The Malay Satay Hut, a restaurant in a small strip development on 12th Avenue South between Boren and Main in the Little Saigon district, was more of a sit-down restaurant than I expected.
When I think of satay-bite-size bits of charcoal-barbecued meat on six-inch bamboo skewers-I think of the simple warung restaurants of Indonesia and Malaysia where the establishment is a simple, cloth bestrewn bamboo framework, much like a food booth at a festival. Some of the warungs are literally out on the sidewalk, hip-pocket portable, with charcoal braziers on the right of way where meat is cooked at foot level.
The Malay Satay Hut is way upscale by comparison to those, or even to the fast-food Asian food and teriyaki places that are so popular. Although take-out is available, the Malay Satay Hut is a place to go with a friend for an excellent, relaxed meal. There are 16 tables, three of which are the big round kind you find at Chinese restaurants with a lazy Susan in the center. They are perfect for ordering family style.
On the outside, it is difficult to guess that the restaurant is not one of the hot-table, two-entrée, 50 cents extra for fried rice places. Inside, the main dining room has brick wainscoting and light, natural wood shiplap siding above. The floor is large square tiles, more than a foot square, that complement the wall treatment to give an impression that you are joining friends on an outdoor patio. The tables and chairs are lightweight modern, but not flimsy, finished in a mahogany color. Servers are in uniform-black Malay Satay Hut T-shirts ("You've tried the rest, now try the best"), black tights and wraparound short skirts (sarongs, lava-lavas, whatever you call them) in bright batik prints. The restaurant is immediately welcoming and, in its own way, elegant.
This is not to say that the Malay Satay Hut is expensive. It is not. The prices start at about $6 and range up to around $15 for a few specialties. The menu is extensive, including color photographs of many of the items, and includes a list of lunch specials available Monday through Friday. Malay cooking is a mixture of Chinese, Indian and indigenous cooking that offers something for everyone.
We were there about 1:30 Saturday afternoon, well after most small restaurants have finished their lunch rush, but the Malay Satay Hut was still nearly full with a clientele that reflected Seattle's entire ethnic mix.
My 11-year-old lunch companion, KC, chose the satay appetizer for her lunch. It consisted of three skewers each of beef and chicken presented with cucumbers and tomatoes and a bowl of peanut sauce. It was moist, perfectly prepared and delicious.
I chose the lamb curry, which came with a satisfying large mound of perfectly steamed rice and cucumber slices. For my beverage I chose (diet? what diet?) a durian shake.
"What is durian?" KC asked.
"It is the King of Fruit," I replied pompously. Well, it is. Durian grows on trees the size of giant oaks. The fruit comes in a tough, football-shaped husk covered with spikes. It looks like it might make a good gladiator club, for it is also nearly the size of a football.
Durian grows in Southeast Asia, and is the only fruit tigers will eat. Yes, that's right, tigers. Once you open the husk (you claw it open if you are a tiger) it contains several creamy-yellow things that look like some kind of giant larvae. These are approximately the consistency of custard and they are the payoff. You scoop the sweet gooey stuff into your mouth with your fingers and spit out the horse-chestnut-sized seeds.
The shake tasted exactly like fresh durian. I was delighted. KC tried a sip and made a face. Durian is not for everyone, but a shake is a great way to try it.
You see, the down side of durian is that it is unbelievably pungent. Some westerners have compared eating durian to eating a custard pie in an outhouse. There are less flattering descriptions as well. But those descriptions come from scoffers. To the cognoscenti, durian is the undisputed King of Fruit.
The food is fresh, and as proof I offer the presence of an enormous pile of green beans on a back table of the restaurant waiting to have their ends snapped off and strings removed. During the course of our meal several staff members did sit at the table processing the beans for brief periods as time permitted.
An excellent and filling lunch cost us $20 before tip. I can tell you, it was money well spent. I plan to take guests to the Malay Satay Hut.
The Malay Satay Hut, 212 12th Ave. S., is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Take out is available at 324-4091. To check a partial menu with photographs visit www.malaysatayhut.com.
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