For restaurateur Billy Dec, it was the fond memories of the traditional kamayan feasts he had while visiting family in the Philippines every year that inspired him to recreate them when he opened Sunda, which has locations in River North and Fulton Market. The celebratory meal of grilled meat and seafood, presented on banana leaves instead of plates, is served on long communal tables.
Those tables also provide an in-between option of dining at the bar and a table.
“A lot of times people want the bar for its vibe, but they don’t want to crane their necks to look at their companions,” he says.
Additionally, there’s an inherent freedom that comes with dining at a communal table that allows people to come and go, says Dec.
“It’s less of a lift to dine there,” he says. “Anything that gets people off their couches and away from third-party delivery is a good thing.”