La De Lah

Lovers of Malaysian flavours, you’re going to want to make a beeline for South Bank’s newest restaurant, La De Lah. This Little Stanley Street eatery comes to us from Chef Eugene Lee, who has worked his way across Malaysia, South East Asia and Brisbane, and combines Lee’s heritage and influences with inventive techniques. Even the name is a subtle nod to Lee’s culture: ‘Lah’ is the Malaysian equivalent of ‘hey’, used liberally in conversation—you’ll also find it peppered cheekily throughout the menu. 

Marrying South East Asian flavours with locally grown produce, the sleek, minimalist venue is perfect for group feeds and date night alike, with comfy red booths lining the back wall and outdoor tables perfect for a spot of people watching. You can settle in for a multi-course feast matched with cocktails or just grab a quick lunch, with lunch specials served up in funky stacked metal tins. 

If you’re here to feast, you’ll want to start with the DIY bug tail or mushroom bao buns, which you can assemble how you like them. Spanner crab tartlets and kingfish sashimi will whet your appetite next, but leave plenty of room for larger plates of slow cooked angus short rib, nam yee fried chicken in butter sauce and La De Lah’s signature dish, nasi goreng kerabu stained blue with butterfly pea flower.

As for dessert, the ice cream sandwich stuffed with seasonal flavoured ice cream is an absolute showstopper, as is the jackfruit and passionfruit pavlova stuffed with milo hot fudge. To drink, you can sip on a classic cocktail with a Malaysian twist, or take your pick from the curated list of wines, beers and spirits. 

Image credit: Ranyhyn Laine