Sunda-licious

At the behest of my dear brother (hereinafter, "The Ric"), I'll fill you in on one of the best new hotspots in town. Well, maybe not so new (it opened in March 2009), but Sunda is hot for sure. With a bustling cocktail scene, you may just have an "Us Weekly" moment (Julianna & Bill and Jillian & Ed have both been spotted here). Now that I have your attention, they have good food too.

Sunda was designed by the Rockit Bar guys to be a complete Asian fusion restaurant. With dishes from Thailand, Japan, and even Cambodia, it covers the spectrum of Asian dining. The chef, known as the Food Buddah (because of his belly, not his spirituality), has recently gained acclaim. He even had a pretty painful spot on the Today Show last week demonstrating the restaurant's signature tempura rock shrimp(which I recommend, btw). His tv personality may not lead him to be the Next Iron Chef, but it'd be fine with me if he just kept that belly of his in the kitchen in Chicago.

Now on to the highlights. I tried this place with The Ric and my SIL Jenny, who happened to know a terrific member of the waitstaff. Have I mentioned I love free stuff?? Not only did we get a great table in the "sushi kitchen", but we were given tastes of some of the best things the menu has to offer, and more good recommendations than room in our tummies. Try the duck hash salad and crispy pata pork shank.

Where this place really shined for me was the sushi. Sometimes traditional, sometimes avant garde, the rolls here are worth your time. Some might look at the Lobster and Waygu roll (lobster, scallions, jalapeno, kobe sashimi, truffles and foie gras) and think "weird". I think, "get in my mouth". Is it possible that the Food Buddah managed to cram all of my favorite things into a single bite that I could eat with chopsticks? Um, yes.

I'll be back, FOod Buddah...I'll be back.