A bit of Japan in Kuala Lumpur
Bukit Bintang has no shortage of malls, but LaLaport Mall at least tries to be a little bit different. The original LaLaport in Tokyo is one of the largest shopping malls in the city, and this one in Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Bintang City Centre is the first LaLaport in Southeast Asia. Branding themselves as “Japan’s Favourite Shopping Mall,” LaLaport BBCC will be the place to get all of the Japanese essentials.
Shuttle from Mont Kiara to LaLaport Mall
As of summer 2024, there is a free shuttle service from Mont Kiara to LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre. The shuttle makes stops at Agile Mont Kiara and Arcoris Mont Kiara (in front of the valet stand) before dropping off passengers at LaLaport’s Metrojaya entrance. The shortbus is branded with LaLaport signage, so there’s no mistaking it. It has a 15-person capacity and is first come, first served. No need to arrive extremely early – I’ve taken it a couple of times and it has never been so full that I was denied a seat. The bus does leave on time in my experience, so don’t be late.
Nothing good and free lasts forever. There used to be five daily trips from Mont Kiara to LaLaport, with the last bus leaving as late at 7pm. However, within three months of its inception, some penny-pinching manager at LaLaport HQ decided to save more money. Below is the latest schedule for the LaLaport shuttle, now with only four trips. I’m fully expecting this shuttle service to be discontinued within the year, so take advantage of it while you can.
Layout
LaLaport is an easy mall to navigate with hardly any backtracking needed if you want to explore all the lanes. The interior design doesn’t look very Japanese. It looks very KL and reminded me of Sunway Velocity.
The shape of LaLaport Mall is an oval with a wing on top. All six of the levels have this identical layout. There is an east and west atrium at either end, but only the main atrium in the middle will have seasonal pop-ups on the ground floor. There are escalators in all three atriums, with an additional set in the centre of the oval.
Shops at LaLaport Mall
The Japanese-oriented anchor tenants at LaLaport Mall include Nojima, Don Don Donki and Nitori (the Japanese IKEA, as I like to call it). There are a few huge Japanese brands that are missing from this mall. For example, there’s no Uniqlo or Asics here at LaLaport Mall… yet.
LaLaport brands itself as a Japanese mall, but many of the other tenants are the usual Malaysian and International owned chains. It looks like LaLaport is trying to be a “catch-all” kind of mall, offering something for everyone. The most dominant category is clothing outlets, but just barely. The fashion options are a majority of unisex streetwear shops, but there are a handful of menswear and Muslimah specialists.
There are much less empty shops lots than there were 2 years ago. Foot traffic and the amount of mall wanderers has kicked up now that the Rooftop Garden at LaLaport is fully open.
Food at LaLaport Mall
Depachika Marche & More – Lower Ground Level 1
The basement of LaLaport Mall is almost entirely food and beverage options. The sit-down restaurants here are more on the casual side. There is a range of cuisines with options like Nyonya Famous, Pop Meals and Sukiya. The Depachika Marche has a variety of snack food that’s easy to take away or eat on the go.
Gourmet Street – Ground Floor
Gourmet Street is a long, open-air lane with restaurants on both sides. If it starts to rain heavily and you need to get to a restaurant on the other side, there are a couple of roofs and bridges that offer protection. Many of the eateries here will have tables outside protected by a glass awning so diners can see and be seen.
The restaurants on Gourmet Street are on the upscale side, like Yakiniku, Gastropubs and bars. Check out my reviews for K-Wing, Fat Fire and LaLaPop on LaLaport’s Gourmet Street.
Garden Dining Food Court – 4th Floor
The food court on the fourth floor was a surprise. The food courts at other malls have generic food stations labelled “Korean Food” or “Western Food.” At LaLaport Mall, all the options at the Garden Dining Food Court are established branded restaurants like Nam Heong and Tealive. This food court is pork-free.
Inside, there is a lot of seating space. There are a few quirky tables that look like patio furniture and chairs set up around large pillars that will have outlets to charge electronics. “Garden Dining” is a stretch since only a few tables along one wall have a view of the rooftop garden.
Washrooms
There are a lot of toilets at LaLaport Mall, and you will always find one when the urge arises. On each level, there are two washrooms in the oval portion between shops. These toilets are accessible from either side, and this hallway makes for a handy shortcut too. There are more toilets on the east corner of the mall and on the way to the main entrance and Grand Steps.
The washrooms are surprisingly small for such a large mall, but they’re pretty fancy though. The biggest one I used had only six stalls in the women’s. There is toilet paper provided in every stall. It’s sitting toilets, but there will always be one squatter. Every toilet had the standard bidet plus a Japanese-style washlet. If you’ve never been to Japan, washlets are fucking awesome and can do everything you could possibly want on the toilet except for reversing your bad decision of beer and curry. I used a toilet where someone had left the seat warmer on, and it was a welcome surprise.
Extras
The Steps
Next to the wingtip of LaLaport Mall are The Steps. These stairs are lit by colourful LED lights and have music playing from hidden speakers. During the day, it’s hard to see the lights, so it’s prettier to take pictures of it at nighttime. I think this is meant to be an Instagram spot, but even if you’re not into that, these can be used as functional steps to get to the other levels of the mall or the Central Rooftop Garden.
Central Rooftop Garden
Don’t expect anything lavish like 1Utama’s Secret Garden. LaLaport Mall’s rooftop garden is mostly a green space to hang out and enjoy the skyline. Often, there will be seasonal events and vendors set up. The lawn is the place to be. You could take drinks or food from the Garden Dining food court and enjoy a pleasant picnic here.
A small covered amphitheatre is at the back, closest to the mall. If you go up the steps, the LaLaspeed E Kart Raceway is at the top, which uses electric vehicles. The track is small, but the view is better than most go-kart tracks. The price is RM68 for adults and RM58 for children under 15.
Saturday Worthy?
Since it opened, we’ve occasionally gone to LaLaport BBCC for our weekend outings. Gourmet Street is an enjoyable place for a drink with lots of people-watching opportunities. However, the shopping isn’t a big draw unless you specifically want to shop at Japanese specialty stores like Nojima or Nitori. Most of the stores are also at one of the other nearby malls in Bukit Bintang. LaLaport Mall is more of a food paradise and hangout mall.
LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre Info
Address: No. 2, Jalan Hang Tuah, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Opening Hours: Daily, 10am – 10pm
Nearest MRT Station: Hang Tuah
Stores and Floors: About 200 over 6 floors
Shop Types: International fashion, Japanese lifestyle
Anchors: Nitori, Jaya Grocer, Golden Screen Cinemas
Website: https://mitsui-shopping-park.com.my
Originally posted on August 6, 2022.
