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 cartemenuand 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 setmenuwas 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.

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 amenuthat offers a twist on many of the asian classics using well known beloved flavours, sunda'smenuis 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.

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'smenuand 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 tastingmenuis 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.

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 seasonmenuchanges.

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.

innovative southeast asian creations
🦀 otak otak
🌶 xo sauce chicken crackling egg noodles
🥧 vegemite curry roti
🌾 tempeh
🏚: sunda_
📍: punch lane, melbourne
.
————————————————————📝: 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, themenufeature innovative creations of southeast asian dishes.
.
❤️: combining the flavors of indonesia, malaysia, and vietnam with high-quality australian ingredients, the sharing stylemenuranges 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.
————————————————————
.
.
.
#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 themenuonly 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.

beautiful food matched by a relaxing atmosphere, tucked away in one of melbourne’s alleyways. tastingmenuhas good portions with the egg noodles as a staple favourite. cocktails are a little on the pricier end but worth it with flesh flavours.

outstanding, delicious and daring. the classicsmenutakes mostly indonesian/malaysian dishes and jazzes them up with australian ingredients. nguyen’s take on otak otak is something i’ll remember for years - a simple snack transformed into gourmet cuisine. the vegemite roti is the signature dish, and deserves its reputation - finally, someone has found the right balance of an otherwise overpowering flavour. and the main (which i’d interpret as a wildly creative version of pork in plum sauce with dan dan noodles) was a fabulously fiery finale before our palates were cooled by the accompanying salad and desserts. memorable, wonderful, delightful

food: 4.3/5
service: 4.3/5
venue: 4/5

had the setmenuwith extra roti vegemite curry sauce in a group of 4.

entrees were all delicious, creative and inventive use of south-east asian flavours. portion of mains were very generous, we came in very hungry for an 830pm seating and couldn't finish them! desserts got mixed reviews for my party, i personally really enjoyed the shiitake pavlova which i felt had a well balanced umami and sweetness. was not a fan of the beetroot granita, however i respected its pairing with the other ingredients and felt it worked as a dish.

sunda is a great experience, however i would not recommend it for those not familiar with asian cuisines or appreciative of fine dining (eg my older parents) as the flavours can be quite confusing.

excellent service and a cosy venue.

the taste is sometimes odd rather than differently delicious. i have tried half of themenuincluding special orders. not to my expectations. don’t think i will come back

takeaway vegetarian banquet (from 30/06),menuchanged. vacuum sealed reheat packs. easy to prepare and plate at home.

vegemite curry is delicious, very moreish flavour, not actually a specially vegemite taste just that rich savoury umami taste. great flat bread to accompany it.

excellent vegetarian dishes, some more flavoursome than others.

great food with an extensive modern approach on indonesian and malaysian cuisine as what we had from the setmenufor a party of 6. noodles with crispy chicken skin was the star of the night as also their roti with vegemite curry. beautifully presented but tastes can somewhat overlap and you start to get this sickening taste in your mouth. the air-conditioning could be turned down quite a bit as your sitting in the middle of the restaurant, very cold air is enough to give you a head cold.
overall an innovative take on some classics and beautifully presentedin a modern way..

to try:
- roti bread with vegemite curry; i honestly could've polished that off with twice the amount of vegemite. the roti was soo buttery and flakey. an offmenumust have.
- otak otak; the curry has a parfait like texture and you spread it over the rice crisps. this is absolutely delicious and packs such a flavour punch
- marron; the marron was perfectly cooked, covered in a delicious curry sauce and already sliced in the shell so you could eat it with ease. accompanied with some cute bao buns to soak up the delicious sauce
- rangers valley wagyu; this was cooked to perfection and truly melted in your mouth. the carrots were a bit strange but the lime satay paired perfectly.

to skip:
- the set menu; i think it skips some of the more exciting items off the menu. create your own!

overall sunda was a fantastic meal. i love that it is a combination of indonesian, malaysian and vietnamese cuisine using australian ingredients, it made for the best sort of fusion experience.

i came here tonight for a catch up with my brothers and had the most wonderful time.

to begin with the staff are friendly and are extremely knowledgeable on all food and drinks available. we opted for a couple of our own choices from themenuand a couple of recommended dishes. as there was two pescatarians and a carnivore in attendance we weren’t sure how it was going to go. we were all extremely happy with the fantastic flavours in each dish, the presentation on everything was simply outstanding.

we started with the signature “vegemite curry roti” i can totally understand why this its on themenuand features on a google search, it is simply scrumptious, flakey uber buttery pastry and vegemite, what is there not to love. the little pie tees were next, they had an amazing depth of flavour, it rocked our palates, we just couldn’t believe it was vegetarian.

for mains we ordered the:
marron, it came with belacan butter and vietnamese mint, it was rich and melt in your mouth.
barramundi, lap cheong, with desert lime and betel leaf was succulent and juicy.
freemantle octopus with bush tomato and lemongrass sambal was tender.
spanner crab curry with rice crisps, this was a standout of insanely infused flavours and textures, it did not look at all like we expected (it looked like a dessert) my taste buds simply went to heaven with this dish.
we also ordered various other dishes, like the fried rice and a ceviche and a few other dishes i forgot to write down.

a hands down incredible foodie experience and spectacular wines and cocktails to match, the aperol spritz a particular winner.