You Don't Have to go to Malaysia to Enjoy Their Street Food

I used to work in Wallingford in a previous life. I was surrounded by all sorts of exotic foods that for whatever reason I was skittish to try at the time. Fast forward from 2007 to 2011 and seeing a Malaysian restaurant on 45th drew me in as opposed to turning me away. There are some things in Wallingford that never change. Many of the businesses there have been in the area for a substantial period of time, so when something new moves in it is hard not to notice no matter how long it has been since your last drive through. Plus, this place is right where a store called High Maintenance Bitch (a luxury boutique store for spoiled dogs) used to be and that sign stood out and made its presence known, so when it disappears one takes notice.

Satay has an interesting story behind its inception. Basically, two college buddies went to Malaysia for study abroad and came back wanting to bring the Malaysian street food phenomena to the States. Somehow, they ended up in Seattle from California. One of the owners has a Malaysian aunt who spent over 6 months teaching the two young men how to properly cook her beloved Malaysian food. The result is a simple menu done amazingly well with complex flavors and delicious ingredients. No fooling around, Seattle is so lucky these guys bailed on Cali and opened Satay here because the food is addictive and action packed with spice.

I opted to try the vegetarian dish, Mee Goreng, as I am currently going through my post-college, pre-midlife crisis experimental phase. Normally the texture of tofu is a total turn off for me in dishes and I will pick it out. This tofu, however, was fried and surrounded by delectable spices and noodles. It was a veritable festival in a bowl. Word is from my meat-eating love that the Laksa was also quite tasty. The true test is if the food still tastes good after I have taken the leftovers home and decide to eat it straight from the container. This particular place has eats that exceed my challenge's expectations.

To help with cost, you do end up bussing your own tables and getting your own napkins/silverware/water/et cetera but the food is so reasonably priced and generously portioned that I assure you won't mind. Not only that, but the business is environmentally conscious with its composting and recycling bins, which is expected in Wallingford if you are familiar with that neighborhood's residents. They are a very particular sort of green on that side of the I-5. If you are in the area and are tired of always going to the same places, or you just want to try Malaysian food for the fun of it, go to Satay and tell Peter and Patrick "selamat petang".

http://satayseattle.com/