Tuesday, April 01, 2014

A Taste of the famous Sate Kajang Hj. Samsuri

Tucked in the eastern region of the state of Selangor, Kajang is a local neighborhood town and also named the district capital of Hulu Langat. There are many things that this town is famous for; food, local attractions, higher institutions of learning, industrialization, and it also recently received its moment of fame with its by-election.

When one hears of Kajang, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous Kajang Satay. 
Yes, it is always, always about the food, and when you talk about a town located in an approximation of 21 kilometers away from the metropolitan capital city, Kuala Lumpur, the attraction to draw the city dwellers to this place has got to be first and foremost, the food.

If you drive around Kajang Town, you will find that there are restaurants or shops with signs of "Satay Kajang" in almost every corner of the town. That is a testament to the popularity of this local delight here, and it is little to wonder that this town is also informally/fondly known as the "Satay Town".

Sate, or Satay, is a local Malaysian food in the form of barbecued meat (usually chicken, beef, mutton) on a skewer.

One of the famous places for this local delight; is Sate Kajang Hj. Samsuri.


It is not hard to get to this place; which is a full complex located right in the center of the town.



They have been very successful with the fame of their satay, that they have more than 10 branches around Malaysia; and even in R&Rs along the highways.

The entire complex, headquartered in Kajang belongs to them and the place is fully air-conditioned.
The place is well-organized with the tables neatly lined for their customers, and ceiling fans affixed to provide more ventilation. There are counter booths designated for the preparation of drinks and the gravy, condiments.
There is a separate section for the barbecuing of the satay/sate; which was an advantage and also a considerate move on their part as not many would enjoy walking away after their meal with a strong scent of barbecued meat lingering in their hair or clothes to remind them of their meal.





There is also a dedicated section for the ordering to be made at the counter, and payment is made on the spot upon order placement.






The place is also well-decorated with their collection of antiques from the past; from ancient shelf memorabilia to ice shaving machines.








First to arrive is the usual condiments for the satay; the peanut sauce gravy along with the sambal (spicy chili paste) and also side orders of the ketupat (stuffed rice dumpling in a woven palm leaf pouch) and cucumbers.





A closer look at the peanut gravy used to dip the satay in





The satay platter; a mix of Chicken Satay and Fish Satay.



Chicken Satay



The fairer in the golden shade is the unique fish satay; which is one of the unique flavor used in satay compared to the usual meaty fare of chicken, beef, or mutton.
The fish satay was succulent and the honeyed flesh was tender and delightful with every bite.




The stuffed rice dumpling




A refreshing treat from the taste of barbecue is the cold shaved ice from a bowl of Ice Kacang (Ais Kacang in Malay).





We should have ordered it in ABC; or Ais Batu Campur (Mixed Shaved ice) which would probably come with more ingredients as this was filled with red kidney beans, sweet corn and grounded nuts in heavy syrup. The usual fare would also include cendol and grass jelly, which would complete it.
Well, I must make a mental note of it the next time.

Overall, the food here was quite good, and the prices were reasonable too.
Price for the chicken satay and fish satay: MYR0.80/stick
There are also other drinks and beverages available; from lime juice to watermelon juice (by glass or by a whole jug), the prices are reasonably ranged from MYR2.50-MYR7.00.

There are also ample parking spaces and as the place is air-conditioned, it is an advantage.
In all, the place was well thought in planning to cater to the needs of the customers and the owners have also maintained it well to ensure the maximum comfort of everyone.
There is no reason not to make this part of my itinerary the next time I am home~

Location: Medan Sate, Kajang, Selangor
Branches: Check the list here
Website: Sate Kajang Hj Samsuri


8 comments:

  1. What amazes me is the ability of Malaysians to determine which satay comes from what location. I first heard this when I was at a party and overheard a deep conversation over where the satay on the buffet must be from. They had it down to state, town and one of them even reckoned they knew which stall this particular version originated from!

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  2. The Yum List, wow, I guess those must be the satay experts then! I wouldn't dare to claim to wear that hat because I am definitely no foodie expert, just someone who tries food which suits her picky tastes, lol!:-D
    Hats off to those people you have met at your party; those are the real satay experts, I am sure!~ ;-)

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  3. the decor of the antiques is really lovely. it does add a charming character to the place :) i've only had haji samsuri at its branch in damansara uptown, but i'd like to check out kajang someday! :D

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  4. I LOVE satay chicken and I'm pretty sure I could live on it. These photos are fantastic!

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  5. Sean, yup, the decor adds to that personal touch to the interior of the restaurant, and I believe the owners have a huge collection and it amazes me that they are putting it out on public display without any protection. These are prized antiques and are almost priceless! It was like going into a museum; while enjoying your food ;-)

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  6. Maureen, thanks, I am just an amateur at photography, LOL! :-)
    You should try out fish satay sometimes, I am a fish lover ;-)

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  7. More of my favourite foods! It's hard to find ketupat in the traditional wrapping now - the last time I was in Malaysia, I could only find people who served it in cubes.

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  8. WokandSpoon, that's so true, even I was surprised these came in wraps! Nothing beats the good ol' tradition, eh? ;-)

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