Tired of the Same Old Satay? (Try Pork Satay @ Xiang Ji, Melaka)

Some remnants from the Dec 08 Melaka stash ....

The stove(pit?) for grilling the skewers of porky goodness ain't big, which made me wonder how the guy's gonna cope with a large crowd?

In Melaka, there are a few outlets famous for serving satay (grilled meat on skewers with spicy peanut sauce) that's on the other end of HALALness meter. The highly acclaimed PORK Satay, proving once and for all, Melaka's NOT only famous for its Satay Celup.

The raw stuff .... perfectly skewered

A few doors away from Nadeje Patisserie, was a satay restaurant named Ming's Sate Hut. But the place was rather dark, empty, and isolated, therefore we cancelled the thought and ended up at Nadeje's.

Then on the last day, we were stumped on whereto for lunch. It was either Nyonya food, or Pork Satay for us. After the rather heavy Chicken Rice Ball at Chung Wah for breakfast, followed closely by Jonker 88's Durian Cendol dessert, we opted for the 'lighter' (somewhat) choice. :)

The usual condiments - Ketupat (sticky rice dumpling), cucumber and onions

So we ventured to Xiang Ji Pork Satay, which was closed the night before. The concept of eating here is different. More to Ipoh's Kong Heng's satay style, whereby they'll place a certain amount of skewers on your table ala buffet style, and you eat to your heart's content (or til your bottomless pit can't hold) and the remaining skewers returned untouched. No, don't ever take into account the hygienic factor, or the possibility of someone biting into your satay before it's placed in front of you. Hahaha ....

BBQ to perfection, with limited grease and burnt edges ....

Marinated intensely, more than your usual chicken/beef satay in Malay 'warung', the pork meat was surprisingly very tender, with a cut of FAT sandwiched in the middle.

The tangy, sweet and spicy satay sauce

The peanut sauce was slightly different, as it was a bit sour, thanks to the chopped pineapple bits added. Yup, only at Melaka's satay outlets. But personally, I prefer Kajang satay's peanut sauce, with spicy sambal for that much-needed kick!

Yup, the middle block belongs to the FAT ... the juicy, guilt-ridden portion

But really, the satay needs NO gravy or condiments. Eaten on its own, the meat was flavourful and succulent enough, and I ended up downing more that I intended, for a 'light' lunch. Whoops. At a mere 55cents per stick, who can blame me?

Location : Xiang Ji Pork Satay @ 50, Jalan Portugis, Melaka. Very near to Jonker Street, opposite SRJK Pay Teck, a Chinese school. Got MAP !!!

For other's take on the glorious pork satay .....
Teckiee's, Makantrip's, KY & Bangsar Babe.

LEMONGRASS Kajang Satay ?!!!

Back to Ipoh food (temporarily, for fear of amnesia strikes) for today's post. After that mediocre outing at Haji Samuri Kajang Satay in Bukit Tinggi, Klang (read my laments HERE) last month, I lost all hope in yummylicious satay, or KAJANG satay, for that matter. I mean, Haji Samuri's supposed to be THE best Kajang Satay, with heavy promotions, branches more than an oak tree, and throngs of satay-lovers sacrificing their beloved hearts for the cholesterol-laden and charred temptations.

Serai=Lemongrass ... !!! ARGH !!! Paranoia strikes !!!

SERAI Sate Kajang opened last month or so, tucked near the end of a rather secluded row of new shops, behind Ipoh's Tesco hypermarket in Medan Ipoh Bistari area. Previous strolls revealed the immense crowd on weekends, a positive sign of either the satay IS good, OR we Ipoh-ans are just desperate for a taste of Kajang satay.

Less than stellar review by a Malay colleague, probably a foodie herself, Ms Suzy whom hyper-ventilated-ly lamented the poor service, and low quality of food marred my plans to visit this outlet for a potential review.

But the temptation was too much to resist, and I found myself magnetically-attracted to the place one fine evening, for a light dinner. Or that's how I hoped my meal would be.

Typical peanut gravy with spicy sambal - A signature of Kajang satay outlets

As expected, the place was pretty packed, and it was before dinner hours. Variety's limited, only chicken, beef, perut (cow's stomach), lamb and deer meat are available. Other selections include nasi himpit (rice with coconut milk ~ ketupat), chicken rice and even Muar otak-otak.

First to arrive on your table would be the sauce for the satay. A bowl of peanut gravy - thick and sweet with lots of crunchy peanuts, and a smaller bowl of fiery dark red sambal chilli sauce.

Messy DIY concoction of rich, thick and spicy peanut sauce

The concept's simple. Add the sambal into your bowl of peanut sauce, according to how much your stomach can erm .. stomach the spiciness. Be warned, do not go overboard before testing your bowl of fire.

Double servings of Nasi Himpit (RM0.50/serving)

The nasi himpit at Haji Samuri fares better compared to the ones served here. The nasi himpit at Serai was too mushy and soft, a wee bit sticky, and lacking in texture. Unlike the more compact offering by Haji Samuri.

Chicken and Beef Satay (Rm0.70/stick)

Yup, a stick cost 70 cents now. Even pricier than Haji Samuri's. Still reminiscing the good old times when a stick cost a mere 30-40 cents. Sigh ... Blame it on the petrol?

Of course, all that matters is the taste. And at Serai, I'm glad that the satay are grilled on the spot, fresh and piping hot, unlike their counterpart (gee, I'm REALLY comparing these two outlets, huh?) where you get your satay in an instant, grilled in bulk, thus the meat may be slightly cold. And the chunks of meat are fat-less, marinated well, not too sweet nor salty, and char-grilled to perfection. Minimal burnt parts=More edible parts.

Lamb Satay (Rm1/stick)

But what satisfied my lust the most (no, not THE lust, but the cravings for meat lust) were the lamb on skewers. Thicker cut compared to the chicken and beef, but lacked the gamey texture, these were really good. Though good things come at a price, RM1.00 per stick, no less.

We did not go crazy on the orders, as this was not our sole dinner for the evening. =P More like a tea-time/dinner hybrid. A meal for two including drinks came to RM12 only. And was I glad the name Serai (Lemongrass in Malay) is nothing but a name. And their meat is devoid of over-powering lemongrass scents. Shudder to think the possibilities ....

Location : SERAI Sate Kajang, Jalan Medan Ipoh 1E, Medan Ipoh Bistari, 31400 Ipoh.

Specifically, this shop is somewhere behind the McDonald's drive-thru restaurant on JalanTasek, Ipoh. It's at a new row of shops, directly behind the row of 4-storeys shoplots facing Jalan Tasek, noticably with HUGE signboards/billboards.

Sate Kajang Haji Samuri @ Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang

All 2-3 shoplots of the largest (?) chain of satay restaurants in Malaysia

Mention the word Satay (or Sate in Malay, gee ... how "original"), and most Malaysians, foodie or not, and even most tourists would be able to recognize the charred, grilled, and smoked marinated meat on sticks (not unlike yakitori, albeit with a dryer texture and gravy-less when being grilled).

Vast dining area, with fans and air-conditioners, and ample seats for satay-lovers

Sate Kajang Haji Samuri is undoubtedly, THE most popular branch of Kajang satay, which in turn, is the undisputed KING of satay restaurants in Malaysia. (Do correct me if I'm wrong though). With 15 branches and growing, mostly in Klang Valley, this household name has been grilling and serving the yummy-licious charcoal-grilled meat for years.

Few years ago, I was introduced to this brand of Kajang satay by my father, who frequented the outlet at Kesas highway rest area for his fix of the grilled temptations. Ever since then, I was hooked. Come rain or shine, whenever I visited KL, I'd make it a point to stop by the rest area, and ate til my heart's content, then takeaway a few dozens of them for late night cravings.

The meat was chunky, devoid of fatty and charred parts, and the peanut sauce was heavenly, coupled with their own concoction of sambal. Not to mention the delicious nasi himpit which comes in the form of a roll of condensed rice (think ketupat, but rolled up like lemang).

Mix your own gravy by adding the sambal into the peanut sauce, depending on your mood - Fiery? Mild? Moody?

Bukit Tinggi in Klang has another branch, opened only a year or two ago, I think. Occupying two shoplots in the maze after maze of restaurants and cafes in Bukit Tinggi, the shop has its loyal followings. But the number of seats are sufficient to cater to the crowd.

What makes the satay here special compared to your usual, run-of-the-mill satay warung? Firstly, the gravy. They provide you with a bowl of peanut sauce, and a smaller bowl of sambal (quite oily, but spicy). Mix the sambal according to how spicy you want your sauce to be, but do not go overboard, else you can't taste the marinated meat in all its glory.

Erm, am I seeing things here? *_*

Secondly, the marinated skewered meat, aka the main event, the SATAY. Previously, the chunks of marinated meat was tasteful, juicy and not dry, and perfect when coupled with the sauce. I could indulge in dozens after dozens of them in one sitting.

However, sad to say, the quality has dropped significantly. Possibly the problem lies with this outlet only, I can't be sure. Needless to explain, as from the picture above, you can see the over-grilled meat, burnt, and the chunks aren't so generous anymore (forgiven, considering each stick is only 60 cents for chicken/beef, and slightly higher for rabbit, lamb, innards etc).

The nasi himpit was sold out on that particular day. Shucks. That could've saved the culinary experience.

Location : Restoran Sate Kajang Haji Samuri @ 27 0-1, Lorong Batu Nilam 1E, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. Tel : 03-3324 2906.