Azalina's

My absolute favorite restaurant. Well worth a trip to the Tenderloin every month and a half or so when the tasting menu is updated.After 7+ years of savoring Azalina's food--whether at her booth at Outside Lands, or her past projects at Mahila and the Market--I trust that whatever Azalina prepares, I'll love. For a picky eater with gluten and dairy allergies, that trust is hard earned.Some unforgettable dishes from the past year include:Taro gnocchi with crabGluten-free pastry filled with lambSweet potato dumplingsCarrot soupHamachi collarEvery single dessert (especially those with a healthy dose of coconut cream)The mocktails are fantastic too, particularly the galangal soda and the hibiscus horchata.Family-run with super attentive, thorough, and kind service. Highly recommend!I can also recommend their jarred Coconut Panna Cotta that can be found in a handful of local specialty grocery stores in SF, including Other Avenues in the Outer Sunset.

I enjoyed the food tonight honestly I thought it was a 4.5/5. But there could be one more course for the price point. Neighborhood sux but the decor was fun & bright. Service was a bit forced asking how things tasted like 4 times is too much. Loved there flavors for-sure! 4.5/5 Food4/5 service4.5/5 Ambience

I was a fan of Azalina's when it used to be a stall at The Market on Market. They had many delicious food options and also catered to dietary restrictions, so it was great for a casual lunch pick up. I was sad when they moved further away from me to the Tenderloin. They also made a huge departure from fast casual to fine dining: only a tasting menu that changes monthly with wine, beer and mocktail options. Now that I've finally made a visit, I want to come back!Delicious food for a reasonable pre-fix price and great service. It's a cute space in a not-so-cute neighborhood. Low lighting and ambient music in the dining area, and you can see the kitchen working through the partition... Maybe a little too well, I would suggest they either dim the kitchen lights a bit or make the partition a little less see-through to keep the ambiance consistent throughout the restaurant.The menu was great though, and they still accommodate dietary restrictions with advance notice. I'm still missing my old lunch orders, but I might be making this a monthly tradition going forward just to taste with they cook up!

Malaysian-street food meets fine dining, indeed! Azalina's offers a monthly tasting menu that incorporates different kinds of Malaysian food inspired by Chinese, Indian, and other Asian cuisines.It's located in the Tenderloin, but as soon as you enter, the vibrant decor makes you feel transported elsewhere. We had the four course tasting menu, which initially didn't sound like a lot, but boy were we wrong! First course was the tomato shorba - an Indian-inspired dish with pakora, herb sauce, and a mix of spices.The smell was reminiscent of Japanese curry. I liked the crunchiness of the pakora and the dish itself was comforting. Reminded me of when I would add BBQ Lays chips as a kid to my canned tomato soup (don't ask me why), but on a much more elevated level. Second course was the spicy hokkein dumpling - a Chinese-inspired dish with rice cake topped with trout roe, dried shrimp, serranos, five spice, and a fried soft-shelled crab. This was by far my favorite dish of the evening. Reminded me of the dim sum rice wrap dishes. Spice level was perfect (moderately spicy) and that fried soft shelled crab was bliss! Third course was the veal rendang - a Malay-inspired take on their national dish. Lot of components to this one: veal with the bone marrow, cucumber and pineapple salad, potato, leafy greens, a turmeric sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, and some kind of curry-like sauce a herb sauce on the side which I cannot even begin to put my finger on. Wasn't quite sure how to eat, but dipped the veal in the sauces and ended up mixing the rice wtih the remainder of the sauce. The pineapple cucumber salad was so flavorful and refreshing! Fourth course was the bingkang ubi kayu - a Mamak-inspired baked cassava cake with turmeric sago, coconut milk, cardamom, some kind of nuts, strawberry, and crispy plaintain strips. It was the perfect way to end the meal, especially after the spicy hokkein dumpling, and had a nice balance of savory and sweet. Throughout the meal, the staff cleared the dishes, changed out our utensils between dishes, wiped down the table, and explained each dish and its components. They even took the time to take a commemorative photo for us.I did notice there were recommended wine pairings for each of the dishes, but that they had to be ordered separately. Maybe considering a wine pairing to go with the meal would be an idea? I love that the menu changes monthly, but for purely selfish reasons wish they had some menu items a la carte, only because if I really like a dish and want to order it again, I wouldn't be able to. Ah, got to enjoy the memory of it. Regardless, I'm looking forward to coming back to try more of Azalina's Malaysian inspired dishes.

Azalina's really wowed me with the unique dishes and the malaysian flavours shining through despite completely transforming the classic hawker style street foods of malaysia into an upscale fine dining experience. I was really blown away by every dish, and with each dish came some sort of new technique.We were really lucky too - the kitchen was actually about to start cleaning up (having arrived past the cut off time with no reservation), but the kitchen and wait staff were generous enough to seat us anyway. Wonderful experience with excellent food.

This would have been a 3 star review but bumping up to 4 given their valiant effort at revitalizing the Tenderloin district - a much needed initiative that I hope others will follow! As far as the dinner was concerned, we had a few issues: the menu has some basic information but doesn't do a good job explaining what's actually going to be coming out and neither does the host. The main dish of beef ribeye curry was rather flavorless (Malaysian cuisine is usually bold!). The side items that came with the beef seemed a bit random. Some of us didn't bother finishing the curry at all. Also, one person in our party asked for hot water as they were feeling a sore throat coming on but it never arrived at the table. The real star of the dinner was the dessert plate which came with four different Malaysian sweets. The banana chai fritter was the best one of the lot and was a great ending to an otherwise mediocre meal. Given that the menu rotates, that the other reviews on here seem to be stellar, and that they are doing good for the community around them, we will have to come back and try again another time !

Azalina is a Malaysian restaurant that was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award in 2024. The New York Times also recently included it in its list of the top 25 restaurants in San Francisco. So I just had to try it. On top of that, Malaysian cuisine isn't very well-known in San Francisco.Malaysian cuisine is very interesting. It has its own unique style but also mixes Indian, Indonesian, and Chinese influences.The restaurant offers two tasting menus, one with four courses and another with two courses. I chose the two-course menu and at the end of the meal, I asked for a dessert. They kindly suggested a dessert from the four-course menu.* Starter: masala vadai. The starter is a masala vadai served on a carrot puree and topped with a dill sauce.* Main course: Chicken breast and skin, stuffed with spinach and potato, curry, served with wild rice, and a mint & coconut sambal.The masala vadai is a twist on the classic Indian dish. Despite the spices, I found it a bit bland. The main dish was very good and well-balanced. I'm always a bit wary of wild rice because it can be dry, but it wasn't the case here, probably because of the added taro and leeks.* Dessert: A duo of desserts. One is a sponge cake with fresh corn, burdock syrup, and apple & jasmine tea jelly. The other is a cherry and rambutan granita with blueberries, goji berries, and roasted almonds.The dessert was very good, and it was interesting that they included rambutan, a fruit that's very characteristic of Southeast Asia.The restaurant is located in the Tenderloin, a neighborhood that's a bit shady. However, they are committed to revitalizing the area. At the end of the meal, I appreciated the thoughtful touch of including a small book about the history of the Tenderloin with the check.

This was such an amazing experience. Family run business with great service. It felt like you're in Azalina's home as she prepares each course with a complete attention to detail. Our group of four each had a favorite dish on the tasting menu because it was all so good. I can't wait to go back next time I'm in town. This lovey little place is a gem and worth the visit.

Amazing food, service and ambiance. A wonderful restaurant for a special occasion or as a treat. Consistently delicious meals with a highly seasonal menu!

It felt like going home and eating dinner that mom whipped up when she didn't have time to cook. It was good in a homey way, but not what I wanted to eat especially at this price point. Small portions overall. Also, there was so little meat/fish in the dishes. It was mostly vegetarian. Wine pairing is absolutely not worth it (we ordered without looking at it closely). Mocktails are decent (just some fruit puree and sparking water, nothing crazy). I do not get the hype for this place. Unfortunately this is on my never to revisit places. I feel really bad writing this, since I'm half Malaysian myself and was recommended by several people to try this out.