Satay Partay

Qistina Taff’s family has 19 solid years in the food business. Their restaurant in Shah Alam, Serai Thai, has held its ground for all these years. In 2008, readers of The Star raved that it has one of the best butter prawns in the country. The latest addition to the Serai family is very different from what you may expect from them—the Serai Satay Bar.

But satay’s not the only thing Qistina and team are playing with; they’re dabbling with a rather novel concept for the bar. The whole idea behind the bar is to offer satay on the go. Gone are the typical notions of only having satay at a roadside stall or in a family restaurant—Serai Satay Bar has invested time and effort in designing packaging that will allow you to have your satay while trawling through the malls, watching a movie or window-shopping.

The satay sticks come with the usual condiments (ketupat, cucumbers and onions) in a popcorn-esque cup with little sections to store the sticks and another for the all-important peanut sauce. Ask anyone and chances are they will say the peanut sauce makes the satay. It carries just the right consistency that is neither too diluted or too thick and clumpy. Their chunky peanuts are wok-fried before they are added to the gravy. The satay here comes in variations of chicken, beef, lamb, and the more unusual venison, tripe and prawn.

The menu also carries more Malay snacks like cucur udang, keropok lekor and keropok ikan—all of which are pretty mobile too, fitting in great with their concept. But even other items like soto ayam and pisang goreng (with vanilla dip or the Johorean way with sambal kicap) all have specially designed packaging to ensure convenience. Serai (AKA lemongrass) is obviously an important element in the satay bar’s being—it’s in their name, in their history and it’s also an important ingredient in the satay marinade. Taking it one step further is their drink, the Serai Blended which is highly recommended to go with your satay thanks to its icy, refreshing properties. You can find out more about Serai Satay Bar by heading over to www.sataybar.com.my. Head to their kiosk at Lot P1.08.00, Level 1, Pavilion KL. Tel: 03-2143 7070.

Text & Photo Sarah Chan