Throughout the past year, the pandemic has hit the city pretty hard and the restaurant and hospitality industry took the brunt of the blow. With many restaurants struggling to adapt and find both workers and diners, there have been a large number of shutdowns during the pandemic. Sunda had been one of these establishments that had chosen to close their doors due to the difficulties of operating during this past year. Fortunately, Sunda has officially re-opened in the past weeks and is attempting to rise up greater than ever. For those that have never been to Sunda, there is no better time to visit than now.
Sunda New Asian was initially created as a celebration for the various culinary worlds found all throughout the Southeast Asian countries including countries like China, Japan, and Indonesia. Many of the dishes found on the menu at Sunda can be traced back to many of the very popular and authentic dishes from these areas while elevating them to a new level with high quality incredients, cutting edge culinary techniques, and a beautiful plating experience for the diners.
As Sunda has just re-opened, the restaurant itself is attempting to pay respects to the original version in maintaining the same values and spirit while providing a new culinary experience for its patrons. Some of the most popular dishes at Sunda are their Miso Glazed Sea Bass or their Lemongrass Beef Lollipops. For those that really enjoy a good bowl of noodles, the short rib pho is an excellent choice and is one of the best bowls of pho found in the city of Chicago. In addition to many of the main dishes on the menu, there are a lot of good selections for vegetable dishes or side dishes. One of these is the crispy brussel sprout salad which gets hand tossed with a deliciously spicy vinaigrette made from shrimp nuoc cham.
In addition to the many various dishes found on the menu, Sunda has a very strong selection of sushi menu options as well. One of the must try sushi items on the menu at Sunda is the crispy rice with wagyu beef. The rest of the sushi menu consists of a whole lot of extravagant and elegant sushi rolls. Another popular sushi roll is the Red Dragon which includes shrimp tempura, eel, and spicy tuna.
In addition to the food portion of the menu, the drink menu is chock full of imported beers, wines, and a rotating cocktail selection based off seasonalities of the year. There is also a huge selection of top tier sakes.
In addition to the new re-opening of Sunda, the establishment is going through many other changes and improvements. One of these newest changes is the swap in leadership and now employing a fresh executive chef with the name of Brawnson Rattanavong. Chef Rattanavong has a vast expansive set of experience as a sous chef where he has accumulated over eleven years of experience. In the coming days, chef Rattanavong is aiming to experiment with new ideas and devising brand new tasting experiences on the Sunda menu as the establishment works towards finding success in once again opening for indoor dining.
Looking back through Sunda's history, Sunda was first opened back in 2009 and since then has been one of the most well known Asian fusion restaurants around River North. In the past, Sunda New Asian was commonly chosen as the place for various celebrations and events like corporate outings or parties.
Sunda can be found located at 110 W Illinois St.