TL;DR: Like with many of the choices in Malaysian cuisine, this one aims to please in its own special way. It is not as swish as some of the neighbours, and the direction of the menu can get rough around the edges, yet in those edges they provide so many of the classics that give this cuisine its well deserved reputation as one of the world's best. Combine the elusive nature by hiding in a suburban mall, with the high quality decoration and service, and you are treated to a nice meal out. There is definitely a reason Satay Ria has won awards, trying them out is all that is needed to know that.
In taking turns with my friend, it was her time at the wheel to decide what the monthly place should be. When it is her turn, she really takes to the research and tries to shop around for the perfect place. This one was getting further afield than the normal outing, and that was all fine - she particularly was in the mood for some Malaysian this night, and that rarely ever falls short of being a good choice. She was thinking about going into the Styx this time around, and with the Styx that can bring about some of the more exciting and elusive endeavours. I had heard about Satay Ria, and this was a chance to try them.
With critiquing how the customer service comes across here, it is sort of on two prongs. The first is on the abundance of it, which each time they do showcase customer service skills it is friendly, relaxed, and they have a good degree with attention to detail. Like clockwork, the whole organisation is done before your eyes. Between those times, the folks are consistently working behind the scenes. This I can definitely respect, helping the tone of the atmosphere be more mellow and one to take your time. There weren't a whole lot of folks coming in to eat, so not much need to rush all-rond.
If it wasn't the attentive and friendly service that gets the attention, if it isn't even the laid-back atmosphere along with an organised decor that captures your eyes, if it isn't even the contrast of that with the suburban mall car park right at the door step, what really will get the attention is the sheer size of the menu. They do not muck around here, and part of the DNA with aiming to please is ensuring that there will be at least one item that sounds appealing to the most finicky of eaters. And for the least finicky, good luck whittling it down to only a few.
Truth be told, when it comes to a restaurant menu what I like the most - when they have it - is them putting the best foot forward first, and showcasing the special meals first. With Satay Ria, there is not a consistent theme to the specialty meals - they have a bit of everything from live seafood, to the signature item of Malaysia, to a couple of more innovative dishes. It then goes onto the entrees section, having a range of the usual Asian bites, with a few more meatier choices here and there. After that, they have soups including the classical laksa (fantastic for a cold winter's night).
After that, the structure follows that familiar pattern of Chinese takeaway menus - the meals are ordered by the meat. This time, the seafood is first with prawns and fish taking the precedent, with calamari bringing up the rear. Our land-based brethren come afterwards having several pork options, many chicken options, and a few beef options, with little old duck one solitary meal under its section. Next are the rice and noodle dishes, plus omelets, and the vegetables coming in last before the sweet finish of dessert.
It goes without saying that there is an extensive drinks list to complement all the grub right there on offer. I can't remember if there was much of a bar for beers and such, and if there weren't there is no reason to despair - plenty more options are right at the fingertips. That includes several kinds of tea, plus the unique style of coffee that comes from Malaysia. For something colder, there is the general range of sodas on offer, plus various sorts of juice from around South-east Asia, plus a few other delights in store. Like with any self-respecting Malaysian eatery, variety is key and what they have in variety will always be an exciting adventure.
Starting off as per normal, whetting the appetite came in the former of getting a couple of entrees. With my choice, it was one that I saw on quite a number of menus in recent months and each time piqued my interest just a little more than the last time. That was bacon prawns, and the spoiler alert is they are nice, but it is a case of trying to reinvent the wheel again. It goes without saying what they were, and the batter was nice enough plus the prawns were that great combination of crunchy, sweet, and tender that makes a good prawn a good prawn. The bacon was well cooked, yet it was falling off the prawns a lot. Nice idea, maybe not the best execution, but I am happy to say I tried them. As for my friend, she went with the reliable old spring rolls. This time, the meat in the cigar was duck, and that duck got complimented with some yams, celery, and carrots. They were a mark above the normal spring rolls, as you could definitely taste the meat in them. It was a decent start to the night for food.
When it comes to choosing what to eat from a menu, usually I am scouting in the back of my mind for something that is different and that I haven't tried before If that is not quite the way to go, the other idea is to find something which can't always be readily found at so many places. Both of those ideas worked out well enough this time around, since my eyes came back a few times to the specialty section. That item was their crispy yam basket, and this is one that is worth the endeavour. It was a deep-fried yam ring filled with a simple stir-fry of prawn, chicken, all kinds of vegetables, and cashew nuts in an egg-based sauce. My goodness, was it a sight to behold - and a meal that was incredibly filling. The yam part of the meal was sweet and soft, where the yam absorbed a lot of the eggy sauce. All the bits and pieces in the middle seemed a bit simple in contrast, which might have helped a lot. It is one that definitely has its place, in ordering to share with a big group - among plenty of other dishes.
For my friend, she settled with one dish that you can't go wrong with - the good old Nasi Goreng - the classical Malaysian version of fried rice: a mixture of prawns, chicken, dried bean curd, egg, sambal olek, beans and dried shallots. When choosing is getting hard to do, after all of the exciting and idiosyncratic options that are on offer, nasi lemak is among one of the reliable classics that will always fill you up and be warming at the same time. With both meal, they were very filling and the nasi lemak required a doggy bag
When it comes to the drinks, what can definitely be a safe and reliable bet is that I will often fall back on getting coffee of some sort when it is available. Particularly so when it is a break from the norm, like with the Malaysian style of coffee. It was requested hot, and the milk base was the characteristically sweet condensed milk. That sweetness contrasts in its own odd way with the strength of a good shot of coffee, which at the same time as jolting you up will calm you down. That is an odd dynamic, which is one reason I love this kind of coffee.
Like with many Malaysian places, Satay Ria fills a niche that is pretty unique, and hard to explain. For fans of Malaysian food, it is pretty easy to indicate - the food is unlike anywhere else, not even comparable to its neighbours. With such a broad, and rich menu of options, anyone who come around here is bound to find something that will appeal to their taste buds, and if the choice is difficult then that is reason to keep on returning - the food is plenty food to justify return patrons. In addition to it being a lot like other Malaysian restaurants, Satay Ria proves it is no wallflower or shrinking violet when it comes to proving its worth - the food is as real as it can get, the service is friendly and attentive, plus it has that balance in aesthetics. Just as much as you can take someone here if you want to impress them, just as easily you can duck in at a short notice for a tasty, warm, and ultimately filling meal.
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