Sata - Grilled Fish Cake Wrapped In Banana Leaves

Sata is a type of Malaysian fish cake, or otak-otak. The main ingredients of sata are grated coconut, sardines, ginger, onions and chillies.

Sata or also spelled as Satah is not to be confused with Satay, another dish popular in Malaysia. Sata is a Malay specialty from the state of Terengganu in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the best kept secrets of Terengganu and not many Malaysians know of Sata's existence.

It is simply one of the best snacks Terengganu have to offer. Sata is usually sold by the roadside and you won't be able to miss it. Sata is usually conical / triangular in shape. The ingredients are packed and wrapped in banana leaves. Sata is not usually spicy and will cater well to kids and adults alike. The conical package will then be skewered using a bamboo or steel rod and grilled over charcoal fire.

The picture above shows the difference between Sata and a typical Malay otak-otak.

As you remove the singed banana leaf wrapper, the aroma wafting through the air is just simply irresistible and you need to eat it fresh from the hot grill. Sata can be eaten as a snack or as a condiment to rice.

We're starting to see Sata being sold in Kuala Lumpur and other cities as well. If you're in Kuala Lumpur / Petaling Jaya area, you can find Sata @ Selera 223, Jalan 223, PJ.

Chendol

 Some say chendol originated from Java, Indonesia. Well, kudos to them for creating such a wonderful desert. But we don't really care do we when it comes to real good food? Chendol is quite popular in SEA (that's South East Asia if you don't know already) from Malaysia to Singapore, Thailand to Indonesia. Heck, even Myanmar too.

Basic ingredients are shaved ice, coconut milk, palm sugar (aka Gula Melaka), slippery green jelly noodles and some people love it with sweet red beans (some use sweetened mung beans). Some like it with glutinous rice. Some people will also add in palm seeds which actually makes chendol taste better.

Chendol is a common sight and are often sold by the roadside in South East Asian countries with the exception of Singapore. In Malaysia, chendol is usually sold by the roadside by Indian Muslim chendol sellers.

The chendol seller in the picture is still using the wooden shaver unlike the new mechanical or electric ones.

In Penang and Malacca, there is a different type of chendol called nonya chendol. This varies slightly by the ingredients used and is much more creamier.