Lew H.
Yelp
Satay Club is a diamond in the rough. The food there had some of the most interesting and complex flavors I have ever had. On the strength of that alone, I will probably be back. But the restaurant misses the mark in almost every category from overall food quality, presentation, service and atmosphere.
First the diamond part (the good stuff). For starters, I had the pancakes and dipping sauce. The dipping sauce flavor was exciting and unique, rich and unusual. I saved the leftover sauce because I wanted to finish it all like soup. However, the pancakes were greasy, really greasy. To call them pancakes is incorrect; they were really deep-fried dough that had not been adequately drained or dried. And, overall, the presentation was messy.
For our main courses, we had 2 dishes. The first was Nasi Lemak - a combo plate of shrimp, chicken skewers, fried egg and deep, deep, deeply fried chicken. The flavors were exotic and the combination of ingredients was interesting. I liked it but did not love it. In particular, the chicken, while delicious and juicy inside, was deep fried. It is something that I think should be "de-cholesterolized" in some way for American audiences. The second main course was Rendang Beef. This dish had a wonderful sauce that was exotic and deep, with lots of spices that I am not familiar with. The sauce was great. The meat, however, seemed too stringy and cheap - like they bought a low cost cut of beef to save money. The beef got caught in my teeth like a big dog and was unpleasant. But oh that sauce was divine!
The service was good. The server really spent some time with us, trying to help us select our order. We both appreciated her willingness to spend time helping us. But she was not overly friendly. Also, her descriptions of the dishes left out things like "this dish is deep fried." It was hard to get utensils and, when we did, one set was complete while the other was missing a fork. And it took a long time to get them anyway. The same with our drinks which were never re-filled.
I think the owners and the servers have to put themselves in the mindset of people who are NOT at all familiar with the food being served. The descriptions need to be more detailed. When describing the food, the servers should be careful to explain HOW a dish is prepared, not just provide a presentation of the ingredients.
The atmosphere and dining room were probably adequate - but nothing more - for a neighborhood restaurant. It is not a fancy place and that is okay. I probably wouldn't even mention this if the food had been 100% perfect.
Will I go back to Satay Club? Probably. But, if I return, it will be as a much more cautious and focused diner. I will ask LOTS of questions about the dishes I am considering. I will stay away from anything beef. I will stay away from anything deep fried. The exotic, luxurious and complex sauces will be what I set my sights on. If I can find them, that will change this review from mediocre to really good. With a very little effort on their parts, Satay Club could change from a "diamond in the rough" to a true diamond!!!