Satay @ Restoran Sate Kajang Haji Samuri, Kajang

Ask anybody as to one word that describes Kajang, and that will be satay. Although the town has great food options and have other famous things in store, it is hard to deny that it was skewers that put Kajang on the map.

A crowded hall. 

Being a dominant force in making barbecue skewers, Haji Samuri has always been a big player for ages and one of the few places that I patronize even when I was very little. Decades past and I finally reacquainted myself with an old familiar flavour. 

The place is definitely much different to the satay food court, which was unfortunately abandoned not long ago. The new premises now stands near the MRT station, making it easier for locals and tourists to sample some satay. The place is a giant food hall rather than a restaurant, and has an honest feel to it. 

Take your pick. Most skewers stand at RM0,.98 a stick

The menu is placed above the cashier counters and you generally order in a fashion akin to a fast food place. It is very simple, with a few types of satays (mainly beef and chicken) and a few additional sides like ketupat rice packs. 

Lunch is ready

Of course unlike fast food joints, some items need prep, like the aforesaid satay which is served to you on your table once its done. Other items, can be taken off the counter like the cucumbers and rice packs. Note that some condiments like the peanut sauce and cucumbers are free add ons to your meal. As I was with my parents for this round and they are not really fans of red meat, chicken would be the choice for this time. Still, it does not detract from the experience. 

Here is a close up

The meat is tender and flavourful. A great amount of lemon grass and turmeric can be felt, and those ingredients give the satay its trademark colour. And being Kajang, the skewers come in a size much larger that your local warong. I am a big eater but a set of 10 sticks will leave off very satisfied. Although there were some over-burnt bits, it was not that bad to spoil the experience. Well, you cannot keep it perfect all the time right? 

The side kicks. 

The star of the meal however was not the satay but the peanut sauce that came with it.  The sauce is rich, sweet, savoury, deep and chunky all at once. A myriad of different elements in a concoction, it is so good that you can actually take it on its own. Topping it off with sambal and you have a killer dip. The best way of having it was by dunking some ketupat into it. 

Red means flavour. 

As the satay has a strong flavour profile of its own, it may clash with the sauce. Something neutral like rice helps carry the sauce without causing a tug of war of flavour profiles. The cake like texture of the ketupat really helps as it will be sturdy enough to hold on to the sauce. Dunking it into a bowl of sauce with a liberal amount of sambal to me is the best way of enjoying the rice packs. 

Frosty!

Being a hot day, ais kacang was the venom of choice. Being a drink and dessert at the same time, it cools and refreshes. The syrup was very heavy, which is good as the ice continues to melt, the flavour gets abit thinned.  The scoop of ice cream was a good touch. 

Still tasting very similar to what I had growing up, this is a place I might take that long drive to have again. Its was RM0.98 a stick and the ice kacang stands at RM3.80. Not as cheap as I remembered it back when Iw as still in school, but still a good deal. Already a recognizable name to many people in the Klang Valley, they have opened may branches through out the country. But nothing compares to the OG. If you are keen in sampling some barbecue skewers at where it all began, the address is as follows:

Lot 1, 2 & 3, Tingkat Bawah & Tingkat 2,

Bangunan Dato’ Nazir, Jalan Kelab,
43000 Kajang.