sunda

i finally managed to get around sunda!

tucked away on punch lane, we were greeted by a friendly waiter and seated pretty much right away.

we knew prior to the booking that there is no option of an a la carte menu and they offer a banquet only. since the pandemic we are all pretty much accustomed to set menus and i never felt hungry leaving before but i will make a point here that the portions at sunda are below average in size and i would not call it a ‚feast‘, more a tasting menu.

the set menu was amazing overall and we enjoyed every dish. the staff was attentive and explained every dish upon arrival.

the oysters and barramundi were fresh and the flavour of the broth for the barramundi was delicious. my personal favourite was the spanner crab snack at the start but i overall enjoyed all meals. the lamb was a little more on the chewy side and given the small portion, i hoped for better quality meat.

great experience but given the prices go up by $20 in june (banquet $140.00), i frankly feel you get better value elsewhere. i am glad i ticked it off my list but would probably not rush back.

#sunda is amazing! i’ve been a couple of times and i’m sure that this will be a staple for me in melbourne. the fusion of asian flavours is insanely good #melbournefood #melbournefoodie one of melbournes top restaurants

3.5 out of 5
give a try to sunda since a lot of people recommend to me so i have a pretty high expectation from the beginning. the food was actually good, the price is reasonable since their plating is just on point and looks so pretty.
but they charge $5 for the tap water pr sparkling for each person. and the table is not that comfortable to compare with their price since it’s like a communal table so it’s less privacy.
the roti is incredible. it’s a must-try item. the tempe and the otak otak is really delicious too!! i love it.
overall it’s not bad, good place to try. but i would love to spend the same amount on the other place.

serving up an exquisite fusion of vietnamese and indonesian cuisine, newly opened sunda on punch lane is already making its mark on the melbourne food scene. situated in a new york loft-esque venue, the walls are exposed, the kitchen is on show, the tables are shared and the seats are limited - all elements giving the place a sense of exclusivity and (border-line half renovated) charm.with a menu that offers a twist on many of the asian classics using well known beloved flavours, sunda's menu is both unique, but familiar enough not to be intimidating.  the roti served with vegemite satay (you heard me, vegemite satay) is not to be missed - tasting more like a freshly cooked croissant, the butteryness of the bread was cut beautifully by the saltiness in the vegemite satay.

everything about our dinner at sunda was just about perfect - amazing food and service; quiet restaurant; really interesting space ; service was excellent without being pretentious. every dish was delicious

this place blew my mind. i can’t believe i haven’t tried this place earlier! a gf took me out for my birthday.

we ordered 4 rock oysters and the coconut curry vinaigrette tasted so delicious! i’ve never tasted anything like it.

we shared the wagyu rendang pie which was delicious!

both our favorites was the ‘otak otak’, spanned crab curry. you spread the crab curry on rice cakes and it was just so perfectly balanced and textured. it’s a cold curry and melts in your mouth!

for mains we had the lamb rump and egg noodles in xo w chicken crackle.

the lamb rump was the best i’ve ever had. usually rumps are quite plain but they cooked it so well.

the noodles were good but nothing amazing compared to all the other dishes we had.

we ended dinner with a honey comb cake which was under whelming considering how amazing everything else was. no regrets though. they even wrote happy birthday on the plate with a candle for me.

i want to come back already and try everything else on the menu!!!

came here with a friend and we opted for the chef’s menu. we were starving but ended up being really full, the dishes were delicious and interesting. the otak otak was the dish of the night. would be keen to return and try other dishes such as the rendang bun and w.a. marron.

really enjoyed this place. fit out is a bit too industrial but somehow it manages to be quite and intimate space and not too noisy. we had the chef's menu and everything we tried was good and a couple of dishes were just ouststanding - the otak otak and the pietee. we sat at the bar where you get a great view of the kitchen, the alternative is on one of the two communal tables.definately recommend giving this place a try.

every few years my wife and i have a 'holiday in melbourne'.  which means instead of spending a few $1000+ to travel interstate we spend our money having a great old time in melbourne.  we select 7 or 8 restaurants currently making a name for themselves and enjoy some long lunches. 

so far on the 'holiday', we have done bar saracen, embla, shujinko (ramen), and today was sunda.

sunda was brilliant.  it has only been open 4 weeks but based on today it might be here to stay if words get out.

we opted for the 'tasting menu' and were treated to some wonderful variations on some old theme's.   first off, we loved the 'work in progress' of the building's design.   don't embarrass yourself by asking when the reno will be finished.  :-)  

the front of house was terrific.  so approachable and down to earth.  these 3 folks have been around the traps of some of melbourne's best and know how to set a relaxed tone.

at just $75 for 'plenty', the tasting menu is a must if you are a first timer like us.  you may need some hours, to waste.    

we couldn't fault the lunch; in food, wine, ambiance and staffing. 

sitting at the bar the highlight was watching the 'head chef' khanh nguyen work like the junior apprentice.   he spent 2 hours peeling baby onions.  :-)  

we shall return.  terrific sunda, happy holiday's melbourne.

punch line
pricey but a pleasant evening
2ppl $226

setting
husband and wife night out
we sat at a long common table and enjoyed a very pleasant atmosphere
common tables are often a gamble as you might end up sitting next to that loud guy who knows everything or a bitchy princess that just had an argument with her friend
this time we were lucky and managed a tête-à-tête.

service
very friendly / enjoyable
wanting to be very very picky... some dishes could have been delivered with a bit more finesse. but that’s details and it did not impact on our evening

food
we opted for the set without matched drinks: a selection including the following very well presented 8 dishes ... generally small portions but turned out to be a lot of food

1.crispy tempeh = don’t bother
2. pie tee = very pretty crunchy bite size flavourless cupcakes
3. raw scallops with charred betel leaf = wish they were fresh and cold, as a diver that eats a lot of raw scallops i expected more
4. otak otak curry parfet with crab & snapper = now that was something else, truly worthy
5. lamb rump = very tender juicy chunks with robust flavour, excellent
6. charred cucumber = yep...charred cucumber
7. egg noodles = strong dish, matched with the lamb made for a good main
8. vietnamese coffee, chocolate, coconut, wattleseed dessert = excellent way to finish, not too sweet, very nice texture and flavour

wine
given the diversity of our dishes we opted for a 2017 amrit pinot gris on skins mornington peninsula, victoria
this matched our meal well and was a very nice surprise as it is an unusual wine

i would rate sunda 10 stars for the food if i could!

i was taken here for my birthday dinner and a better place could not have been chosen. this is up there with the top 2 dining experiences i've had so far this year and will remember those perfectly blended flavours for a long time. very affordable fine dining and i will continue to go back with season menu changes.

food: 5/5
seeing the ingredients listed against the dishes really challenges any preconceived preferences you may think you have. e.g. i don't like vegemite but having it in thay vegemite curry was so well balanced and delicious!
the buttermilk roti is infamous here but it says a lot when after you've tried all the dishes, you realise it wasn't close to your favourite dish because the standard here is so high.

what we tried in order of phenomenal to good:

1. egg noodles with so sauce and chicken crackling
2. lamb rump, cashew nut with native curry
3. 'otak otak' spanner crab curry with finger lime curry & rice crisps
4. buttermilk roti with vegemite curry
5. wagu rendang pie with sambal
6. complimentary pickled veggies (more peanut satay than pickled but it was delicious)

decor & ambience: 4.5/5
the minimalist very dark interior with stainless steel chef's (bar) table taking centre stage, it can seem quite sterile upon first entering. once we rolled up to our seats and enjoyed the experience unfold, the uniqueness all added to the charm. reminded me of nyc style restaurants.
i would highly recommend sitting up at the bar if you're a party of 2 or 3. the dining table area looked a little crammed and uninteresting to be frank.

service: 4/5
unfortunately i felt service wasn't as seamless as what i would've thought being such a highly regarded restaurant. it was an awkward welcoming as you walk in to the bench and wait to be served. after taking payment, they also didn't say goodbye. it's the small things that do get noticed the waitresses throughout the evening were faultless though.

i would say overall i like this place, we were seated at the bar so that was exciting watching the chef do their thing. we opted for the chef menu. some of their dishes to me were quite spicy, so if you don't have a tolerance for spicy food, let them know. the pickled appetiser was really nice, then came out
1.crispy tempeh = don’t bother
like the below review, felt like easy sugar, had one piece.
2. pie tee = didnt like it, felt like i was biting into a cupcake that exploded with too much oil.
3. raw scallops with charred betel leaf = this was one of the highlight dish for me. yummy!
4. otak otak curry parfet with crab & snapper = surprisingly delicious!
5. lamb rump = to me, lamb smells, so no. 
6. charred cucumber = like dish 1, don't bother, like eating a spoon of salt.
7. egg noodles = one of the more spicier dish, i liked it, something different, matched with the lamb.
8. vietnamese coffee, chocolate, coconut dessert = chocolate wayyyyyy too sweet, if you ate a peasize of the chocolate along with the coconut and condense milk ice cream then it was bomb, but there wasnt enough ice cream/coconut.

2 people spent $210
props to the bartender, he makes mad cocktails!

innovative southeast asian creations
🦀 otak otak
🌶 xo sauce chicken crackling egg noodles
🥧 vegemite curry roti
🌾 tempeh
🏚: sunda_
📍: punch lane, melbourne
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————————————————————📝: despite being the new kid on the block, with the kitchen recently opened up just in 2018, sunda dining has won so many awards, be it from the good food guide, opentable, delicious, time out, concrete playground, and much more.

inspired by the flavors of the region it is named after, sunda_ is a modern southeast asian diner, hidden away in one of the city’s busiest laneways.

drawing on asian herbs and spices combined with local australian produce, the menu feature innovative creations of southeast asian dishes.
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❤️: combining the flavors of indonesia, malaysia, and vietnam with high-quality australian ingredients, the sharing style menu ranges from snacks and bites to smaller and larger dishes to give you a unique dining experience.

featured are our favorites of the night. starting off to whet our appetite was the tempeh, tofu curds, palm sugar, and muntries. next off, we had the signature special vegemite roti. yes, yes, it might sound shocking, but omg, this was stunning. the perfect crispiness yet slightly chewiness of the roti, combined with an umami vegemite curry—omg, no words.

sunda’s take on otak otak is as insane, with spanner crab curry, finger lime, and rice crisps. we savored every single bite, hoping for it to last as long as possible. lastly, we had the egg noodles in xo sauce, chicken crackling, and pepper berry. another impressive dish.
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#instafood #restaurant #foodstagram #foodporn #food #eat #hungry #starving #foodie #yum #yummy #delicious #vacation #cafe #travel #holiday #hotel #seafood #night #finedine #finedining #luxury #noodles #local #melbourne #australia #dinner #wine #fusion #asianfood

finally, an upscale fusion indonesian restaurant! although the menu only consists very little indonesian inspired dish, but it’s a start. impressed with less known offering of ‘otak otak’, nasi ulam and bika ambon. even if the latter was the only thing that resembles the real thing, i thoroughly enjoyed the variety of the ingredients and the flavour. i would definitely go back. one tiny detail: please fix the floor i the upper level dining area, as it was very shaky every time anyone walks.

an fantastic addition to the city dining scene. refined, innovative flavours and lovely wine list combine for a fantastic dining experience.