Sunda

This restaurant is amazing! So delicious. Both my husband (pescaterian) and I (vegan) had some of our favorite dishes ever. The sweet potato caterpillar roll now ranks as my all time favorite vegetarian sushi roll. The tofu hot dish practically melts in your mouth. And the edamame shitake dim sum was incredible. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the tiger shrimp tempura. Overall excellent ambiance and service. We will definitely be back!

One of the best meals of my life. I was a little surprised how busy and loud it was inside, but couldn’t have cared less as the food and drinks started flowing in. The sushi is unsurpassed and the pork belly noodle dish we had was incredible. Definitely have an Old-​fashioned and Negroni for drinks; extremely well-​crafted. Dessert and coffee were a perfect finish. The only thing as good as the food was the service. Our waiter, Benjamin, was excellent at making suggestions and tended to us with great detail. Super nice guy.
We’ll be back for sure, as it’s a great place to bring guests. A+!!!

We were so glad that we picked this place for brunch during our weekend in Chicago. The jasmine tea was so presented to beautifully. Try the brussel sprout salad — it will change your life. So incredibly crunchy and delicious. We had miso ramen, duck buns and the soft shelled crab benedict. We inhaled all of the dishes and noticed the cool bloody mary cart where they come to you and you get to pick your toppings. This was so worth the walk in the cold!

This place has great food, a every different asian menu. Great ambience!
Would definitely go back there.

Well, from a somewhat nondescript storefront one enters into a surprisingly large and trendy space here. Experiencing the vibrant and trendy atmosphere here and people watching were probably the best things about our RW 2016 lunch outing though. This place indeed would be an excellent place for a festive work or private party outing or such but it also wouldn’t be cheap. Our $ 22 pp RW bento box lunches were somewhat disappointing though. Wife selected grilled New York steak and California roll with her bento box. I had seafood green curry and spicy tuna roll with mine. The rice with these boxes wasn’t very good and for a bento box/​Japanese place, that is a cardinal sin. The bento box rice was undercooked and the sushi rice was dried out. The steak itself and portion size was quite good however. The seafood curry turned out to be OK after I found the seafood buried under numerous pineapple chunk pieces. The coup de grace for our mediocre lunch was the dessert. This turned out to be four pieces of chocolate candy that were like right out of a Fannie Mae box. Relative to other RW menus we’ve experienced, this was pretty unimpressive given that they apparently simply added $ 4 to their regular $ 18 bento box price for their RW offering. Lady server we had was friendly and fun and we’ve never had anyone remove our chopstick paper wrappers away so quickly and efficiently in an Asian restaurant before. Except for the bar area, the place was packed for lunch, and the large space was quite energetic and loud. Overall, t’was still a fun and interesting outing in this special occasion (for us) part of town.

I’ve been meaning to come here for brunch. I’m so glad I finally did and I’ll be back for sure! We came on New Years Day so they were clearly understaffed. Things took awhile, the service was friendly and accommodating when we got it. They did their best and we had a great time nonetheless. We ordered the bloody mary bar which means they come around with this cart and give you a bowl of a bunch of garnishes. The tacinto (bacon) is incredible! It’s slightly sweet and when it’s been soaking in your bloody mary for awhile, it makes your drink delightfully peppery. I had the soft shell crab benedict and it was amazing! The biscuits they were served on were almost TOO buttery (I know, right?) but they had an amazing fluffy texture.
The real secret drink is the Sumo Mary. I actually wanted to order it but it wasn’t listed on the menu so I thought they stopped making it. Apparently it’s an off menu item. It’s $ 40 but it comes with a meal. In the end I’m glad I didn’t order it because I wouldn’t have been able to eat an entrée too (seriously, it’s huge) but I’ll definitely be back to try it!

Heaven. I think about you regularly.
We had a variety of dishes but if we had to recommened just 1 dish it would be the hamachi w/​marrow. Its like … take a minute to let the flavors and texture sink in then think to yourself, is this really happening? Am I really tasting this amazing creation?
Yup. It was like that for us.

Sunday brunch with an Asian twist. The Bloody Mary cart was a winner, loaded with delicious goodies to compliment the Mary.
The Brussels sprout salad was phenomenal and will leave your mouth wanting more… it was incredible! You will not be disappointed!

When our friends from Minneapolis asked us to meet them in Chicago, it was a no-​brainer.
And, since they were open to anything, Sunda was first up on our must-​return-​to restaurants!
As it was around 7 on a Friday night, we had a bit of a wait, but it was totally worth it as we got the end of a long table to ourselves. My friend had two manhattans so I take it they were good. I had a delicious white wine from the Languedoc region that was creamy and perfect. My husband tried two different sakes, the second being a cloudy one he loved. My other friend had a beer and a sake. No complaints from any of us.
As you know from my former review, we were blown away on our first visit here back in the spring. I am happy to report the quality has stayed exactly the same, which is to say, perfect!
The tuna stuffed avocado is a delight to taste!
New for us was the wagyu and lobster roll, which I liked, but which my three compatriots loved! Creamy lobster, a hint (thank goodness, not too much) of truffle oil, all topped with craftily executed wagyu was something to experience!
Next up — the tried and true ‘lettuce wraps’ that, while actually almost impossible to eat as lettuce wraps, remain my favorite thing on the menu. First of all, the pork and tuna play so well together, as do the chilis, mangos, and spices, you can’t help but just have fun eating this. I also think the portion size is the best deal I’ve had here. Just love everything about it.
Finally we tried the coconut sea bass, because of course, I adore Chilean sea bass, and anything cooked with different peppers and coconut broth has to be tried. The four of us smiled with decadent glee as we portioned off this final part of our meal.
Sunda, you are pricey, but dang, you’re worth it!

This place is worth is just for the Brussel Sprouts Salad. One of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten, this was very delicious. We also got the bento boxes, with Seoul Chicken which was sweet, spicy and tangy and reminded me or an upscale take on an asian classic.
Love the décor and the service.
My new favorite for asian food.

My friend and I came here for a weekday late lunch. Given the time, it was quite easy to get a table without any sort of reservation. We split two rolls of sushi with an order of dim sum. That was plenty of delicious food for the both of us!
I was also very impressed by our waitstaff. Our waitress did not even need to write down our order! We were served promptly, and our experience was great. I’d try it again!

All these years, I didn’t realize that this amazing restaurant existed!
Wow, what an amazing treat it was.
1. Broccoli salad — I ordered it because of a Unilocaler’s not to not miss it — it is actually deep fried vegetables. If you are under 24 and skinny, order it. If not, while the taste is excellent, it is not worth the calories.
2. Orange sweetbread — two words: «Simply superb».
I was too full to try anything else. But based on the two dishes I tried, I would expect this to be a 5 star dining experience, all the way!

This place was packed solid on a weekday night. We had a reservation and were seated immediately.
I started with the luxury lychee martini which was great. There was a choice of Edamame — regular vs spicy. Got the regular and it was good. We ordered some sashimi, the Rainbow roll, and the Brussel sprout salad (almost seems a requirement since that is what they are known for!), and the Salmon and crab cocktail. The eel was delicious. Well, everything was good and the salad maintains its reputation as the best dish.
Worth noting is that the waiter helped through the menu on portion size and popularity since we were first timers.
I would come here again. I liked the service, food, and bustling atmosphere.

Sexiest restaurant is definitely an appropriate title for this spot! Perfect for a nice dinner before a night out in river north. Service was AMAZING first of all. Friendliest wait staff I have encountered thus far, and the food and drinks were even better! We even spotted a celeb at our dinner. this restaurant experience is for sure one I will not forget. Peared Saketini was a nice light and refreshing drink to go with the delicious meal. Some food highlights:
Gamble: a very fun dish. Each person at the table picks a piece of the sushi roll, and one lucky winner gets the hidden extreme spicy piece and is rewarded with a dessert on the house for the next visit. A tasty roll also!
Candy cane roll: one of the favorite rolls we tried. The fruit in the roll gave it a nice light twist to the tuna.
Brussel sprouts salad: my favorite vegetable shredded into a wonderful salad that all the men of the table even enjoyed. Dressing added a delicious tang to the dish, perfect start to the meal.
Escolar signature nigiri: a recommendation by the server that was well worth the try. Nice flavors and textures in one bite.
Beef lollipops: mmmm not too much meat so it won’t fill you up, but tasty and perfectly seasoned. Great dish to share.
Ridiculous dessert: even though we barely had room in our stomachs for this, it was a crowd favorite! Delicious fried ice cream type of dessert with a tasty doughy exterior. Not really what you would think from the description but you can’t go wrong with ordering this if you want a dessert to share!
Overall, as said above, I had an amazing experience. My friends that were in Chicago for the first time were very pleased with the choice. So glad I finally got to try this buzz of a restaurant and will definitely be back for more!

Brussels Sprouts Salad. Get it. That is all.
You could explore the rest of the menu, but if you don’t get this salad I will hate you. I split the salad with the table (big mistake — I should have eaten the whole thing), and got the pork belly on top of rice cakes, which I really didn’t care for.
All the food here is pricey (take note of the 3 $$$), and the presentation is pretty fancy, however I tried a lot of my friends’ dishes and the only one I really liked was the Brussels sprout salad. So yes, that made me give Sunda 4 stars for that alone.

Unbelievable!!! Oh, Chicago! You were already an awesome city, but you have Sunda, which bumps you up a notch!!!
Sunda has such a fantastic and unusual approach to «Asian Fusion» But really, front and center is the cuisine from the Philippines! I may be a bit biased (or even more critical) since I am Filipino, but Sunda has taken a much needed modern approach to Filipino cuisine.
We really had no idea of what to expect. Yes, we did peruse Unilocal to check out what others were saying, but they were across the board. All I knew was we just needed to try a little bit of everything.
We ordered the following: Crispy Brussels Sprouts, BBQ Octopus, Crazy Rice, and Lemongrass Beef Lollipops. Although, there were only 4 dishes, they were very generous portions. We were struggling by the time the Lemongrass Beef Lollipops came out. Luckily, we stroke up a conversation with the 2 guys seated next to us (also FIlipino). It was such a comfortable situation, we ended up joining tables and sharing our meals together! Let’s just say it felt like I was at a relative’s party. We were able to partake of their meal, which included the Adobo braised Pork Belly and Pancit Canton and we happily shared ours. As we conversed with our impromptu meal partners, we found out that I had a birthday close to one of the local guys! And, the sly dude got us each a birthday cake!!!
Anyway, let’s talk about the food!!!
Crispy Brussels Sprouts: I love Brussels Sprouts! Crispy, crunchy, and with just enough fish sauce flavor that it was not overpowering the dish! A definite must!
BBQ Octopus: Now with Octopus, I am always a bit weary, since there is a fine line on how to cook it. But Sunda did a perfect job! And even with the flavors of the gojuchang and kimchee, you can still taste the octopus.
Crazy Rice: Holy hell!!! It’s a take on bibimbop, but seafood style! Lobster, chicken, shrimp! All the flavors worked well together and did not compete with each other, of course a fried egg helps to bind it all together!
Lemongrass Beef Lollipops: OK, I have to admit this was the least favorite of the dishes we were served, but we were almost to the point of bursting by the time this came out! IMO, the meat was a bit too tough, but it was savory.
Adobo braised Pork Belly: Once again, Sunda, has taken my nanay’s recipe and somehow modernized it. It’s salty, vinegary, and garlicky, what else do you need? Oh, yes, some white rice to sop up that sauce.
Pancit Canton: THE BEST PANCIT CANTON I have ever had!!! I can’t describe exactly what made it taste sooo good, but this was perfection!!!
We were actually lucky the night we were at Sunda. We also got to meet Billy Dec, one of the owners of Sunda. Our newly acquired meal partners knew him and introduced us. Billy Dec was super nice guy, down to earth, and definitely knows more Tagalog than me…
So if you’re in Chicago, and want a new, modern, refreshing take on Asian cuisine, I highly recommend Sunda!!! I know I will be paying Sunda a visit the next time I’m in town!

Loved that they had a separate Vegan menu.
The Sweet potato caterpillar roll was very good!
Pad Thai — very spicy, soft tofu, good flavor!
Chocolate molten cake was delicious.
Nice décor and the waiter/​servers were very attentive.

Comida sensacional, um pouco caro, mas vale super a pena! Fantástico o atendimento também!

I’ll admit, Chicago is spoiled by amazing restaurants and having spent some time here, I think that happened to me also. Sunda is not bad, but it’s nothing to brag about either. I might come back, but won’t make an effort to do it.
SLICK, MODERN AND CROWDED. Hopefully that summed it up for ya. Also, reading their description on Unilocal as to the inspirations of the restaurant was possibly one of the silliest and far fetched paragraphs I’ve read in my life.
SWEET, VERY SWEET. I had the tiger shrimp tempura and it was so unbearably sweet and I did not like it whatsoever to be honest. But that’s just a matter of taste, I wish it wasn’t drenched in sauce. So, i thought to get a couple pieces of nigiri, I was shocked by how sweet the rice was. I’ve never had nigiri with rice this sweet, I had to leave all the rice on the plate. I think the chef has an obsession with sugar. Fish was fresh, about average quality grade. Nothing to brag about.
OUT OF UNI. What do you mean you are out of Uni? This place has the highest turnaround time imaginable, does not have a vast selection of fish and manage to run out of sea urchin? How dare you!

I had high hopes for this place because it was Michelin recommended, with good press (I even saw an actor there while eating!) but I was underwhelmed by the food, mostly because there was a sweet accent in almost everything I ate. Ambiance and wait staff were great, but the food, not so much.
Starters — Lumpia with pork and shrimp. I’ve had lumpia before, and by had I mean I ingested like 100 in one sitting, but this did not leave me wanting more. It was fine but nothing super special. I will say there were quite a few pieces of it so it’s a good appetizer to share. We also got the Oxtail Pot Sticker. Very meaty with a nice kick from the wasabi cream. It had a sweet undertone so I didn’t love it but it was adequate.
Entrée — Phở. Tons of meat. It comes with a huge bone marrow sitting in the middle, surrounded by a big piece of bison short rib and oxtail. The soup was darker than I had expected it to be. I was hoping for something more clean and clear as that is what I’ve had in the past. It was as if they already added the hoison sauce into the broth, which for me is a huge no because as you can read, I do not like a sweet taste in savory foods. But they also gave hoison on the side so not 100% sure what made the soup sweet and dark. Lastly, the soup came tempered down. It looked hot with steam coming out but when I started to mix everything, it came out more cool than hot which is not appealing with all the fat from the marrow and oxtail.
My friend had the Adobo braised pork belly. It definitely can be shared amongst the table, nice and fatty. That I thought was better than the phở. I also sampled the drunken noodle which was unfortunately drenched in sweet sauce.
Overall, too many sweet components in their entrees. The quality and portions are great, just the overall taste was not to my personal liking.

My friends and I were in town for a birthday celebration and had high expectations for Sunda! However, we left a tad underwhelmed. The restaurant is low-​lit, trendy, and modern. But the service and food left something to be desired.
Food: We got a bunch of small plates to share… so maybe our mistake was not going for any of the main dishes, but nothing we ate was super memorable or amazing. The ones I can remember are:
— Steamed duck buns: This was probably the best dish I tried. Loved the traditional Chinese duck/​hoisin flavors. The bun was perfectly soft and warm.
— Lemongrass beef lollipops: thin sliced steak wrapped around a stick. Not memorable.
— Tofu pad thai: Very good. One of the better pad thai dishes I’ve had in a long time!
— Lobster and wagyu sushi roll: Good roll, but not outstanding as you’d expect the ingredients to reflect. And at $ 23, not worth it frankly.
The service was rather annoying… we told our waitress at least 5 times that it was our friend’s birthday, expecting her to come out with a small dessert/​candle. Yet every time we reminded her, she’d come back and ask if we were ordering dessert or needed anything else, almost like she’d forgotten again. It ruined the surprise and the birthday girl caught on fast that we were asking for a special birthday dessert for her. No bueno.
Overall, nice ambiance, decent food with plenty of variety and options, but underwhelming.