Sate (Satay)

Who knew that sate was Malaysian? I keep telling everyone here that in the U.S., we think of sate as a Thai appetizer. They are usually surprised to hear it. To Malaysians, sate is absolutely a Malaysian invention. They even know where the original sate was born -- not very far from where I'm living here.

Last Saturday some friends took me to the famous Sate Kajang Haji Samuri restaurant, in the town of Kajang. It's not fancy. The tables are outside, but there is a roof. The first thing that struck me was the gigantic parking lot. It was empty at 4:30 p.m. My friends, who live quite close to the restoran, said it is totally packed every weekend night, and there are huge traffic jams.

So, was it great sate? YES! The peanut sauce is served in a giant bowl, and you get a bunch of small bowls so everyone can dip his or her own. You get a separate bowl of chili sauce, to mix with your own peanut sauce, so it's just as hot as you like it. The meat (beef or chicken) is juicy and charred at the edges. Sate must be cooked over charcoal. Otherwise, it's just not right. The pieces are thick enough to really hold the juice inside. I do not know how many sticks I ate -- all I can say is, I ate a lot! The sate was served with pieces of cucumber and rice cakes, both of which are also yummy when dipped in peanut sauce.

The owners are expanding the business through a chain called Sate King. But my friends said that even though you can get Sate Kajang in Kuala Lumpur, it's not the same. You really have to go to Kajang to eat the real thing.