Oxtail potstickers, lumpia (spring rolls), plus an array of deftly crafted sushi and other crafted signature dishes are what’s in store at a new Pan-Asian fare restaurant in downtown Detroit.
Sunda New Asian, from entrepreneur and restaurateur Billy Dec, opens Tuesday, March 10, on District Detroit’s Columbia Street – a pedestrian-friendly street, closed to vehicular traffic, that runs between the Fox Theater and Little Caesars world headquarters.
Stylish and highly anticipated, Sunda New Asian brings to downtown Detroit a host of Southeast Asian fare. This is the fifth Sunda New Asian location for Dec, an Emmy award-winning TV personality, actor and who founded the Asian-inspired eatery in 2009.
Dec is also behind Blueprint Underground Cocktail Club and creative agency, Coact. In Detroit, Dec said, they’ll employ about 100 staffers.
Inspiration and the concept behind Dec’s Sunda brand come from the cuisines of Japan, China, the Philippines, and other surrounding regions. It is based on his extensive travels to those and other Southeast Asian locales, including Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, and from exploring his family roots in a forthcoming documentary.
“We brought the best of the best of our locations to Detroit,” Dec told the Free Press.
Dec’s mom is from the islands of the Philippines, where he’s traveled with family his entire life.
Sunda New Asian's name, Dec said, comes from the sunken Sunda continental shelf in Southeast Asia.
Sunda, located at 33 W. Columbia Street, joins other eateries on Columbia Street, including Frita Batidos, JoJo's ShakeBar, Sahara Restaurant and Grill,and Union Assembly, which are all near or within walking distance to venues with events that draw thousands of people every year.
Dec said he “loves how appreciative and excited” the staff, operators and patrons are of the space. He also noted the city’s culture, history, brightness, resilience and perseverance” being part of the mix.
Dec said he loves hearing all the stories of the big things that happen from nearby sports venues like Opening Day at Comerica Park and the concerts at other venues.
“The 1,000 events, 4,000 seats and 40,000 seats,” Dec said. “But at the end of the day, this is our home. And we have an opportunity to make everyone feel super special in that seat. Like, just one at a time … take your time and enjoy it.”
Sunda New Asian menu highlights
Ahead of Tuesday opening, I sat down with Dec for a sampling of dishes from sushi to ribeye. On Sundas menu, there are individual and shareable dishes including sushi led by Tokyo native and head sushi chef Ise Matsunobu.
Not to miss is the escolar or “Great White starter — a one bite cylinder of whitefish drizzled with a truffle vinaigrette topped with a potato chip and black truffle shaving.
Its new Asian creations include signature crispy rice options — one with lightly seared wagyu beef and the other is a spicy tuna.
A shareable miso cauliflower features garlic butter, sweet miso and chilis.
Pampanga-born Mike Morales leads Sunda New Asian as its culinary director with a menu in Detroit that includes dim sum, noodles, salads, rice dishes, plus seafood, beef, pork, and poultry entrees.
Its main dishes include a wagyu Tomahawk at market price to a miso bronzed black ($48) and the Yuzu Ribeye ($56) with truffle butter, crispy leeks and herb oil and Szechuan chicken ($34), a dish of crispy chicken thighs with szechuan peppercorn sauce, dry Chinese chilis, green beans, scallions and rayu – a Japanese chili oil.
There’s also the Kamayan Feast that serves four with a curated selection of Filipino dishes like lumpia egg rolls, garlic shrimp, meant for communal dining.
On the beverage menu are sake offerings, craft cocktails (like the peared sake) and other specialty alcohol and non-alcohol cocktails plus beer and wine.
“Every Sunda has its own vibe, like brothers and sisters, their own identity, but can you tell they’re family,” Dec said.“This (Detroit) is more Japan.”
Design inspired by travel and heritage
Inside Sunda are two dining areas, including one near the sushi bar and the other larger area featuring a sake wall with a display of sakes.
Throughout the restaurant are Asian art and design elements. Above the sushi bar is an array of capiz shells, hanging from the ceiling, providing an iridescent shimmer and chime.
A standout of the 6,000-square-foot restaurant that seats about 200 people is a long quartzite bar with pink tones.
“This island bar is like something we have at our Tampa location,” Dec said. “It has an indoor outdoor islandy vibe.”
The bar faces the Columbia Street side of the restaurant with a retractable glass wall that opens to the patio. A floral element above the bar is white Sampagita flowers — the flower of the islands of the Philippines — with the addition of some pinks for cherry blossom vibes and Michigan apple blossoms.
While the Detroit Sundas location interior décor and design reflect Dec’s southeast Asia travels and theme, Dec said its menu leans more toward dishes from his Filipino roots and the foods highlighted in a recent documentary plus a lean toward Japan.
“Food Roots,” is Dec’s award-winning documentary airing in May. Produced by Doug Blush, an award-winning director and Michigan native, the documentary follows Dec’s travels to his mother’s native Philippine islands where he seeks out relatives, aiming to find and preserve his ancestral recipes. Food Roots will premier nationally on PBS in May, which is also AAPI Heritage Month.
A Filipino American, Dec hails from Chicago. It’s where in 2009 he opened the first Sunda New Asian in the city’s North River area. There are also locations in Nashville, Tennessee, and Tampa, Florida. A Chicago-Kent College of Law and Harvard Business School alum, Dec also served five years as a presidential appointee on the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders and the White House Bullying Prevention Task Force. Dec was also a regular chef contributor on the Today Show.
Hours, location and reservations
Sunda New Asian, 33 W. Columbia Street, Detroit opens Tuesday. Hours are 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations are through OpenTable.com.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.