Timeless

Chicken satay.

I was more perturbed than I thought I could have been over the incidents surrounding 2010’s Suzuki Cup. I know little else that it was a football tourney which Malaysia won, resulting in the declaration of December 31 2010 as a public holiday by the nation’s Prime Minister. A holiday is a holiday, right?

But evidently there was a lot of talk going on about Malaysia being undeserving of the victory due to unsportsmanlike behavior from their fans. There was also, appallingly, the ugly race card, which saw detractors questioning why there were no holidays for wins in international competitions by non-Malay sportsmen and women.

My heart died a little that day, and only Evelyn Chung, who has lived through so much, could understand why I needed some cheering up.

Nothing to look at, but the food's good!

She drove me, her sister-in law and niece to Kajang for a traditional lunch. Restoran Malaysia has existed from the time Evelyn and her husband, Frank, were courting. They have been married 34 years now. The restaurant has served satay, for all those years.

Kajang satay is almost always associated with the charming, warm Malay satay traders who have turned this little town into satay heaven. However, perhaps as a silent reminder to me that differences do not need to be a stumbling block or point of contention, and that racial and cultural diversity DOES continue to live, if not thrive and prosper, despite the evil that politicians sow, Evelyn brought us to this satay restaurant which was run by Chinese traders.

Great beef satay!

I had the BEST beef satay I have ever eaten, as well as the yummiest Hokkien noodles (code named ‘black mee’ for the use of dark soya sauce). The chicken was a little too firm for me, but Evelyn likes it because it has no pieces of fat in it. The satay sauce was a slurry of creamy peanuts and spices, with a hot sambal added to it, which was mind-blowingly good. I could have just eaten the pressed rice (ketupat) with the sauce and have been satisfied!

Ketupat with cucumbers and peanut sauce.

Good food knows no colour!

The restaurant was packed! People circled like sharks around a shipwreck, waiting for tables to come vacant. The satay servers take your orders when you procure a table, then, if you fancy some noodles, the servers from the little nook at the back of the restaurant come to take your noodle orders. Then you wait with hungry eyes until it’s your turn to get fingers terribly sticky from the tacky bamboo skewers.

This mess of carb and dark sauce rocks!

The beef satay and noodles are completely worth the trip down to Kajang, as is the assortment of traditional Chinese biscuits and cookies which are sold at the front counter.
Restoran Malaysia Satay is closed on Tuesdays. They open from 9am to 11pm. Avoid the lunch crowd since it is very busy and bewilderingly so for first timers.