Satay Kajang Nyok Lan @ Restoran Malaysia
August 18, 2010 | 30,824 viewsTalk about Satay, those sticks of timeless grilled marinated and skewered meats (epitome of Malaysian Street Food?) and almost instantaneously the term Kajang Satay pops up in the conversation. It’s inevitable. You can argue about how famous your favourite ‘warung sate‘ (satay stall) in your neighbourhood might be, crowded from day ’til night or round the clock, but the appeal of Kajang Satay has never waned amidst the many emulators, imitators and wannabes.
The many varieties of Satay served on a plate, @ Nyok Lan Kajang Satay in Restoran Malaysia, Kajang.
First up, where in the world is Kajang you are wondering? (If let’s say, you’re not a local or plain ignorant or simply detested Geography lessons back in your school days) Kajang is a city in the eastern part of Selangor, about 20km or so from the capital of Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur. And unabashedly, I have to admit that this was my FIRST excursion down to this city slightly away from the tourist trail. Nearby towns include Semenyih and Bangi. If those sound even more foreign to you, I don’t blame you.
Anyway, Haji Samuri is THE undisputed brand of Kajang Satay; with close to 20 outlets all over Malaysia now. The number is constantly on the rise, with new chains opening up in the other states.
My experience with Sate Kajang Haji Samuri ranged from absolutely delicious (the R&R Kinrara outlet back in 2006 or so) to downright abysmal (the one in Bukit Tinggi, Klang). Commercialization breeds success and fame, but when the quality of the satay is compromised in a way that affects a customer’s satisfaction, it’s hard to restore my faith in their food again.
So why oh why am I still raving, salivating and recommending Kajang Satay again? For I believe, this outlet named Nyok Lan Kajang Satay @ Restoran Malaysia is definitely worth a try; no matter you’re a satay lover or not. Read on to find out why …..
Clockwise from top left : Large chunks of charcoal being used at an alarming speed, The readily-grilled meats to appease the hungry souls, The warning that tries to deter greedy souls from hoarding the orders, and the beautifully wrapped ketupat (roasted rice cakes)
All this while, I only knew about the Haji Samuri brand of Kajang Satay. And after a few dismaying outings, I swore off their satay. Cold, charred and fatty cuts of meat, served with lukewarm (and sometimes cold!) peanut sauce. I was darn sure they went waaaayyy over their heads in the effort to popularize the brand, rather than the Satay itself.
Then I read about Restoran Malaysia; an unassuming corner coffee shop facing the main road of Jalan Semenyih (map to come at the end of the post), which houses Nyok Lan Kajang Satay; a Chinese satay stall that has existed since 1971.
The plate of cucumber (RM0.50/USD0.15) and onions (RM0.70/0.20) come at a price. The “Ketupat” (rice cakes/dumpling wrapped in woven palm leaf) at Restoran Malaysia is roasted/grilled instead of boiled.
They utilize THREE grills working to their maximum capacity manned by four-five workers, grilling the skewered meats non-stop to cater to the satay-hungry patrons. I bet they sell more than a few thousands sticks on a daily basis.
No funky/exotic/weird cuts, innards or such; Nyok Lan Kajang Satay only serves FIVE different types of Satay : Chicken, Beef, Mutton, Fish and Duck. Okay, so duck’s not as normal but still ….. duck’s merely a fowl anyway.
I did not set my expectations sky high. But I had faith when we walked in, seeing all the customers happily tucking in into their skewered meats, and the place has NO air-conditioning !!! A plus, as I can’t bear the thought of eating a hawker fare as basic as satay in a restaurant with cutlery provided. 🙂
For those wondering whether there was any Muslim patron at all, the answer is NO. Wait, don’t get me wrong. The satay here is HALAL, but since this is the fasting month (Ramadan), I highly doubt any Muslim will be brave enough to test the waters. I don’t doubt there would be Malay customers on normal occasions though.
The signature Kajang Satay sauce – Peanut Gravy with a dollop of spicy chili paste (Sambal). You can request for extra spiciness or for a toned down kick. The sauce can be topped up, at no extra cost.
So what makes their satay so special? The succulent cuts of meat, sans the fat. Yes, all meat, which came in thick and juicy cuts, marinated and skewered before being placed on the grill. I could not find any fault with the satay, aside from the duck being slightly too charred. The mutton satay was fantastic, with a faint hint of gaminess but unbelievably tender and juicy. At RM1.20 per stick, the price may be slightly premium, but definitely worth the order. The duck satay is priced at RM1.20 per stick as well, and though not as flavoursome as the others, at least this is something not easily found at the other stalls.
The beef satay deserves a mention as well, very tender cuts of beef tenderloin marinated with an intense, robust marinade reeking of lemongrass aroma (yes, I hate lemongrass but yet I found this palatable), and without any bits of fat. At RM0.70 per skewer, this was a steal!
Grilled “Ketupat” or Rice Dumpling – RM0.60/USD0.18 per piece
But I do admit that Haji Samuri‘s Nasi Himpit (a type of Malay rice cake) tasted better than the grilled/roasted ketupat at Restoran Malaysia. But at RM0.60 per piece, at least you get a ‘complete’ meal with your carbo shots in the form of packed rice cakes, nicely compacted into a case made from woven palm leaf. And you can leave out the cucumber and onions if you want, since you’ll be charged for the extras. Though without the ‘greens’, a satay feast just ain’t that complete, right?
Aside from Satay, you can also order their variety of fried noodles or rice, or even a chicken chop/beef steak for a more filling meal.
Verdict? Definitely better than Haji Samuri’s. But to be fair, I have not tasted the original Haji Samuri’s outlet at Medan Sate in Kajang, so I can’t compare them directly. But if you’re still unsatisfied, drive a short distance to Bangunan Dato Nazir for a second round of satay to appease your cravings. Only then …. you will be able to pledge your allegiance to the REAL Kajang Satay.
NYOK LAN KAJANG SATAY @ RESTORAN MALAYSIA (HALAL*)
No 31, Jalan Semenyih,
43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Telephone : 603-8733 1160
Opens from about 11am until midnight
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to Nyok Lan Kajang Satay.
Directions : From Kajang town, once you pass by the police station on your LEFT, travel towards Semenyih direction a little and you will see Restoran Malaysia on your RIGHT. Same row as Restoran Malaysia will be Domino’s Pizza, and a Mexim Dim Sum.
*The satay may be HALAL, but take note that the restaurant does serve alcohol*
If only the slot in some pork sticks for me …. that is called MAMA MIA !
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 18th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Thanks so much Ken, for bringing this site up and running again.
Sorry to those whom have left comments for this post, as my site got reboot due to some error, and all the comments were lost.
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Wow, u came all the way down to my neighborhood.. Haha.. Yea, one thing bout satay stalls, they can be great one day, and disastrous another :p
But Im curious, is the original satay supposed to be only meat chunks or meat-fat-meat combo?
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 18th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Hi rubinho … you’re based in Kajang? Haha, that’s good. Throw me some good food recommendations then. There ain’t no ORIGINAL satay, as personally I believe that with PORK satay, the meat-fat-meat combo works best.
Not so much with chicken (if those with SKIN, even worse) or beef.
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J2Kfm – watch out for our ultimate Kajang Satay Shoot-Out. We’re pitching Hj Samuri against Malaysia Restaurant and 2 or 3 other good satay outlets in Kajang.
Great revies and I can agree with most of your comments about the 2 places.
Rubinho – original is supposed to be meat-fat-meat combo.
Jon
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 18th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Good. Let me know what you think of amongst the best of the best in Kajang.
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I love the satay here. Nice lean meat.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 18th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Yeah, very lean, very tender chunks of meat. NOT as chunky as say, Haji Samuri’s but still the taste is different.
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Yum! Even Kajang has moved to Ipoh now… awesome! 🙂
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 18th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Wei …. this is a post on REAL Kajang Satay lah ….. aiyo.
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aliciamoder Reply:
December 23rd, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I just started a blog on REAL KAJANG SATAY :
http://realkajangsatay.blogspot.com/2010/12/real-kajang-satay.html
after a few awful experience with Samuri’s, I will tell everyone I know how bad their satay is.
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[J2Kfm] Haha, alright! Yea..I adopt kajang as my base.. Although I stay in Bangi (UKM) and Semenyih 😀
[Jon] Yea, remember eating meat-fat-meat when I was young.. Maybe it was prepared better back then, till the point even chicken fat taste good! haha.. Looking forward to ur satay showdown! getting bored of haji samuri n restoran malaysia d.. hehe..
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Oh I see …. it was my first visit to Bangi’s UKM as well, passing by the university on purpose.
Kinda far off, but think about it … least there was NO traffic jams, aside from the minor ones in Kajang town.
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Tell me bout it.. Jam in Kajang today so bad.. Haha..
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DIE!!!! So AWESOME!!! Looking at these brings tears to me eyes… and taste buds.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 22nd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Tears to your eyes?!! Wow… now that’s emotional. You’re currently out of state, or country?
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agree with u on samuri. every time i go down to kl ( fr penang), was sure to stop along kesas h’way samuri outlet. but was so disappointed the last 3 times. even went back to “ori” samuri in kajang, but don go behind where they “process” the meat. horror!!!!
nyok lan is the best!
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 22nd, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Oh even the Kesas one is bad? That was the BEST satay back then. Bar none.
Me and dad could polish off 10-20 sticks each with no problem.
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mmmmm… delicious! I missed Kajang Satay so…..much! It’s the best. btw I am from LA. Do you know by any chance you have pictures teaching/showing how to make the ketupak especially the folding of the leaves? Thanks.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Sorry Helen, I don’t. 🙂
But you can try to Google around for tutorials, recipes, or such.
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Hi… just for everyone’s info, Haji Samuri’s branch in Bukit Tinggi, Klang has been closed for almost a year already :p. You’re right, the satay there is far from the standard at Kinrara and the staff rather… cold… :p
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Yeah, the outlet in Bkt Tinggi has been closed for some time now.
Not that I’m missing the satay from there.
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The Restoran Malaysia’s boss lives neaby to me, and I had opportunity to speak to him a few years back. The meat he use for chicken is 100% breast meat (no fat) on the sticks, they use oil during roasting. I always recommend this place to friends instead of “SAM’s” place. Tasty and nice, but may be too lean for some tastebuds.
xxx
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J2Kfm Reply:
December 23rd, 2010 at 6:28 pm
No, lean as the meat may be, the beef especially was really, really good. And you don’t find bits of fat stuck between your teeth.
Definitely will come again, if only it’s not so far from PJ. 🙂
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[…] marinade with a slight charred aroma from the grill. And the peanut sauce though not as enticing as Kajang’s absolute best, but still was good enough and we ended up walloping almost half the bowl. With the blocks of […]
Samuri satay sucks. My personal favourites are Willy Satay (Sungai Ramal Food Court) opposite of Sg. Ramal Shell petrol pump and Maulana Food Court Tmn. Seri Serdang.
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Thanks Dean. Yeah …. I can’t even bear the thought of bringing friends or relatives to Samuri now, compared to then.
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Eva since i discovered nyoklan, i stopped tkg malay satay unless for casual feast or lazy to travel down to kjg but still crave for satay. Satay at nyoklan has been very very consistent everytime i’m there to whet my appetite. 🙂 and, to answer your blog doubt, yes – muslim patrons do come for the satay and “dai chow” noodles. Without fail, i’ll see 2-3 tables of them whenever i’m there.
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J2Kfm Reply:
January 29th, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Yeah, I bumped into a few tables of Muslim patrons too. Guess this really is one good example of a 1Malaysia in practice?
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just went to nyok lan last night, very bad experience. the workers is sooo rude and their service is sooo bad. another thing is the place is sooo dirty, how can these people eat happily in this dirty environment. i just dont understand and this is the first and the last time for me. samuri satay is not so good but i prefer there next time.
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[…] arriving with fats and tendons that were impossible to bite through. The beef was not tender like Nyok Lan‘s either, also presenting themselves as chunky, charred and some ridiculously […]
Went to nyok lan yesterday, very disappointed. The chicken satay tasted so flat bcos only chicken breast no fat at all. That’s not satay to me. Satay must come with some fat. Wasted all my efforts driving so far to eat such lousy “satay”.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:40 pm
Oh … the satay there memang no fat though. Some prefer theirs that way.
But smooth and tender meat no? The beef was good right?
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