Kyo's Quest For Satay (aka Kyo Does Kuala Lumpur + Kajang)

[Kyo]

Prologue: Having been inspired by the countless other TRs that others have been kind enough to post here, I had posted my first TR about Taiwan some time back... I have since decided that there are so many reasons to begin logging my journeys, not least because I myself may forget what I did if I don't keep track!

(Actually, it's to prevent me from forgetting what I ate! *embarassed look*)

"Hi! My name is Kyo and I'm a foodaholic."

With various threads on this forum somehow related to all things Satay, it seemed only right that Kyo would have to embark upon a pilgrimage to the land where Satay was birthed. Indeed, to the Malaysian origins of this sweetly marinated meat that has garnered much acclaim throughout South-East Asia, but also to the millions of premium pax that have been fortunate enough to savour it in the front cabins of Singapore and Malaysia Airlines.

*apologies to other carriers whom I've not mentioned, Garuda may also serve satay*

Disclaimer: Read on ONLY if you are not bothered by scenes of meat-eating carnage, in particular, satay.


Day 1 - The Quest For Satay



For some, travelling to a different country is about immersing one's self in the local way of living and their culture. It's about seeing the sights, experiencing something different. For me, 50% of what makes me look forward to travelling is the sheer promise of the delicious food I get to savour overseas. Being 'passionate' about food is putting it mildly.

The purpose of this trip, however was to set out on a quest possibly accomplished by few, and attempted by even fewer. The sole purpose of this 185 mile sojourn, would be to eat Satay. But not just any Satay.

The One True Satay: Kajang Satay.


Back in April, Tiger Airways (that's TR, for the uninitiated) ran a 'Not A Cent More' sale, claiming that their sale fares would not be eaten up (as is always the case) by crazy fuel surcharges and taxes. The suspicious side of Kyo decided to put this claim to the test, after all, it's not uncommon to see fuel surcharges and taxes amounting to up to 10 times the cost of the ticket.

I took the plunge, and four months ago, decided to fly SIN-KUL for SGD$50. Of course, there was a catch. Flight dates would have to be a couple months away, and after selecting the flights, they conveniently forgot to mention that there would be a 10% service charge added to the fare. I.e., SGD$55. So, quite a few cents more indeed! 500, to be exact. Naughty Tiger, bad Tiger... I really wish airlines would be a bit more scrupulous and just state the full amount of the ticket (go ahead, charge more for taxes if you will but if SQ can start to do it, why can't the rest, ey?)

End of Prologue.


Like most of my travels, this one begins at Changi, Singapore. But this time, Kyo would be On Budget, similar to that which has recently been attempted by the very illustrious SQ LPP.

I had a bit of time to go as my flight was mid-afternoon, and I was hungry since I skipped breakfast - and I had been meaning to try the Crystal Jade Shanghai at T3 for quite awhile now. So off I went to have lunch.


Dumplings in Noodle Soup - Delicious


Chicken in Chilli Oil with Sesame - Hot! Beware! Also, lots of bones.

After a long wait and a very quick lunch (I underestimated how long it would take to prepare the food), I was rushing to get to the Budget Terminal for a flight that departed in an hour! I ran across T3, jumped into a Skytrain to T2, dragged my carry-on like a maniac across T2 and ran downstairs to where the buses that ferry pax to the Budget Terminal are. Fortunately, I have had to send Ms Kyo there before, so I knew the procedure (but to those who have no idea, and may need to do so in the future, it is NOT easy - make sure to budget plenty of time, or just take a taxi straight there to save yourself the hassle).

The Budget terminal was nearly empty when I got there, and the counter was almost about to shut (I actually arrived 1 minute after the scheduled counter-closing time, what a disaster it would have been if I'd missed it). However I quickly got my boarding pass and cleared customs (big plus point is they were not as strict in searching my bags like T1, T2 and T3).


After the Customs at the Budget Terminal - Duty Free to the left


Kopitiam, True Singapore Taste - Coming Soon

Ran straight to the gate (one thing I noticed: the Budget Terminal has air-conditioning! Whoa!) and into the queue... and I noticed that they were verifying our passports/boarding passes...


Departure Gate 9 - As you can see, Singapore knows how to do Departures 'ghetto'-style too.


The Prancing Tiger - Our bird

We boarded, I was in Seat 22F as I had requested for a Window (hey, no charge!)
The Budget Terminal = The Tiger Terminal - Next to us, 9V-TAI at Gate 8

Here, to follow what every other TR seems to do, I took my first ever obligatory seat pitch pic!


Seat Pitch - Or lack thereof

While florianwagner likes to listen to Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars' when flying, I always get into the mood by listening to Paul Van Dyk's 'We Are Alive'.


Leaving - The rest of the Tiger fleet

The uneventful flight lasted all of 39 minutes before we landed at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT for short). No photos of the landing / taxi to KL (which alone cost more than my flight ticket in Ringgit, RM 61.60). The driver was really annoying and clearly out to make a quick buck and kept insisting he did not know where Bukit Bintang was (it's right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, and I do know my way very roughly the KL CBD / Golden Triangle area). Until I suddenly spoke Malay, whereupon he suddenly knew not only where Bukit Bintang was, but also where the Novotel Hydro Majestic (full review here) was (where I would be staying for this trip). It took 55 minutes to reach the hotel from the LCCT.

The Hotel Review will be posted separately and updated in a later post.


View from Level 27 at the Novotel - The skies, like in Singapore were overcast, but the Twin Towers still loomed magnificent over the city.

After checking in, I had a quick shower and got ready for the Main Event.

[Kyo]

Dusk fell soon after and the other unwitting individuals whom I had enlisted to lead the way to Kajang arrived (KL natives themselves, they had never been there)... photos of them later.

Since this was a pilgrimage to discover the One True Satay, I could leave nothing to chance.

Whilst initially the plan had been to carefully consult with a feng shui master, it was difficult to find one for reasons that will soon be obvious, so the hotel concierge had to be employed. Our cunning plan to enlist an enclave of astrologers was also quickly shelved once we got going and we had to make do with asking for directions from a petrol station attendant.

So here we were, our last hope to follow the stars to our destination. Alas, it was either too cloudy or too hazy (methinks it's the latter), so we had to make do with a street directory (not very useful) and directions shouted by another KL native through a mobile phone (somehow, even less useful) in order to eat this delicacy at the One True Time on the One True Date.

Eventually we found it.

Restoran Haji Samuri

At precisely:

8:08:08PM on the 8th day of the 8th month, in the year '08, Kyo finally ate Kajang Satay.

Obviously, the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony would just have to wait. We had a farrr more important mission to accomplish.



And it was good. Nay, it was a Satay R-E-V-E-L-A-T-I-O-N!



Kajang Satay - In all its magnificence.

It's time to examine what Kajang Satay is and what makes it what it is... to do that, let's zoom in so that we can see the varieties of satay on offer.


Clockwise from the left of the dish (think 9:00) - lembu (beef), ayam (chicken), hati (liver), Haji Samuri 'original chilli sauce', Haji Samuri 'original satay sauce'.

Summary:
-Beef: Delicious, but not as soft as I had thought. 4.5/5
-Chicken: Tender, soft, marinated and just beautifully interleaved with the tiniest portions of chicken skin/fat in between the delicate morsels of chicken flesh. 4.75/5 (would have liked a 'wee' bit more flesh per stick, but still VERY good)
-Liver: Unlike foie gras, the liver had a firmer texture and it was done SUPERBLY. It was buttery, creamy and mouth-wateringly YUM. We instantly ordered another 5 sticks. 5/5
-Haji Samuri 'original chilli sauce' + 'original satay sauce': I was told both were meant to be combined and eaten simultaneously. Only very mildly spicy, the chilli sauce complemented the satay sauce very well. It was a tad oily. The satay sauce, however, contained peanuts with a slightly 'boiled' texture. It was not slightly 'crunchy' as I'm used to. Together, I could only give this a 3/5.

Let's examine the other platter now.


Clockwise from the top of the dish - nasi himpit / ketupat ('himpit' rice, steamed in intertwined coconut leaf, cucumbers, ikan (fish), kambing (goat / mutton), aforementioned chilli sauce

Summary:
-'Ketupat' himpit rice: Soft, had some sort of grain running through it that imparted an almost sesame-like flavour. If it had been a bit warmer, it would have absolutely hit the spot. 4.5/5
-Cucumber: Seriously, you want me to rate a cucumber? Fine. It was crunch as a cucumber should be. 5/5
-Fish: Soft, and broke apart in your mouth as soon as you chewed. The charcoal grilling technique had sealed in the flavours and there was even an extremely thin layer of fish skin on one side of the stick. Top marks. 5/5
-Mutton: The disappointment of the night. It was glistening, promising great taste, but as soon as chewing commenced, it was rubbery. 2/5
-Sauce: Already mentioned above.

Verdict: Haji Samuri has arguably the best satay on the planet when it comes to fish, chicken, liver and beef. They also get top marks for the 'ketupat' rice. (But where, oh where, are the onions??!?)

Rating of Satay + Sauce alone: 4.2916/5 (calculated and averaged, rice and cucumber NOT calculated)

A very worthy effort by Haji Samuri indeed.

"But Kyo, how can this be?", I hear you say. "Isn't Kajang Satay the be-all and end-all of satays? Surely Kajang Satay ought to score an outright 5/5 (or at least come bloody close)?


Commence Act 2.

Nyok Lan Satay @ Restoran Malaysia

We had come prepared! Advance research had been done. The word on the street was that there were two Satay vendors that had come to define the very essence of Satay. Like Michael Phelps vs Milorad Cavic, there were two aspirers to the throne of Satay dominion. Would the young upstart contender of Nyok Lan upset the crowd favourite Haji Samuri?


Nyok Lan - Will it surpass all expectations?


Mr Nyok Lan? - Two equally famous Satay legends were about to go head-to-head.

If eating Kajang Satay was an event at the Olympics, Kyo was about to put up a world-class effort to find out once and for all. It was the bottom of the 9th. Space in my stomach had been saved. I was psyched. I was in the zone. This was my moment. This was my ninth Gold Medal. Nothing would stand in my way.


Nyok Lan Chicken Satay - Glistening, slightly charred.


Nyok Lan Mutton Satay - Glistening and on all accounts, world-class.


Nyok Lan 'nasi himpit', original satay sauce - More cucumber also

Summary:
-'Ketupat' himpit rice: Hard, cold to lukewarm 3/5
-Cucumber: No more cucumber ratings. Okay, fine. It was crunchy as it should be! Tough crowd... 5/5
-Chicken: Dry, there was even a very thin layer of skin but it made it more crispy/dry than anything else. I'm sorry, terrible effort. 2.5/5
-Mutton: I was hoping this would not be a repeat of Haji Samuri. It was also glistening and also promised great taste. My nose cleared. The heavens opened. I could smell the sensational roasting meat and marinade. This was absolute art on a stick. If I could give it a 10/5, I would! 5/5, to keep things fair.
-Sauce: Sensational. Crunchy, just as how it should be. It contrasted perfectly with the taste of the peanuts, and the sweet, delicious gravy. It's official. This place makes the best sauce on the planet! Overwhelmingly a 5/5.

Verdict: Nyok Lan has arguably the best satay on the planet when it comes to mutton. Without a doubt, they also get top marks for their satay sauce.

Rating of Satay + Sauce alone: 4.1667/5 (calculated and averaged, rice and cucumber NOT calculated)
Clearly, a very close contest. Nyok Lan misses the claim to the title of 'Best Satay On The Planet' by a whisker.


I had an objective - to determine if Kajang Satay was the best satay on the planet and I had not been disappointed. Yes, it's really as good as they say it is, but what they don't tell you is you have to go to TWO locations to get it. Thankfully, they are not that far away from each other, and easily driveable within 5-10 mins away from each other.

Final Verdict: Go to Haji Samuri. Eat everything except the mutton. Eat the liver (if you're into foie gras, you'll love this, otherwise... you don't know what you're missing). The sauce ain't great, but it'll do. Then go up the road to Nyok Lan, eat the mutton, wash it down with the sauce. You won't be able to move... much. But you will have the biggest grin on your face after you do it. Better than the Olympics Opening Ceremony? Oh yeah.

Our mission accomplished. Everybody's stomachs were straining and begining to regret to punishment we'd put them through. We high-tailed it back to the Novotel and well, let's just say the toilets were not safe to use after that. (Word of the wise: never use Malaysian public toilets, Haji Samuri + Nyok Lan notwithstanding)



Not content with stuffing ourselves silly, we decided to hit the town and see what KL had to offer. We eventually found ourselves at Trader's Hotel. More precisely, the Skybar at Trader's Hotel. (VERY LATE EDIT: previously forgot to mention, Swedish Mixologist Thomas Anostam was mixing the drinks for us that night!)


Skybar @ Trader's Hotel - Buzzing with activity


One thing...


Inadvertently led to another...

[Kyo]

And before long...


We decided to quit while we were ahead - Okay, maybe not...

So, back I went to the Novotel and it was time to hit the hay.

~End of Day 1~


Day 2 - More Food

I woke up late (obviously).

Having been knocked out from the previous night's partying, I had barely 5 minutes to grab a quick drink from the Business Lounge on Level 28. The breakfast had mostly been cleared.


But I salvaged this...


And quickly followed it with this... and one last omelette

By then, it was time for a REAL lunch.

Banana Leaf Rice + Curry @ Raju's, Jalan Chantek, Petaling Jaya


I only have a photo of Raju's from the exterior - Inexcusable, I know, I'm sorry

You can take a closer look at the food here

Regardless, it was delicious. Deep-fried chicken, calamari, mutton curry... plenty of condiments on the side (free-flow). Definitely a scene of much gluttony.

I had made plans to meet SQflyergirl after this, but due to eating way too much on my part, and her still yet to arrive, we decided it'd be better to reschedule to another time/place.

So, I decided to spend the time walking off the meal from my hotel to the Twin Towers, taking the opportunity to grab a few photos along the way.


Twilight Shot - I really like this photo, the taxi whizzed by just at the right time


My current desktop wallpaper - Petronas Twin Towers all lit up at night

Walked back to the hotel, and went to The Curve (local shopping centre) for dinner.


Bubba Gump - Forrest Gump-themed restaurant. This is the Bourbon Street Barramundi, which is charbroiled cajun spiced barramundi in bourbon (?) sauce. It was delicious!
(Footnote: I recognised the outlet from the Peak in Hong Kong in July '07. I had wanted to go then, but we had already made prior reservations at The Peak Lookout downstairs, so I never had the chance)

For dessert, we moved on to Paddington's House of Pancakes.


The 'Treasure Box', it's called - Sinful

It was an absolute cholestrol bomb, for sure. But oh, so good, with cinnamon, raisins, berries, maple syrup, little 'blini'-styled pancakes that they called 'coins', and with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream.

After all that food. We decided to pop across to 'The Apartment' (by Jamie Oliver) to toast the evening off with a...


Flaming Lamborghini - Hit me baby. Notice the Red Bull as well. Unfortunately you can't see the purple flames because of the flash. It was delish!

Very charming little 'apartment' also, I must say. Quite like the music, and the waiters were most obliging.

For sake of brevity, we'll just call this the...

~End of Day 2~


Day 3 - Goodbye Kuala Lumpur

So, once again I woke up late. No time for brekkie this time at the Biz Lounge.

I quickly checked out and then we hit the streets for breakfast...


'Ngau Larm Meen' - aka Beef Brisket Noodles at Tengkat Tong Shin, a little lane which runs parallel to Jalan Alor (which runs parallel to Jalan Bukit Bintang). Obviously not a healthy start to the day.

And then it was on to more food.

At the Pavillion (brand-new swanky shopping centre opposite the Novotel).


The Loaf - the bakery whose claim to fame is that it was started by Dr Mahathir Mohamed (the ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia). Thankfully, they do bake yummy bread delights.

Not knowing what to do, we proceeded to lunch. Unbelievable, I know.


Ampang Yong Tau Foo @ Foong Foong's, Ampang


30 pieces of Yong Tau Foo - Plus another unseen 8 dumplings in soup.

This place is serious about their Yong Tau Foo (fish paste/cake in various assorted vegetables / tofu). It is gobsmackingly, OMG, yummy. It deserves its own trip, really.

This is the 3rd restaurant in a row of Yong Tau Foo restaurants. I don't know how to describe how to get there (most taxi drivers, should know). I was told this was the best, but I only have eaten at the 2nd one next door previously. (Foong Foong was better for sure)

Anyway, one food item is the objective, and that's evidently the satay. I may have to deveote another trip to covering Yong Tau Foo comprehensively some other time. Sorry folks.

Jumped into a taxi, and headed to the LCCT for the long journey home. For some reason I think it felt like it took a bit longer to get to the LCCT from KL, then the other way around.

Pics/impressions of the LCCT here. Suffice to say, SQflyergirl summed it up the best with the Air Asia slogan:

"Now everyone can fly".... and they do! all at the same time

The Tiger Airways flight back to SIN was completely uneventful. We had to walk across the tarmac, and the flight took 42 mins instead of 39 but was still very pleasant overall.


So, thus concludes Kyo's search for the best satay in the world! Mission accomplished.

~End of Day 3~

That's the end of the TR! Thank you, please come again!

[jhm]

Mmmm, the dumplings in noodle soup look good!

The driver was really annoying and clearly out to make a quick buck and kept insisting he did not know where Bukit Bintang was (it's right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, and I do know my way very roughly the KL CBD / Golden Triangle area). Until I suddenly spoke Malay, whereupon he suddenly knew not only where Bukit Bintang was

I guess it's similar to a Singapore taxi driver insisting he doesn't know where Orchard Road is ?

[SQflyergirl]

Terribly sorry I copped out on you kyo! Was well and truly knackered that day

[Kyo]

jhm: They are, if you're into pork. I personally don't like pork at all, and would never eat it unless it came in a dumpling (yes, I've heard all the arguments like 'it's still pork even when wrapped up in a dim sum', but it's the only exception I make). These are 'xiao long baos' so when you bite them, they burst a second time with soupiness. Each one was obviously created with great skill, and the freshness of the dough was evident.

Oh - and the taxi fellow was clearly out to rob the unsuspecting tourist. It would definitely be akin to a Singaporean taxi driver not knowing where Orchard Road or Changi Airport is. I hate it when people tout, I hate it more when they try to tout inflated prices 2-3 times higher than what it should be. Believe me, I told him what I thought about him pretending to not know Bukit Bintang, made sure he 'behaved', and turned on my iPod so that I wouldn't have to listen to any pretend protests. He took me straight to the Novotel, he knew exactly where it was.


SQflyergirl: Please, we've all had that feeling! No problems whatsoever. I am sure we'll bump into each other from time to time. I did have a birthday present for you (I had to wish you Happy Birthday in person, remember?) but that can keep til another time. I'm just happy to have already met you previously. You were so helpful and I do appreciate that. If we're ever in Singapore, would be glad to bring you for a Sling. Heheh... of course, no promises what a Sling can lead to (as florianwagner will no doubt attest to)..

[jhm]

OMG, it's torture sitting here drooling over the pictures! The satay look soooooo good. I want!

[jjpb3]

If that isn't a comprehensive review of satay options, I don't know what is. Well done, Kyo.

[StarG]

Wow the satay indeed looks yummy!
Thanks for the pics Kyo.

[flo]

While florianwagner likes to listen to Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars' when flying, I always get into the mood by listening to Paul Van Dyk's 'We Are Alive'.

I totally love this song. Paul van Dyk all the way... actually my favorite musician/artist/DJ ever

Anyway, great report Mister Kyo! Quick question: your earbuds - v-moda vibe?

[9V-JKL]

I think I know what I'll have for lunch later Thanks kyo

Now how about a Klang Bak Kut Teh quest

For those that dont know what Bah Kut Teh is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bak_kut_teh

[Kyo]

jhm & jjpb3: Well, as most SQTalkers here know, Satay has been on the menu at just about every SIN Meet and I love the stuff, although it's not always the healthiest choice.

StarG: Very welcome

florianwagner: Yes indeedy. You definitely know your earphones. I like them because they block out just about all ambient noise (including the hum of an airplane engine) when in use.

PvD was just in Singapore, but I only found out after he left.

9V-JKL: There was a time when I used to do that, but because it's purely a pork-thing, I tend to avoid Bak-Kut-Teh. Satay I would fly for, but Bak Kut Teh, probably not!

I can eat Chik-Kut-Teh, though. That's when they substitute pork with chicken. I've had it before in Penang, same spices, and I think it's more 'kosher' for me. Hehe...

I'm willing to take other food review requests, and am planning to seriously evaluate Austrian cuisine in the very near future extensively... with the help of Master florianwagner... (on his recommendation I've already booked the Do&Co, since they prepare airline food for Austrian Airlines), hehehe!

The final part of the report will be up by tonight.

[KeithMEL]

Great review, Kyo - v handy thread for anyone planning to visit Malaysia and check out the humble but heavenly satays!

Unlike you I LOVE Bak Kut Teh, but tend to avoid some of the more umm... exotic bits.

[SQflyergirl]

Great review, Kyo - v handy thread for anyone planning to visit Malaysia and check out the humble but heavenly satays!

It's a fine guide even for those who LIVE in malaysia!

[YK@HKG]

You certainly have succedded in making me salivating for a KUL trip, or satay-hunting to be exact