worth getting your hands dirty for!

Foodie Friday 006

SATAY!

Availability: local region-wide

Again, I apologize for the days overdue post for this Friday segment but sometimes life just had another matter for you! I'll get to that in the coming future. With that being said, let's get on with it!

As a proud Malaysian, I can safely say that I enjoy mostly all of the local cuisines that are easily available in my immediate vicinity that not just limited to a certain race but since they often times mix and entangle with each other's cultures and in turn their food as well. For example, roti canai originates from India if I'm not mistaken but it is now being sold and eaten by every Malaysian whether from mamak stall or by Malays ... you're not a Malaysian if you never eaten at least a piece by yourself. I can say the same thing for satay actually since this region is mostly known for it and tourists would look for its authentic take that cut no corners and I think I can highlight the best interpretation here that I have found in my travel if I do say so myself. The dish itself is simple whereby a certain animal ranging from chicken to cow to even goat (there's more novel options if you know where to look) will have its meat being cut into small segments or pieces and punctured by a lidi or wooden skewer (usually two pieces for each skewer), then being barbecued over a hot charcoal after being properly seasoned by sesame oil (I think so, this is just from the top of my head ... to be sure just Google it, okay?) for a definite amount of time until it is properly cooked (and even have some part of it lightly charred ... that adds to the taste actually if done properly). The most important companion is the thick peanut dipping sauce or gravy (I think the thickness usually leans toward the latter for its consistency) that complement the taste of the greasy well done meat perfectly in my opinion while the accompanying greens of cucumber (I've never seen anything else replacing it actually) and of course the nasi impit or ketupat as a decent carb portion of the dish (if you've never seen it, it is actually a certain type of rice being compacted together in a cube and boiled for prolonged amount of time until they all 'fuse' together ... if you've seen how it looks, I think I actually give a decent explanation here).

With that being said, the satays being sold here in Tanjung Karang's Satay Hut is the best one I've tasted in my life, especially with its signature 'giant' big option (it might be a little too hyperbolic but I can safely say it is the biggest one I've encountered so far) that would fill you up with just five skewers when you are famished and yearning for something wholesome to fill you up. If you've been around and tasting satays from a number of places, you will know how they prepare the meat and how they cook them determine the quality of the finished product. Some could cook them for too long that the meat would be too tough in the end or even not long enough that a few segments of the satays are not cooked through at all but I find that there is never an instance that satays coming through the Hut is ever overcooked or not cooked enough ... there were always just right! The meat are always chewy with a few crunchy segments in the mix to add the sensation of cucumber's crunchiness and the rice's filling softness. I can never describe the taste well but I can say that the chicken (I always pick chicken ... how about you?) being complimented well with the seasonings applied all over them while being cooked over charcoal would always add a new earthy layer on top of it, as the peanuty gravy just complete the journey through the taste spectrum. Is that good enough? I don't know, you'll be the judge of that when you taste the dish yourself. It is my personal opinion that Satay's Hut is the best one out there since I know that there much more popular 'brands' out there, with Haji Samsuri Haji Samuri for example, but you can give it a try if you are going through around here and judge whether my recommendation is valid or not.

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a case for the delicacy of the meaty proportion:

+ Positives +

Such a filling balanced(?) protein-heavy dish!

? Main contention ?

It has to be taken in moderation ...

- Negatives -

Just be sure this is the only big dish of the day, okay?

! Warning !

If you are going for the GIANT satays. Make sure you are properly famished!

j preferred way of eating f

Usually eat at night since I can go home happy and go straight into bed ... a good iced drinks is always my go-to companion, with fresh orange always my first choice.

* sense of touch & taste *

I will reiterate the biggest factors to me is the chewiness of the meat and how rich it taste. Oh, I could go for another round!

 <+> 

A good post-workout dish if I do say so myself. 

RM

Hm ... I can't remember the exact number, but I think it is RM 80 cents (again, not sure) a piece for the smaller (normal) skewers and RM 1.20 (around this I think, I can't be sure) a piece for the big ones. It was around RM10 for ten skewers with one small nasi impit the last time I was there. Please visit its facebook page for much more accurate info. Edit: there's nothing on the price though ...

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P.S. Here is the address of my go-to source:
Satay Hut:
Satay Hut Jalan Besar, Taman Mahsuri Indah, 45500 Tanjong Karang, Selangor [Google Map]

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