Malaysian restaurant shuttered
Mahila, San Francisco’s first restaurant to focus on Malaysia’s mamak cuisine, is permanently closing due to failed negotiations with its landlord, according to chef and owner Azalina Eusope. Its last day is Saturday.
The Noe Valley spot opened in 2019 as Eusope’s second and most ambitious restaurant following Azalina’s, which was in the Market in the Twitter building and shut down earlier in the pandemic. While Azalina’s sold casual Malaysian classics like laksa, a lemongrass noodle soup, primarily for takeout, Mahila specialized in the cuisine of Muslim Indians that’s often associated with Malaysia’s bustling street food scene — and brought it to a sophisticated, sitdown setting.
The restaurant earned a rave review from Chronicle critic Soleil Ho and a spot on the Top 88 in 2020. But it struggled to adapt to a takeout and delivery during the pandemic, and Eusope dug into her personal savings to keep Mahila alive.
“(I) just wish I had more time to do justice to my matriarch, which makes me sad,” Eusope told The Chronicle by text message. “But I am proud of myself. I think depleting my savings to make sure my staff can continue living without fear will be stamped in my mind. No regrets.”
Eusope said it’s been tough as a woman of color specializing in dishes that fall outside the mainstream to succeed in the restaurant industry, but she’s looking forward to taking a vacation — her first in 10 years. She’ll also take some time to reassess her other upcoming projects, including ChineseMalaysian cafe Uncle Sok Hee that’s planned for the Tenderloin and an Azalina’s post in upcoming minifood hall Calabash in Oakland.
It’s possible the food of Mahila, such as flaky roti murtabak stuffed with lamb or sweet potato dumplings dipped in green onion chutney, will find a way into a future space, she said.