The room has had a light makeover from what was there before - so if you'd been to Wahlburgers, you'll notice the same structure to the restaurant, but the new decor warms things up a bit.
What can you tell us about Sunda Kitchen?
We first noticed Sunda Kitchen by simply walking past it just before it opened, only few steps away from Covent Garden. It has taken over the large Wahlburgers restaurants which itself opened not long before the pandemic and closed less than a year later. In place of (not great) burgers, there's now a restaurant specialising in South East Asian food. An extremely good swap, it turns out.
Who's behind it?
The huge space left by the Wahlbergs has been taken over by a trio with an impressive background between them. That's Jamie Younger (The Begging Bowl in Peckham), Phil Sutton (The Perry Hill in Catford) and Adam Papa (Happiness Forgets and Ever After in Shoreditch). They're joined by Charles Lee, recently head chef at Robata and who has also worked with Marcus Wareing (at Petrus) and Angela Hartnett (at The Connaught).
Where can I find it?
It's on the corner of St James Street and Floral Street, between Covent Garden tube and the piazza, right in the heart of the Covent Garden tourist scene.
What kind of food can we expect?
Charles Lee's menu cherry-picks from across southeast Asia (and also adds sushi based on its popularity in Malaysia). The menu's divided into snacks, raw, "plates" (essentially mains) and sides. We'd recommend taking at least two dishes from each section.
Given that Younger is behind Peckham's much-loved The Begging Bowl, we had tentative high hopes for this new Covent Garden addition and it's fair to say they were very much exceeded. It is much, much better than its position on one of the main Covent Garden tourist drags might make you think. Here's a taste:
Vegetable Crackers with Avocado Dip (£6) - that dip! Such a good start.
Thai KFC Cauliflower with Tamarind Mayonnaise (£7). Yes, there is a lemongrass fried chicken option but this is really what you should be going for. Both vegan and gluten-free too (the menu's notably good for gluten-free options).
Beef Tomato Tiradito Thai Basil, Chilli Padi Nuoc Cham Ponzu (£8) - an excellent veg tiradito with wafer-thin tomatoes.
Salmon & Avocado Taki Taki with Seaweed, Chilli Oil (£10) - a must-order, with an extremely pleasing kick to it.
Moo Ping Lemongrass Pork Belly with Picked Chilli Daikon (£17)
Sambal Oelek Aubergine with Grilled Chilli, Pickled Mushroom (£14) - there's a real sweet touch to this aubergine dish and the pickled enoki go with it perfectly.
Mee Goreng - Fried Egg, Bean Sprout, Spring Onion, Pickled Chilli Daikon (£7) - one of the sides but frankly almost a dish in its own right. Look out for the burnt corn with chilli and coriander salsa too (£4.50).
Anything else?
There's a LOT on this menu - we've only scratched the surface. That includes dishes like Whole fried sea bass with.mango salad, pla krapong and tod nam pla (£24) - something that's not a million miles away from a very popular Begging Bowl dish. And if you're feeling more adventurous than us, there's the Vietnamese jelly fish salad with pickled fennel & chilli (£7).
And what about dessert?
There are only two - the "Banana Fritter Speedboat" for £7 and what we opted for...
Boba Sundae - ice cream, lychee boba, mango jelly, mizo toffee glaze, Oreo, meringue (£7.50)
Moving onto drinks - what can we expect there?
Given the involvement of Happiness Forgets' Adam Papa, it comes as no surprise that you should be paying attention to the cocktails here. They're perhaps more reminiscent of the Ever After bar in Shoreditch - their own takes on classic cocktails, designed in a way that matches the food experience. The cocktails are also pre-batched - it's a large space and they've apparently put a great deal of work into perfecting their pre-batching to get it as close to the traditional cocktail experience as possible - just without the wait, of course.
So you'll find cocktails like a Thai Negroni (lemongrass gin, coconut Campari, sweet vermouth, £11) or a Thai Basil Smash (gin, basil, melon, citrus and soda, £10). They're also looking to add to the cocktail menu over the coming weeks - a Sunda martini is planned, for example.
If you just fancy wine, there's a short European ist with bottles starting at £28 (point grigio or shiraz on our visit) and heading up to £45. And finally - three are several slushies - all at £9.50, including a Vietnamese iced Coffee, a Blue Margarita and the below...
The Sunda Colada, one of their slushies which is rum, coconut, pineapple, bitters and citrus (£9.50).
Overall thoughts?
We left thinking this new restaurant is far, far better than Covent Garden tourists deserve. Well priced, with some truly excellent dishes on the menu and a crackingly good cocktail menu to book. Even if you're just passing, we'd say you should pop in for some snacks and cocktails to give it a whirl. It feels like London hasn't discovered Sunda Kitchen yet, but based on our visit it deserves to be a huge hit.
More about Sunda Kitchen
Where is it? 8-9 James Street, London WC2E 8BH
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @sundakitchen.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Sunda Kitchen. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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