Nyok Lan Kajang Satay, Restoran Malaysia, Kajang

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chicken satayWhen in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Looking at the crowd at Restoran Malaysia, I am convinced that Kajang folk eat satay every day of the week.

So this evening, we sat down to partake in an age-old ritual in Kajang.

mutton satay

The restaurant has been operating since 1971. That’s way before I was born *cough*.

And is the satay here any different from other satays in Kajang?

YES.

Why?

First, the marinade. I ate all the sticks of satay without dipping the satay in peanut sauce. I hear whispers of “she’s mad”. How can a true satay connoisseur not eat satay dipped in peanut sauce? Well, of course she can. She eats satay without peanut sauce when the satay’s good enough on its own.

You see, the flavours are exceptional. I love the sweetish flavour of the marinade on the satay which is enhanced when the meat is slightly charred.

The chicken satay consisted wholly of lean meat. No bits of fat and no chicken skin on the skewers. The only setback with this type of satay is that the meat doesn’t glide off as easily from the skewer. And naturally, lean meat is tougher than fatty meat, so if you have trouble chewing, this may not be the satay for you.

I normally refrain from eating mutton satay because I always have this idea that mutton satay is tough. So when the orders were made, I said I’d eat the obligatory one piece just to be able to give my two cents worth on it.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The mutton satay was sooooo gooooood. The meat was tender and was literally falling off the stick, and the flavour was sweet and spicy and masked the strong smell normally associated with mutton.

peanut sauce with chilli

Despite not dipping any of my satay in the peanut sauce, I’d have to say that the peanut sauce was good, especially when eaten with the sliced cucumber and ketupat (compressed rice dumpling).

ketupat

Cleanliness isn’t their forte, but if you’re able to look straight ahead instead of down, you’ll be fine. Just don’t step on the cat like I did.

Chicken and beef satay costs RM0.60 a stick, while lamb, mutton, duck and fish satay costs RM0.90 a stick.

Also check out:

Babe in the City – KL
Honey Star

Restoran Malaysia (near Metro Inn)
No. 31, Jalan Semenyih,
43000 Kajang, Selangor.

Tel: 03-8733 1160

Closed Tuesdays.

Char Siew at Soo Kee Restaurant, Ampang

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Char Siu from Soo Kee

The series on some of the best char siew in the Klang valley continues, and I present to you, Soo Kee Restaurant in Ampang. This char siew is legendary, and was once probably the standard by which other char siews were measured. Nevertheless, despite its years (The restaurant, that is. Not the char siew. Maybe the proprietors too…snigger) , the char siew at Soo Kee can hold its own against some of the best in town.

If you like dark and sticky char siew, this place is for you. Let’s just say that Bald Eagle and I couldn’t resist the warm sticky fragrant to-die-for char siew and wolfed down half of it while driving back with our precious cargo. I ordered a portion for one (for takeaway), and it cost me RM10. Certainly not the cheapest in town, but hey, I have absolutely no complaints. Mmmmmmmm!!!

Other char siew restaurants in the series:-

Also check out this most excellent Miss Char Siew pageant, my inspiration for this post.

Soo Kee Restaurant
No. 373-1, 4th Mile, Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-4257 0767

Sunday Lunch at The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar, Changkat Bukit Bintang

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magnificent fish & chips

I really hate the name.

I mean, I would have visited this restaurant sooner if it had a different name. But it came highly recommended by so many people that we decided that we should just go and have a look for ourselves.

Also, I had been pretty well-behaved the whole week, and Bald Eagle didn’t have an excuse to make me pay for an expensive meal again. He tried, though. As we sat down in the restaurant this morning, he thanked me for lunch. I merely fluttered my eyelashes at him (yes, it still works even after X years of marriage) and he knew what he had to do.

The restaurant looked quite nice and somewhat cozy. What’s interesting here is that they don’t have a food menu. Everything’s written on several blackboards placed on the walls using just chalk. That’s a cost-effective way of doing things. Of course, it can be quite a chore to walk up to the blackboards to figure out what you want to eat. And God forbid if you’re shortsighted.

fish & chips

Paying due reverence to its name, we both decided to go with the obvious choice – fish & chips. Well, in all honesty, I was more keen on the big breakfast (it was, after all, just 11.15am), but when I found out that it wasn’t very different from the other big breakfasts I had sampled at other restaurants, I figured I’d be better of with the fish & chips.

There is an astounding number of options just for fish & chips. Dory, barramundi, coral trout, parrot fish, grouper, salmon and silver cod at prices ranging from RM26 to RM45.

Once coated in batter, both choices (barramundi and parrot fish) tasted the same, although Bald Eagle’s parrot fish had bones in it, so one would have to eat very carefully, or risk being rushed to the hospital (seriously, a friend just related that story to me where she had to seek outpatient treatment because she had a fishbone stuck in her throat – NOT at The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar).

I loved the thick cut potato chips. And dousing everything in vinegar (instead of Malaysia’s all-time favourite chilli sauce) was so satisfying. I think the restaurant tried to make the experience as “authentic” as possible by putting layers of newspaper underneath a thin piece of white paper on which the fish was placed, and I suppose there was a certain charm to how it was presented. Am not sure of the practicality of such an action, though.

mushy peas

What I really enjoyed was the mushy peas. This is typical pub food and is probably quite simple to make by adding dollops of butter into mashed peas (sometimes mint is added to this, but I didn’t taste any here). At RM5, the serving is substantial and sufficient for two. Did you know that in Yorkshire, this is called Yorkshire caviar?

latte The entire meal, with coffee and taxes, came up to RM90. Thanks, Bald Eagle! I love it when I’m well-behaved.

The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar
28, Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2142 7021

Opens daily, 8.00am – 1.00am weekdays and 10.00am till late on weekends.

Also check out:

Masak-masak
Julianisms
The Argot of an Eidolon