Sunda New Asian
Asian fusion restaurant · West Town ·
Modern Southeast Asian dishes, sushi, dim sum, cocktails
Modern Southeast Asian dishes, sushi, dim sum, cocktails
"We recently checked out Sunda. Read our review here. The pricey Asian fusion restaurant Sunda opened a new location in Fulton Market. Like with the original in River North, expect plenty of good sushi, dim sum, and dishes from across Southeast Asia. The only things missing from this second spot are brunch and Happy Hour." - john ringor, veda kilaru
"The original Sunda, a pricey Asian fusion spot in River North that’s been around since 2009, feels about as relevant as what you wore to prom: important at the time, but not something you need to revisit. They’ve since opened a location in Fulton Market, reminding us why Chicago became obsessed with fried brussels sprouts tossed in a nuoc cham vinaigrette 15 years ago. This location’s menu is almost identical, meaning you can get the aforementioned sweet-and-savory crispy brussels sprouts salad, as well as over-the-top sushi rolls with foie gras aioli that have zero nuance but are delicious in a right-into-your cerebral-cortex kind of way. The main reason to pay new Sunda a visit is the giant space, high-quality West Loop people-watching, and a booming sound system playing “Now That’s What I Call Music” remixes that also might have been at your prom. If you want to drop $49 on miso cod while listening to “Rhythm Is A Dancer,” come here instead of Nobu." - Adrian Kane
"Opening tonight on the ground floor inside Sterling Bay’s headquarters, I see Sunda New Asian Fulton Market as Billy Dec’s long-awaited second Chicago outpost and a return to his home turf; the team quietly invested heavily in design to keep pace with Fulton Market’s restaurant scene. The menu, led by executive chef Mike Morales, spans China, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines and follows the same format as prior Sunda locations (one-third Japanese, one-third Chinese, one-third Filipino/other), with longtime hits like spicy tuna crispy rice (masago, chives, sriracha, serrano) and truffled chicken siu mai (shiitake, hon-shimeji, hot mustard); dim sum and sushi feature prominently, and Ise Matsunobu — formerly of longtime Chicago favorite Sushi Wabi — will helm the 18-seat sushi bar. Well-regarded Chicago design firm Studio K Creative wove Dec’s Filipino heritage into the space with a jaw-dropping pearlescent capiz-shell sculpture above the 26-seat island bar, walls layered with woven pamaypay hand fans, bamboo treatments, sleek contemporary furniture, and a 146-seat main dining room; cocktails include an ube espresso martini and the Low Thai’d. The restaurant’s hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday." - Naomi Waxman
"Billy Dec’s Southeast Asian restaurant Sunda is opening a second Chicago location in Fulton Market that the team says may be the neighborhood’s most beautiful restaurant; the menu will span Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese influences with sushi, dim-sum twists, noodles, rice dishes, specialty cocktails, sake, and Japanese whiskies, and Studio K is designing the space with a February opening expected." - Ashok Selvam
"Owned by restaurateur Billy Dec, the new Fulton Market location will occupy an 8,400-square-foot ground-floor space inside Sterling Bay’s headquarters at 333 N. Green Street and is scheduled to open in spring or summer 2022. It will serve the same pan-Asian mix — Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese — as the original outpost, featuring hits like garlic crab noodles, spicy tuna crispy rice, and sushi, plus new creations from chef and partner Michael Morales. Design changes informed by the pandemic include open-air areas and a longer bar to respond to increased interest in cocktails and quick-drink visits. As one of the only Filipino-food options in the West Loop/Fulton Market besides a French Market stall, the menu shift toward more Filipino dishes reflects a broader rise in Asian-American culinary visibility, and the concept has previously drawn celebrities such as Jamie Foxx and Barbara Streisand. Dec frames the opening as the next step in a planned national expansion." - Naomi Waxman
