Satay Galore!
Just as Africa can boast of its ‘Big 5’, Malaysia too is famous albeit for a vastly different reason. For, as any true Malaysian will readily agree, Malaysia is synonymous with good food. We too have our ‘Big 5’, a culinary tapestry consisting of various local delicacies that include char koay teow, nasi lemak, roti canai, teh tarik and of course, the ever popular and delicious satay.
Satay is basically anything on a skewer barbecued over charcoal. Most of us are familiar with the marinated chicken, beef and lamb satay, but how many of us have ever tried venison satay? Intrigued?
Well, look no further because Satay Club, a new concept restaurant has now made its appearance in Aeon AU2. Nestled in the spanking new shopping centre, it is a world away from the usual satay vendors. Gone are the days of choking back clouds of smoke while chewing on ever tinier pieces of suspect meat with more fat than flesh.
When you first spy the restaurant, it is astonishing in its modern façade. Air-conditioned, it has an open-concept kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare the food behind a glass wall. The restaurant is divided into a dining area, an outside area for smokers, as well as a coffee lounge where customers can relax and enjoy a drink from the extensive beverage list. And taste their deliciously creamy durian cake …
But I digress.
When you first enter the Satay Club, you will be surprised at how comfortable you feel. Perhaps it has something to do with the large blow-up black and white pictures that cover the entire side of one wall. There is one featuring Malay ladies from the P. Ramlee era making satay, and another of children taking satay from a basket. The pictures exude warmth and give the place a homey atmosphere.
The menu is simple. There are some typical Malay dishes thrown in for variety but the Satay Club is certainly not named in vain as the number of satay dishes is staggering (14 varieties).
We started with some cucur udang (RM6.90) and rojak pasembor (RM8.80). The cucur was enormous, about the diameter of a large orange. Steaming hot and filled with crunchy prawns, it was perfectly crisp on the outside but fluffy on the inside. Dipped into chilli sauce, it was absolutely delicious. The rojak was quite typical, with a combination of egg, beancurd and vegetables served with sweet peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was tasty but I wished that it was of a thicker consistency.
Next, we ordered an array of different types of satay. As one could order them by the stick, we managed to try a wide variety that included chicken, beef, lamb, duck, venison, calamari, tiger prawn and quail (prices range from RM1.20 to RM4.50 per stick). There was even scallop satay (RM10.50).
The meats were tender and juicy, and I was hard pressed to find lumps of fat on it, a common tragedy of the street satay. And special mention must go out to the fact that rib-eye is used to make the beef satay. As for the seafood selection, it was a bit of a surprise to me as I had never combined grilled calamari and scallops with the sweet and spicy peanut satay sauce before. It was an interesting fusion of tastes, sort of like a Mediterranean mixed grill with an Asian twist.
The satay dishes were served with sliced onions, thick juicy cucumber wedges and ketupat (rice cakes boiled in palm leaves).
Now, the most important thing about satay is of course the quality of the peanut sauce. Vendors have been known to water down the sauces or even serve them cold, two big No-Nos in my book. Luckily, Satay Club’s ‘secret recipe’ sauce was thick and warm, and swimming with chunky bits of peanuts. Not too spicy, it complemented the marinated meats and seafood well. My only gripe was that it was a tad on the sweet side.
After the satay spread, we decided to go for the mee soto (RM10.90), which offered a choice of either glass or yellow noodles served in a light chicken broth. The soto rempah was not too strong and the slight garlicky taste combined to create a delicious soup, best eaten hot with the bergedils (potato cakes).
We then went on to try the grilled spring chicken (market price). Despite being stuffed, I managed to finish almost half the tender chicken, which went particularly well with the two special sauces served with it. For seafood lovers, there is also a wide selection of char grilled fish dishes that include cat fish and stingray.
It made a perfect ending to a great meal, and I told myself that I was definitely coming back to Satay Club, even if it was just for the durian cake!
As for the satay, sure, one can get satay almost anywhere but for the sheer variety and some homegrown delicacies to be enjoyed in comfort, Satay Club is a hard act to beat.
Halal.
Satay Club,
Lot G30 & G35,
Jusco AU2 Shopping Centre,
No. 6, Jalan Taman Setiawangsa (Jalan 37/56),
AU2, Taman Keramat, 54200 KL.
Tel: 03-42577528
Operating Hours:
Monday till Sunday
10am to 10.30pm
For enquiries: comments@sajibumi.com.my
Takeway available.
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