The No. 1 Malaysian Street Food: Satay

I do consider myself lucky for being in the Netherlands since I could easily hunt for my favourite food, satay or sate. Thanks to the rather strong influence of Indonesian cuisine in NL, satay is not only served in Indonesian restaurants but also in local cafes such as HEMA.

Unlike the NL version, Malaysia's chicken satay is not 100% pure meat. Usually a piece or two chicken fat or chicken skin is skewered in between the chicken chunks. During the grilling process, the fat will melt over the heat and create extra flavours to the meat. That explains why the Malaysian version is greasier but far more flavorful. I dislike the fat and skin, but this does not deter me from indulging at satays. :)

Being a person with heavy pallete, I like my satay to be slightly charred and the chili peanut sauce to be spicy. Best if the peanut sauce comes with some chunky peanuts and some sour belimbing pieces.

A dip in the spicy peanut sauce, a quick bite at the satay, follow by a slice of refreshing cucumber is a combo made in heavy. YUM. Indeed a wonderful blend of sweet, sour, spicy and savory taste.

My recommendation for good satay in PJ area is got to be the small satay stall at the Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant. Served only to the dinner crowd, the satay is definitely worth trying. However, please be prepared to wait a bit as the 'appetizer' can sometimes become 'dessert' when the dishes from the kitchen are ready before the satay.

It happened to us where our satay was served after we finished our dinner - steamed clams, stir fried morning glory with belacan and three-cups chicken. But good food is simply worth waiting!

Stir fried morning glory with belacan paste

Steamed clams

Three cups chicken