything like it, and have no idea how I would ever recreate it), the miso bronzed black cod, and the crispy rice with creamy lobster and tobiko. Â We also ordered a tofu dish that was off the menu, but it was too gingery for my taste! Â The handrolls taste incredible, but they are beyond tiny. Â Hard to share!
Also noteworthy is the pounding jams at full volume in a dining room with no fabric to absorb the noise. Â You will leave late, you will leave with a headache, but you will also leave with a wistful memory of some unbeatable flavors.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Â I haven't eaten there yet. Â Not for abt 2 weeks yet, so there will be updates then!
I went here with a friend who is quick to make friends and he frequents this establishment. Â The staff was AWESOME and the drinks were great. Â The menu sounds epic, so I can't wait until dinner!! Â The decor is fantastic and the guests even seemed pretty cool. Â The clientele can be somewhat, uh, douchey in this neighborhood and Sunda seems to not be attracting masses from that particular demographic.
So let me preface by saying that I held out going to Sunda for the longest time cause frankly, I have not been impressed by Asian cooking unless it's homemade either by family or to an "authentic" restaurant where there are 2 menus--- one for those that know the dish by name and another where pictures are required for ordering to to take place. Â
I was drawn to Sunda's part of the menu that took me back to my free spirited childhood in one of the 7,000 islands in the Philippines-- namely lumpia, okoy fritters and the steamed buns. Â My friends were trusting enough to let me order for the table so I asked for several appetizers, a soup, and 2 types of noodle dishes. Â
I can appreciate why one would think there needs to be a "shi-shi" Â Asian gourmet restaurant but let's not fool ourselves folks- the food here is not meant to be served family style because by the time you have enough to feed the family- your bill for their ridiculously priced dishes can take you to Asia and back!
The only dish I was impressed with was the soup for its complex layers of chili and coconut milk.  The menu itself was just all over the place; it was more a hodgepodge   rather than fusion- it lacked cohesiveness and focus. Â
Is the place trendy- yes; but that in itself is not worth paying $20 for an oily noodle dish. Â Sorry Sunda, this Filipina just wasn't impressed...
We stopped by for lunch one day and were not disappointed! The decor is beautiful and the service is excellent.
I had the strip steak bento box with a spicy tuna roll, and my husband tried the pad thai with chicken. The miso soup was delicious, and the steak was cooked beautifully, although the rice was a little dry. The seaweed salad was interesting, and the sushi was fantastic - best sushi I've ever had. I will definitely visit again to try more sushi
The  pad thai was delicious. It was a little sweeter than I personally like, but the flavor was excellent and the portion was a good size. Overall, excellent.
Really solid food in a great atmosphere. Â I loved it. Â Their specialty rolls are all fantastic combinations given what I sampled as well as my conversation with other guests. Â I especially loved the Red Dragon roll. Â Personally, my favorite dish was the crispy brussel sprout salad. Â Delicous combination of crispy, savory and tang (don't miss the rice vinegar dressing tossed tableside). Â I would go back for this dish alone.
I also enjoyed both of my cocktails (tho I have to admit that both were on the slightly sweet side-- the only thing keeping this spot from a solid 5 stars). Â If you're in the area and have a hankering for Asian, don't miss Sunda. Â You won't be sorry you did.
Sunda...the spot for a large work dinner...I think not, but let's investigate...
11 of us visited for a work dinner...we had a large crowd, a few picky eaters and a bunch of out of towners (and most of those were from various international locations). Â Take that, with a 'small sharing plate' menu and you get a bit of confusion....
Having the food just show up 'whenever' doesn't really speak to the familiarity of a 3-course dinner in France or Germany, so we had to improvise....random appetizers come out as they come, and entrees are served individually at the same time...it almost went off without a hitch (only one slower entree, but it worked out).
The server was really patient and had some great recommendations. Â The food was quite delicious. Â I tried sushi, some salad and a whole bunch of stuff I don't remember. Â Everything was tasty and I don't think we left any extra food.
The drinks were quite good as were the bottle selections (pricing was not bad either on the wine).
Overall, a good night, but I had to drop a star for the fact that the restaurant was so loud, it was really tough to hear anything. Â When trying to have dinner with colleagues, it's hard to scream across the table, so I missed much of the conversations that didn't occur directly next to me.
Service - 5
Atmosphere - 4
Bathrooms - 5
Food - 5
Value - 4 (a bit pricey on the food...but ok for the city).
What's this? I've somehow found myself dining at restaurant rated with multiple dollar $$$igns. How can this be?
Everyone knows I'm broke as sh*t. Student loan debt for days and a Visa/Mastercard statement ending in a strongly suggested exclamation make eating anywhere sans drive-through a rare treat for this little miss can't be rich. But by some stroke of luck, the stars aligned and I was able join friends for a long overdue "fancy" dinner.
Seated in the far back dining area, it was still nearly impossible to hear even the person sitting right across from you at your own table. I'm pretty deaf to begin with, but this is one of the loudest, intimate dining experiences I've ever had.
I was excited to dig into the drink menu, as the cornucopia of cocktails looked top notch, though the prices of each cocktail was more than my personal per diem. I decided on the lychee cocktail because I have soft spot for St Germain, but I was tempted by the jalapeno one as well. I liked that the lychee cocktail wasn't sweet, instead a perfect spirited transition from fruit to not-so-frou-frou beverage, but not a stunning cocktail overall. Admittedly, I've had better for le$$ at other city locales, namely Rodan.
I saw that Sunda is recognized as a place that's good for vegetarians, and while that's not entirely false, I can't fully agree with that label. Pescatarians are a go here, for sure. TONS of options. But if you don't cheat on fish, get ready to feel mighty left out of this shared plate experience. Our server prefaced our meal by saying that it's meant to be family-style, but as a large part of their menu is sushi or in odd serving portions where there might be a bunch of filler and 2 buns of goodies, it gets a bit awkward passing a dish that could only be justifiably portioned between two people. I mean, the portions are fine- but there's a difference between family-style and tapas, and tapas would be a much more fitting description for a vast majority of the dishes we dined on.
I think the highlight for me would be the brussel sprout fried salad and the stuffed avocado, though the stuffed haas comes with a somewhat hefty $17 pricetag, the tuna it was stuffed with was some of the better tuna I've had the pleasure to binge on. I can't say that you'll likely find me here for a full on dinner during an off-restaurant week time frame, but on a special ladies night out for drinks and a few app$, for sure. I'm in and ready for that jalapeno high-ball.
Overall, it was as I expected. Billy Dec's dark, sexy, modern version of a more urban Lettuce Entertain You empire.
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