Satay @ Seattle

This restaurant is run by some expats and is popular for Malaysian street food. It has rave reviews on Yelp and Seattle Met listed it as one of the best Asian restaurants in the area. So, naturally, I had to check it out.

We got there at noon for lunch. There are just about eight to ten tables. The menu is on the wall, a small one (the menu, not the wall), nothing exotic. You first choose what you want, pay for it and hand over the receipt to the Chef at the open kitchen. When your number is called out, you go collect your lunch. And, you dispose the leftovers and the plates in the bins, yourself. Pretty much a self service eatery.

Menu @ Satay

Satay

We ordered a Roti Canai, Curry Puff and a Tofu satay. We got our waters and hot sauce that they call as Sambal and found a table to sit at. Our number was called out and A swaggered back with the Roti Canai and the Curry Puff. While we were at it, the Chef himself brought the Satay to our table. The Vegetarian food is good, but nothing exceptional. I am not sure how it stands out from the other Malaysian restaurants. (Roti Canai is a type of Malaysian Flatbread, very similar to the parotta you get in South India).The Roti Canai was exactly the same as you get anywhere else. Nothing to write home about.
 

Roti Canai @ Satay

Curry Puff  - a small pie stuffed with potato-onion curry - is one thing I have not had anywhere outside India. It tasted awesome, more like a Samosa and was priced atrociously at $2.95! The food is a little overpriced, I must say.
 

Curry Puff @ Satay

The Tofu Satay plate came with three skewers of tofu, rice and a lemony cole slaw salad. There was peanut sauce as well. Again, nothing exemplary that made me gape, other than the check, that is.

Tofu Satay @ Satay

The other Vegetarian entrees that they have are Mee Goreng and Green Curry. Will I go back again? No, not unless they introduce more veggie options. Is it worth going once? Hmmmm...only if you are desperate to shell $20 bucks and yet remain hungry. Else, you could go Malay Satay Hut. And, how was it listed as one of the best Asian restaurants? I have no clue. May be it is great for meat eaters. Or, whoever wrote that was tanked. As for me, I am not a fan :(

Layang Layang @ Milpitas

A small Malaysian restaurant in Milpitas, that is packed for lunch on week days. If you don't get there by noon, be prepared to wait for god knows how long. The restaurant is in a strip mall and fairly small, with some simple Asian decor. A nice spot for a casual lunch or dinner.


Layang Layang

I feel kind of iffy dining in Malaysian restaurants where, on the menu, under Vegetarian Entrees you usually see "Okra or Asparagus with Malay special shrimp paste sauce". I always have a teeny what-if-there-is-fish-sauce-in-my-food kind of doubt lingering in my mind, and I don't enjoy the food as much. So, this time when ordering my food, I asked the waiter, "No fish sauce, shrimp paste, oyster sauce or duck sauce, right?" Have I left anything out? The waiter shook his head, "No", he said. And then, I added, "I am allergic to fish sauce...sea food, in general." He looked a little rattled and I felt a lot better. I hoped I had scared him enough, for I could then eat peacefully.

He came back with bowls of soups. He said it was vegetarian. It looked like some kind of hot and sour soup. I passed on it, while A polished my share as well.


Soup @ Layang Layang

We ordered the Roti Telur to start with. It is a multi-layered home made Indian bread stuffed with egg and is  dipped in curry sauce. It tastes very Indian and should rather be called a fusion food. The bread was shallow fried and tasted fantastic when dipped in the fragrant curry sauce.

Roti Telur @ Layang Layang

For the main course, we ordered something completely new. I don't think you get it anywhere else. It is called the Sarang Veggies - Fried taro root nest topped with vegetables, corn, snow peas, black mushrooms and cashewnut, served on a bed of rice crispies. I still can't imagine how they managed to make that nest! Absolutely fantastic. You can eat it as is or order rice on the side. The taro root was so crisp and brittle on the outside, yet soft and well cooked on the inside.


Sarang Veggies @ Layang Layang

It was delicious. Despite the crowd, the service was reasonably fast, and the entrees were reasonably priced. There may be many other Malaysian restaurants in the area, but I don't think anyone else makes the Sarang Veggies. You should go there, try that. They also have another branch in San Jose.