Sunda New Asian - River North — Restaurant in Chicago

Sunda is great if you know what you’re getting into.

The ambiance: Be aware/beware that this is a big bachelorette party spot and family spot and it is LOUD! My friend and I were visiting from NYC where we both eat sushi quite often. I noted that at a sushi spot in NYC that is supposed to be upscale the vibes are much different. But it depends what the restaurant is going for and I just didn’t know that Sunda had such a casual/rowdy vibe before going.

The service: service was kind. We loved our waiter who let us sample different types of sake before deciding on a bottle. We ended up ordering “The Gambler” roll- more on that later- and were told to wave someone down when we found the ghost pepper if we needed milk or ice cream. At the moment that happened we couldn’t find our waiter and waved someone else down. My friend was struggling a bit after eating the ghost pepper and we asked for ice cream. The other waiter said “can I just bring milk?” And she said “no, ice cream.” And then we never saw that waiter again lol.

The food: the food was just good. Nothing was a standout but nothing was bad. The temperatures of the sushi were way off. Rice was all cold, making me feel like they prep all of the rice earlier in the day and just have an assembly line putting it all together rather than care into each roll, but it’s a big space and it’s a bachelorette party space after all so I guess they’re going for quantity over quality.

The gambler roll: so my friend and I were a little confused about what we were getting into. The waiter noted he’d never seen a group of only two order it before (again I think it’s a bachelorette party gimmick but we didn’t understand that going in). It’s like a game of roulette where the whole roll is very spicy with spicy tuna and a sambal sauce on every piece and one single piece has a ghost pepper hidden in it. All in all it was a fun experience! We were just too full because it was the last thing they served us and I think the sambal was the completely wrong flavor-profile for this meal. It was very vinegary and this roll had no potential to be delicious because of it.

I give 4 stars mostly because we loved our waiter. I’d recommend Sunda for someone who isn’t particular about their sushi and wants a...

Oh how did I not know about this one… I’m up! And I’m logged in!! This was SO good. Definitely added to the HH rotation and QUICK!

I had to try everything chile… the spicy tuna handroll was real good. Solid. 10 out of 10. Then I had the gochujang wings. Let me tell you, that was one of the best HH wings I’ve ever had. Not quite as good as the wings at HaiSous, but a close second. The portion was excellent for the price ($6) and quality. And I love when garnish is actually edible and not just thrown on there for the pic!!! I ate the whole plate. Next I had the shrimp and I’m not gonna lie, when they put it on the table I was verge skeptical. I shut my mouth real quick. Those shrimp were GOOD. You could taste the grill ohmygod… so juicy and so flavorful. 10 out of 10. The lemon helped but what would take the shrimp to the next level is some kind of sauce like a tamarind chile sauce or something. Still a solid 10 out of 10. Then the whole time I had seen my friend nibbling on the adobo pork belly bites so of course I had to get those. Yall everything was $6 it was a free for all!!!!!! Gobbled those up. I don’t really do pork belly because it is usually too fatty for me but THEEEEESSEEEE… oh… 15 out of 10. For me the stars were the pork bites and the wings, and I’d probably order both next time. Last I had the peppers which honestly were just not for me. I don’t think it had anything to do with the peppers themselves, I think I’ve just tried enough shishito peppers to know that I usually do not enjoy the texture. EXCEPT the shishitos at Lavedor in Wicker Park. Those CLEAR. For drinks we all did the $8 Time of Your Life. To me it was okay, 8 out of 10. Not quite tart enough for my liking and the bubbles were offputting. Nothing wrong with the drink, I just don’t think it was for me. I’d probably try something else next time. We also did a round of sake which was pretty good. Next time I really want to try some of the dessert offerings.

Overall solid SOLID happy hour experience. I...

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

We stopped by Sunda during happy hour to give it a try, and overall—it was slightly above mediocre. I’d call it a mixed bag, depending on what you order. We went all in and tried nearly everything off the happy hour menu.

Let’s start strong: the Shishito Peppers were excellent—charred just right, with a smoky kick that kept us reaching for more. The Adobo Pork Belly Bites were the undisputed winners: perfectly crispy, glazed in a sweet-savory soy sauce that hit all the right notes. If every dish were that good, this review might’ve had another star.

Then came the Seoul Wings, which were… not it. The gochujang glaze had promise, but the wings tasted like they’d been deep-fried in pure chicken fat before being dunked in grease again. I managed one bite, then surrendered.

The Lumpia were fine—crispy, pork-and-shrimp-filled little rolls that did their job but didn’t exactly earn a standing ovation. The Nori Fries, though, were tragic. Unseasoned, flavorless, and inexplicably sad. Probably the worst fries I’ve had anywhere. Seaweed shouldn’t make fries taste like disappointment.

We also upgraded our hand roll to Futomaki—a shrimp tempura roll that was okay but forgettable. For a happy hour special, you’d hope for something that makes you want to come back, not something that says “good enough, I guess.”

On the bright side, the drinks were solid. The spritz was fine, but the Watermelon Margarita absolutely delivered—fresh, balanced, and refreshing. However, the happy hour menu lists cocktails at $10, yet I was charged $14. Not exactly the kind of “happy” I was expecting.

All in all, Sunda isn’t bad—but in a city like Chicago, “not bad” doesn’t really cut it. If they can bring the quality of everything up to the level of their pork belly bites, they’d have something special. Until then, I’d say it’s worth a visit once—but don’t be surprised if you end up Sunda hunting for better...