Today, I revisited the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant. It is time to try food from another stall.
This time, I ordered lala soup with rice from the Li Ji Lala noodles stall, which cost RM16.90 per plate.
This dish is lala soup (clam soup) served with white rice, a simple but deeply comforting meal commonly found in Malaysian Chinese eateries. The fresh lala clams simmered in a clear broth that contained ginger and Shaoxing wine.
Each lala is plump and tender, carrying that unmistakable burst of umami that clam lovers crave. Ginger slices add a soothing warmth, balancing the seafood sweetness, while the light seasoning keeps everything feeling refreshing and uncluttered. It’s the kind of broth you slowly sip, feeling it warm your chest on every swallow.
Paired with a bowl of steaming white rice, the dish becomes unexpectedly satisfying. The rice absorbs the broth beautifully, turning every bite into a small, comforting moment. It’s homely, it’s nostalgic, and it’s exactly what many of us grew up eating on quiet evenings.
Lala soup has deep roots in the coastal kitchens of southern China, where Cantonese and Fujianese families often simmered fresh clams with ginger to highlight the seafood’s natural sweetness. When Chinese migrants settled in Malaysia, they brought this humble recipe with them — and over time, lala soup became a beloved staple in kopitiams and seafood stalls across the country.
Li Ji continues this tradition, focusing on freshness and simplicity. In a world filled with heavy sauces and complicated seasoning, this lala soup stands out precisely because it dares to stay honest.
