Larger portions of lean meat and chilli oil set Kajang satay eatery apart from others.
It’s official – the people have voted in The Star People’s Food Awards and Kajang is the undisputed home of the best satay in the Klang Valley.
Taking the top spot in last month’s category is the old Medan Sate shop of Sate Kajang Hj Samuri along Jalan Sulaiman, Kajang.
Sate Kajang Hj Samuri, established in 1992, is fairly well-known with 19 shops in major towns and strategic highway rest stops across Selangor, with one more shop in Port Dickson.
The humble founder of this satay empire, Datuk Samuri Juraimi (top pic), dropped by the old Medan Sate on Saturday to accept the award from StarMetro news editor Eddie Chua.
Samuri, 70, said his journey began when he was a Form One student and he first learned all about making satay from the late Haji Tasmin Sakiban, an immigrant from West Java who is disputed to be the pioneer of modern Kajang satay.
Samuri continued to help Tasmin prepare and sell his satay for several years until he had a full-time job.
“Some time after Haji Tasmin passed away, I eventually resigned from my post in a government office and helped out with the satay business, but it was not until 1992 that I decided to break away and start a satay business of my own,” said Samuri.
A Sate Kajang Hj Samuri worker at the old Medan Sate shop in Jalan Sulaiman, Kajang, grilling the much-loved satay.
Time and time again, his customers have asked him what makes his satay so good, but even Samuri has no explanation for it, saying his customers have to taste the satay themselves to understand.
Kajang satay is known for having larger chunks of meat and the satay here uses a larger proportion of lean meat to fat without sacrificing its great taste.
Satay goes well with peanut sauce, but Kajang locals would recommend adding the chilli oil that comes with the sauce as it makes a huge difference to the flavour and can be a little addictive.
“We sell many unique varieties of satay such as goat, rabbit, tripe and even fish, but chicken is still the clear favourite with customers, making up about 60% of our sales,” said Samuri.
To ensure that quality remains consistent at each of their shops, all their satay is prepared and marinated in a central factory before being distributed to the shops.
“The meat is cut, marinated and stored in a cold room overnight before being skewered and distributed.
“Today, we produce as many as 100,000 sticks daily,” said Samuri.
With his old Medan Sate Kajang and Damansara Uptown shops taking first and second place, respectively, in the poll, there is no disputing his dominance in this particular category.
“I am very happy that my customers love my satay so much and I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them,” he added.
The Star People’s Food Awards is a monthly contest that recognises the best street food in the Klang Valley.
This month, visit the Metro Online Broadcast website at www.mob.com.my and nominate your favourite eateries for the next category, asam laksa.
Those who nominate, vote or share the link on social media stand a chance to win attractive prizes such as hotel stays and dining vouchers.
