Sunda Dining | Melbourne CBD | A Chronicle of Gastronomy

Sunda - Toasted rice and black truffle fried ice cream, kaya coconut & pandan custard, wattleseed crumb, fresh shaved truffle ($22)

21 Jul Sunda Dining, Melbourne CBD

Posted at 17:15h in Asian, Food, Indonesian, Malaysian, Melbourne CBD, Restaurants, Sunda Dining, Thai, Vietnamese by A Chronicle of Gastronomy 0 Comments

Sunda - Crispy tempeh, ginger flower, tamarind, palm sugar garnished with fried shallots and garlic, House pickles of kohlrabi, carrot, cucumber and crispy fried soy beans — Crispy tempeh, ginger flower, tamarind, palm sugar garnished with fried shallots and garlic, House pickles of kohlrabi, carrot, cucumber and crispy fried soy beans

Sunda made waves when it opened mid-year, known for its intriguing and contemporary take on South-east Asian cuisine. Given that we had a large number of people for our booking that night, we partook in the banquet menu.

Sunda - Pie tee, whipped egg custard, salted vegetables, chilli bean sauce — Pie tee, whipped egg custard, salted vegetables, chilli bean sauce

Sunda - Raw scallops, salted cucumber, andaliman pepper, charred betel leaf

Sunda - ‘Otak otak’, spanner crab curry, finger lime, rice crisps — ‘Otak otak’, spanner crab curry, finger lime, rice crisps

Sunda - Egg noodles, XO sauce, chicken crackling, pepperberry — Egg noodles, XO sauce, chicken crackling, pepperberry

Sunda - Charred cucumber, laughing cow cheese, pickled green papaya, caramelised peanut, jungle curry, lemon myrtle — Charred cucumber, laughing cow cheese, pickled green papaya, caramelised peanut, jungle curry, lemon myrtle

Sunda - Lamb rump, braised cashew, saltbush, native curry — Lamb rump, braised cashew, saltbush, native curry

Sunda - Nasi ulam, aromatic herb fried rice, aniseed myrtle, tobiko — Nasi ulam, aromatic herb fried rice, aniseed myrtle, tobiko

Sunda - Vietnamese coffee, chocolate, coconut, wattleseed — Vietnamese coffee, chocolate, coconut, wattleseed

I’m always a little concerned when it comes to set menus; I prefer to pick dishes that I know I’ll enjoy. I needn’t have worried, as there was a large range of dishes served and all were tasty. Right from the beginning, the crispy tempeh impressed. It had an addictive chew and plenty of umami. We received a number of lighter dishes including Pie Tee, Otak Otak and Raw Scallops, before moving on to the more substantial Egg Noodles, Nasi Ulam and Lamb Rump. My highlights of the spread were the flavoursome Egg Noodles with XO sauce, chicken crackling and pepperberry, and their take on Otak Otak.

Sunda - Wagyu rendang bun, pickled radish, fermented sambal ($9)

Our meal at Sunda left such an impression that I returned shortly afterwards to try a few other dishes, and my second visit did not disappoint. The Wagyu Rendang Bun was deep-fried and crispy on the outside, whilst the rest of the bun had a nice chew to it. There were strong kaffir lime flavours running through the rendang, and the ginger and fermented sambal were delicious. Pickled radish helped to refresh the palate between bites. Could have easily eaten more than one of these.

Sunda - Buttermilk roti, vegemite curry ($14)

The Buttermilk Roti with Vegemite Curry was an off-menu item that was available in limited quantities each day. Admittedly I’m not a fan of Vegemite, but the flavour of the Vegemite was very subtle and I may not have picked it out if I didn’t know it was an ingredient. The roti itself was incredibly buttery, flakey and crisp. You could smell the butter wafting up when it hit the table.

To finish was the seasonal special of Toasted Rice and Black Truffle Fried Ice Cream with kaya coconut and pandan custard, wattleseed crumb, and fresh shaved truffle. It was a very fragrant dessert with plenty of truffle flavour and lots of texture. The kaya was authentic, and the dessert as a whole was not overly sweet.

Sunda went down as one of my favourite dining experiences of the year, and is already tabbed for a revisit.

Sunda Dining
18 Punch Ln
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
sunda.com.au
Phone: (03) 9654 8190

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21 Jul Sunda Dining, Melbourne CBD

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