I had a nice meal at Azalina’s in the Twitter building last weekend. It was my first time at the Market in the Twitter building, which is a mix of grocery store and cafe/bar/restaurant stalls. Kind of hard to know that there’s a Malaysian restaurant in there without going inside. I ordered the roasted chicken rice ($12.75). Chicken was high quality, nicely spiced, and cooked perfectly. it was served atop a few scalloped roast potatoes on a bed of saffron rice. Rice was also well cooked and fluffy. There was a bit of yogurt sauce on the rice, pea shoots on top of the chicken, and a wedge of lime and sambal on the side.
You order at the counter and they give you your food in a cardboard container. I’m interested in trying out the laksa and the nasi lemak next.
I used to really like the roasted chicken rice until one day the cook decided on a whim to add a ton of spicy sriracha, rendering it inedible for me. I brought it back and they prepared me a free replacement, but with old dried out chicken. I haven’t been back.
Funny–that was where I encountered a deeply rude Russian cashier. I called her on it and she was quite a viper. Please tell me she no longer works there, and maybe I can return! Azalina comes out of La Cocina.
According to Tablehopper, Azalina got transferred the liquor license to the former Contigo location in Noe Valley. I hope the neighborhood is receptive—- the only decent Asian food near 24th in Noe is the long-lined Sara Sushi, which is where people go on “date night” when the typical burgers or brunch doesn’t appeal. The Indian place up the hill is fine for the location, and the Chinese places south on Church as what they are.
I’ve been a huge fan and follower of Azalina since she first peddled roti jala (“lacy crepes”) at the inaugural Fort Mason Center Off the Grid in 2010 (the only year Caleb Zigas was involved with OTG), through her popups (including a Monday night guest chef appearance at Jardiniere). I even ended up on Malaysian TV when I attended her opening day at The Market on Market!
Thanks for directing me to the Tablehopper scoop. I wonder what it means for the Market location, where she’s barely four years into the seven year lease she was awarded on the strength of her catering for Twitter, but I imagine she’ll keep it going since she seems to thrive on having multiple irons in the fire. But maybe she tired of the gray hoodies.
To @Mr_Happy, her Penang curry laksas have always been superb.
