Lalasha For Singaporean & Malaysian Food In Tourist Spot Tianzifang (Closed)
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Lalasha is a Southeast Asian restaurant in Tianzifang, serving primarily Singaporean and Malaysian dishes.
It took over the space formerly housing SUR Eatery and did little to change the interiors handed down by its predecessor. The chic café boasts a beautiful terrace with outdoor seating in addition to two sections of dining rooms. It certainly has that mamak vibe going.
Food is mostly Singaporean and Malaysian with a couple curveballs like laksa pizza on offer. Overall, the food is quite enjoyable. The nasi lemak evokes nostalgia and the ginormous seafood laksa is tasty and laden with fresh seafood. The beef rendang while delicious was unfortunately chewy, hopefully something they can improve on since the flavor was on point.
Nasi Lemak (¥30) – Tiny, but satisfying. More like a snack-sized version, similar to ones I’d have gotten in primary school. The bundles come with all the trappings plus a skewer of fish cake and spam.
Javanese Beef Rendang (¥128) – Fresh with big flavors. I appreciate the fresh herbs and aromatics in the curry base, too. However, the meat was chewy and was not cooked long enough to break down the muscle.
Dinosaur Seafood Laksa (¥128) – A massive bowl laden with clams, prawns, tofu, fishballs, and bean sprouts. There's more seafood than noodle. (Not complaining.)
Fresh seafood, naturally sweet clams, and a flavorful broth. Extra sambal if you require more kick. Not a fan of the commercial, overly soft fishballs.
Bak Kut Teh (¥58/small, ¥98/large) – Says “Malaysian” on the menu but I vehemently disagree. The broth is so light, you can see the bottom of the bowl. I would just call it a “rib soup,” which comes with rice.
Grilled Lemongrass Turmeric Wings (¥30/two) – Fragrant wings roasted in an aromatic spice rub. Juicy and delicious.
Lalasha also does Singapore-style chili crab.
It has potential. Not somewhere I would go out of the way to visit, but a good choice for those in the neighborhood. Good to people watch or be watched by people. It’s also dog-friendly.
As for Tianzifang, it's pretty dead. Expect weekday lunches to be quiet, weekends to be a bit more busy. The shops are open, and the tourist destination still has quite the variety of souvenirs and knick-knacks.
Lalasha
Address: No. 7-9, Bldg 7, Tianzifang, 210 Taikang Lu 泰康路210弄田子坊7号院7-9
Tel: 19301450525
Hours: Sun-Thu, 11am-8:30pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11:30pm
About Rachel Gouk
Founder & Editor, Nomfluence
Rachel Gouk is a seasoned dining journalist based in Shanghai with over a decade of experience covering food culture, restaurant developments, and the Asian culinary landscape.
