Hit Malaysian Food Business Expanding to Noe Valley

Azalina’s, a popular Malaysian food business from proprietor Azalina Eusope, appears ready to grow into a new location in Noe Valley. A long-running stall with soups and noodles, Azalina’s opened a permanent counter in the Market Street food hall, The Market, in 2015. Now the business is headed to another, larger space at 1320 Castro Street, a liquor license document reveals.

The new address, just off 24th Street in Noe, was recently vacated by tapas restaurant Contigo, which departed last month after nearly a decade. Contigo owners Brett and Elan Emerson decamped to Santa Cruz, where they’re opening new Spanish restaurant, Barceloneta.

Azalina’s owner Azalina Eusope was born on the island of Penang on the coast of Malaysia, whose food culture melds Chinese, Indian, and Polynesian/Malay influences. Eusope, a fifth-generation food vendor, has steadily grown her business since 2010, gaining fans for dishes like Malaysian pineapple tea leaf salad, hokkien mee (turmeric noodles), and laksa, a lemongrass coconut milk soup. Her packaged products like peanut sauce and herbal tea are available in Whole Foods Stores across the city.

Eater SF has contacted Azalina’s for further details on the new location: Stay tuned for updates.