Take a peek inside Bad Bunny’s new San Juan restaurant

Located on the first floor of the mall, the restaurant occupies almost 9,000 square feet, including a main dining room, two private rooms, a VIP area, a chef's table, a raw bar, a main bar, and a terrace. (Image via capture).

By Mivette Vega

December 14, 2023

Bad Bunny, along with his manager Noah Assad, and other partners invested $5 million into the restaurant, which employs about 200 people directly and indirectly.

If you are a fan of Bad Bunny or haute cuisine, you can’t miss this new restaurant the next time you visit Puerto Rico.

On Wednesday, lala, a new restaurant in the Mall of San Juan, co-owned by Bad Bunny, officially opened its doors.

Bad Bunny, along with his manager Noah Assad, and other partners invested $5 million into the restaurant, which employs about 200 people directly and indirectly.

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Located on the first floor of the mall, the restaurant occupies almost 9,000 square feet, including a main dining room, two private rooms, a VIP area, a chef’s table, a raw bar, a main bar, and a terrace.

Bad Bunny, along with his manager Noah Assad, and other partners invested $5 million into the restaurant, which employs about 200 people directly and indirectly.

Daniel Vitiello, general manager of the restaurant, said in a press conference that lala’s mission is “to be a destination for food lovers, adventurers, and those looking for a culinary experience beyond the ordinary.”

“Lala is an experience where the flavors of contemporary cuisine meet. Our concept combines different gastronomic models in a way that honors the diversity of flavors from many parts of the world,” Vitiello said.

Nods to Puerto Rican culture can be seen both in the restaurant’s decor and on its menu.

Puerto Rican chef Guillermo López Folch, who has more than a decade of experience in the culinary industry, created the menu. He has worked at some of the most famous restaurants in the world, including Le Bernardin, a three-Michelin star restaurant in New York, and also with A-list celebrities as their private chef.

López has also worked previously with el Conejo Malo. He cooked the artist’s favorite food for a Harper’s BAZAAR article.

Some of lala’s dishes include a progressive oyster flight, queen snapper ceviche, prey king salmon tartare, consomme, Thai Yam Hu Mu, and The Wellington, a steak with mushroom mousse, a wine reduction sauce, and a pastry puff.

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Amid the dessert options, the chocolate praline bar and the tropical tart stand out.

The cocktail menu created by the team includes Electric Limoncillo; Condescension, Jasmine, Yao Min, Chlorophyll, Lalalandia, and Quickie.

Lala will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, and from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., Thursday to Saturday.

Reservations available at Open Table app.

Author

Mivette Vega

Mivette Vega is a seasoned journalist and multimedia reporter whose stories center the Latino community. She is passionate about justice, equality, environmental matters, and animals. She is a Salvadorrican—Salvadorian that grew up in Puerto Rico—that has lived in San Juan, Venice, Italy, and Miami.

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CATEGORIES: COMMUNITY | FOOD AND DRINK

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