Sunda in NYC – James Beard Dinner
It was sort of weird, yet incredibly awesome, standing in the James Beard House in NYC on Nov. 6, an hour before the “Along the Silk Road” dinner with Sunda chef Rodelio Aglibot and Rockit chef James Gottwald was about to begin. The two Chicago chefs were huddling with their staff in the tiny semi-open kitchen, well, open in that you need to walk through the thing to get from the lobby area to reception/dining area in the surprisingly low-key culinary temple that resides in a legendary brownstone. The staff (French Culinary Institute students) was prepping for the night, torching poached shrimp in egg sauce, skewering beef with lemon grass for juicy meat lollipops, getting the sushi course ready, and generally preparing to roll out a Sunda-inspired feast to the night’s guests.
It wasn’t Aglibot’s first time at the house, he talked about his mom crying hysterically at a previous dinner, where he was also introduced by Jacques Pépin. But I think everyone wanted to collectively cry at the night’s heavenly first bite of roasted duck hash on a daikon cake with unagi-glazed crispy duck skin and egg yolk tartare. A part of me was hoping for an adaptation of Sunda’s famous love-it-or-hate it watermelon unagi maki (I love, obv), but the hash served as a perfectly unctuous start with the similar flavor of sweet unagi. Next up was also worthy of a few tears of happiness; pork belly with big eye tuna served with mango, garlic vinaigrette and sweet chili sauce. It reminded me of the ahi tuna, mango and pork appetizer I love at Sunda, but this was a deliciously deconstructed version. Next came the sushi. A generous array of great white nigiri with shaved truffle, the earth and ocean roll; lobster maki, wagyu beef tartare and truffled foie aïoli, and a miso-marinated black cod with pickled ginger. There wasn’t a bamboo school of fish swimming along the ceiling, but we enjoyed the Sunda-approved sushi rolls all the same. An avocado mousse palate cleanser with frozen lychee and berries got us ready for Midwest honey and ginger braised beef long ribs with with lobster scented arroz caldo. Tender, sweet and fragrant, it represented Aglibot’s mastery with a hunk of meat, and perfectly matched a Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir ‘07 from Russian River Valley. And dessert..camparado; a Filipino chocolate rice pudding with preserved young coconut, toasted rice flakes and crispy strips of lap cheong, yes, sweet and spicy pork. In rice pudding. Not a taste for everyone, but I loved it and am still purposing a permanent move onto the Sunda menu. The Boo-dah’s night cap cocktail with Hennessey Black and marmalade was the perfect ending to a night represented by two of Chicago’s finest.
I wanted more of my food photos to turn out, I really did, but the dimly lit room just wasn’t conducive. So I apologize, but a few to enjoy from a night to remember.
Chicago Tribune: Sunda turning up the heat on Chicago’s dining scene
Chicago Tribune’s Pat Bruno was kind enough to review Sunda New Asian.
From the article
What recession? Sunda, the hot new “New Asian” restaurant, has been stacking customers like cord wood since day one. It took me four tries to land a reservation at a prime dining time.
Was it worth it? Indeed, it was. Should you put Sunda on your “place to eat” list? You bet.
Soak up a night out of people-watching (peppered with minor celebrity spottings) and fun, flavorful food
Timeout Chicago‘s review of Sunda is online.
From the article:
There are two ways to evaluate Sunda, the new hot-stuff, pan-Asian, megarestaurant from the Rockit Ranch crew. The first (and the method most likely for hard-core chowhounds who favor flavor over flash) is to compare every dish to its cheaper, seemingly more authentic version found in humbler surroundings around town. Don’t. What you’d find is that the skin of Sunda’s soup dumplings turns to mush and can’t contain its pork broth like those in Chinatown; that the pork belly steamed buns are heavy on the bun and light on the pork; and that the “Thai fried chicken” is indeed juicy but suffers from a modernized coconut crust and doesn’t pack nearly as much flavor as the kai thawt at a half-dozen Thai dives. A meal spent making these comparisons takes all the fun out of dining at Sunda, the one opening in recent memory that’s so excessive in scope, stature and style that it might as well tack on the tag line “Recession be damned.”
Sunda New Years Eve 2011 Early Bird Tickets On Sale
This page is for last year’s ticket sales. For the current New Years Eve ticket sales page, click here.
Early bird packages for New Years Eve in Chicago at Sunda are currently on sale. We sold out very early on last year so get your tickets while they’re available!
$95 Sunda New Asian New Years Package
- Friday, December 31
- 9pm-1am
- All inclusive buffet and premium bar package in upstairs lounge
- Tax and gratuity included
- Available for a limited time only
- Purchase below
$100 Sunda New Asian New Years Package – SOLD OUT
- Friday, December 31
- 9pm-1am
- All inclusive bar and food package in the lounge
- Tax and gratuity included
- General tickets available starting at $100 for a limited time only
- Purchase $100 package below
Additional Packages from Sunda New Asian
- $125
9pm-1am – Midnight food and bar package (communal & sushi bar) - $150 9pm-1am – Midnight food, wine and bar package (Dining room)
- Must call to purchase both of these packages 312.644.0500
Where to Throw a Party in Chicago – Sunda #1 for 30 or Fewer Guests
Sunda New Asian was named the #1 place for a private party or reception ranging in size from 10-30 guests by Chicago Citysearch.
From the article:
Private events for 14 or more guests ooze cool at this New Asian go-to, where sharing everything from whacked-out sushi to pristine sashimi is de rigueur–though a la carte and buffet-style bashes are available options, too. Plan ahead, and DJs will hit the decks at your ambient, ultra-cool soiree.
Sunda Ranked #1 Celebrity Hangout Spot in Chicago by the Tribune and Redeye
Sunda New Asian was named the #1 celebrity hangout spot in the month of August by the Tribune.
Celebs: Derek Jeter, Fergie, Josh Duhamel, Michael Bay, Green Day, Soundgarden, Ke$ha, Kristin Cavallari, All-American Rejects’ Tyson Ritter, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, Miami Heat’s Juwan Howard, Macy Gray, former “90210″ star Ian Ziering
Celebs feel comfortable here. So comfortable that Ke$ha showed up in a bathrobe.
Sunda Ranked Top Celebrity Hot Spot in October
Sunda and The Underground were both ranked as top celebrity hot spots in Chicago by the Tribune this past month.
From the article:
It’s getting colder in Chicago, but not so cold that it scared celebrities away from visiting in October (they usually don’t start wimping out until January). The Chicago International Film Festival brought a few Hollywood stars to the city, as did the three-day filming of “The Vow.” But as usual, most of the sightings around Chicago were sports-related.
Here’s a look at which Chicago venues attracted the most, biggest and rarest sightings during October in the latest edition of the About Last Night rankings:
1. SUNDA
Celebs: Channing Tatum, “Step Up” actress Jenna Dewan, “Underworld” actor Scott Speedman, David Schwimmer, “Private Practice” actress Kate Walsh, chef Bobby Flay, “Extra” host Mario Lopez, “Slumdog Millionaire” director Danny Boyle, “I Love College” rapper Asher Roth, White Sox’s Gordon Beckham, Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith, former NBA All-Star Antoine Walker, “The Mentalist” actress Robin Tunney.Sunda and Hub 51 have alternated the top spot the last four months.
September ranking: No. 3 Highest ranking: No. 1
8. THE UNDERGROUND
Celebs: Forest Whitaker, Manny Ramirez, “Vampire Diaries” actors Michael Trevino and Steven R. McQueen.If Ramirez leaves the White Sox, nobody will be more disappointed than Chicago’s club owners.
BEST OF THE REST: Rockit Bar & Grill in River North (Rob Lowe, Raquel Welch, former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel), Japonais (N.E.R.D. front man Pharrell Williams, Fire’s Freddie Ljungberg, U.S. soccer captain Carlos Bocanegra), The Fifty/50 (The Blackhawks’ Brian Campbell and Troy Brouwer, “Bachelorette” alum Ed Swiderski), Epic (Lionel Richie, Mario Lopez), Table Fifty-Two (Tyler Perry, Rahm Emanuel
NBC Chicago: Celebs Still Going to Sunda
NBC Chicago picked up on Sunda New Asian‘s #1 ranking for the month of October for celeb sightings.
From the article
The Chicago Tribune has released it’s monthly round-up of Top 10 Celebrity Spots, noting that Sunda and Hub 51 have alternated the top spot the last four months. Not much of a shocker considering the list hardly ever changes—even down to the runners-up (Rock It, Epic, Table Fifty-Two). Maybe it’s because they can’t get a table at Girl & The Goat? [Trib]
Lionel Richie Spotted Dining at Sunda
The Chicago Sun-Times mentioned both Rockit Bar & Grill and Sunda for a Lionel Richie and Mario Lopez sighting
From the article
SEEN ON THE SCENE: Heads were turning at Cafe Spiaggia for recent sightings of Jimmy Buffett and Lionel Richie, who also was seen supping at Sunda. … Mario Lopez made the scene at Sunda — as well as Epic and a big party at Manor — while in town hosting the “Urbanathlon” events. … Hometown native Raquel Welch — here being honored with WGN’s Merri Dee and WTTW’s Jamie Ceaser by Women in Film Chicago — wowed her fans at Rockit Bar & Grill. … “Fame” legend Debbie Allen knows a lot about musicals, so it’s fitting she was the top bidder at the Primo Center benefit — winning tickets to London and a stay at the Ritz to attend the London premiere of ”Ghost: The Musical” (inspired by the Oscar-winning film). It’s produced by Chicagoan David Garfinkle, who also is busy co-producing the big Broadway “Spider-Man” musical, opening Dec. 21.
Meredith Vieira spotted dining at Sunda
“Today” show anchor Meredith Vieira was spotted at Sunda this past week.
From the article:
SEEN ON THE SCENE: “Today” anchor Meredith Vieira was spied all over town this past weekend, including at Sunda and at the Evanston cafe Kafein with her kids after the Northwestern game Saturday. … Will.i.am and some of his Black Eyed Peas bandmates, the Bears’ Garrett Wolfe, New York Yankee Curtis Granderson and “Shameless” actor Robert Knepper were among recent sightings at the Underground. …
