Restaurants

Satay House attracts a happy mix of expats, locals and fans of Malaysian food, who clearly make a special journey. We arrived at 7.30pm on a Thursday to find the ground floor full and just a few tables left in the cosy yet sleekly designed basement. There was a hold-up in the kitchen; we waited well over half an hour for our starters. Still, the standard of cooking rewards patience. Buttery squares of roti canai came with chunky dalca (lentil and vegetable curry). The satay were imbued with a lovely lemongrass scent, but slightly tough chicken indicated they’d been grilled too long. No complaints about the luscious begedil (spiced lamb and potato cutlets) however – or the generous, juicy pineapple curry. The nutty scent of curry leaves wafted from a plate of tender sotong berempah (stir-fried squid with peppers). Satay House’s list of soft drinks (rose syrup and lime, watermelon juice, Milo) is fun; beer lovers can choose from four eastern lagers. Banana fritters – meltingly tender fruit inside, crisp without – came with maple syrup and devilishly good chocolate ice-cream. Another bonus: the bill was under £50 for two.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009