The Thrill Of The Grill: A Big Bite Of Kajang

 Satay barbecued cover the charcoal grill. Photo credit: Yusof Mat Isa.

At the end of the hunt for flavoursome Kajang eats, satay is undisputedly the best finishing touch for your day trip. Known as sate in the Malay language, it is a grilled meat dish well-known throughout Southeast Asia. While it is sold everywhere across the thirteen states and three territories in Malaysia, Sate Kajang hogs the limelight.

Famous for its bigger and juicer meat chunks made up of diced or sliced meat, such as chicken, beef and mutton, Sate Kajang has its meat marinated in a mixture of spices and seasoning before it is skewered on the bamboo sticks. Barbecued over a charcoal grill to tender perfection, Sate Kajang promises the lasting umami sensation on your palate that will certainly blow your socks off. Hence, sink your teeth into juicy chunks of meat that come with a perfect balance of meat and fat ratio.

To add a nice colour and texture to the dish, satay is often served with a side of ketupat (Malay rice dumplings wrapped in the woven palm leaf pouch), fresh cucumber, raw onion pieces and a spiced peanut dipping sauce. Depending on how many sticks you devour, it can be eaten as a snack or a staple meal.

Satay served with peanut sauce. Photo credit: vkeong.com

As Kajang town is synonymous with satay, along the bustling intersection of Jalan Cheras and Lorong Mendaling in Kajang town are a good number of satay joints, including the headquarter of Restoran Sate Kajang Hj Samuri. It was founded by Datuk Samuri Juraimi in 1992 and went on to opening more than 20 branches in major towns and strategic highway rest stops across Malaysia as of today.

Popular for its fragrant savoury satay, this restaurant is filled with customers before the fire is even lit. You would find customers taking up seats from 10.30 am onwards while the cooks prepare to fire up the charcoal for the day-long grilling. Ask any Kajang folks and they will surely tell you the same.

In addition to the types of meat offered in other satay stalls, this particular store serves satay made of fish and other exotic animals such as rabbits. The fish satay is indubitably worth a try as the combination of the fish satay and peanut sauce is simply remarkable. 

If you are a person who can’t take spiciness, this is the satay store for you as the peanut sauce is usually served separately with a bowl of dried chilli paste for additional heat. If you are the opposite, feel free to take a spoonful of it and nosh the satay to your heart content. 

With the store operating till 1.00 am during the weekends, you may dine in for supper and sate your appetite without worrying it being closed early. To avoid your hungry daydreams haunting you after leaving Kajang, you may go for a takeaway too. When the night falls and it’s about the time to leave, just take a 2-minute stroll and hop on public transport back home from Stadium Kajang MRT station.

Diorama room in Gallery Satay. Photo credit: emily2u.com

If you’re early, you may also pay a visit to the satay gallery nearby. Officially launched in March 2009, this quirky satay gallery is where you learn all about the history of satay through the exhibits and diorama. Open all day from 11.00 am to 8.00 pm every day, Friday is the usual closing day. Thus, if you are a big fan of satay, Friday might not be a good day.


Info: 

Restoran Sate Kajang Hj Samuri

Location: Jalan Hishammuddin, Bandar Kajang, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
MRT Station Exit C
Tel.: 03-8737 1853
Operation Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 11:30am–12:30am; Tuesday 10:30am–12:30am; Friday 4pm–1am; Weekends 11:30am–1am

Satay gallery 

Location: Jalan Satu, Bandar Kajang, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
Operation Hours: Monday - Thursday, Saturday & Sunday 11am-8pm; Closed on Fridays
Entrance fee: No charges