SATAY
On 17 November 2007 I went to Satay in Lye, with 6 friends. It is a new Malaysian-Indonesian restaurant which opened in this summer.
This is how the interior looks like. It is not a big restaurant; I don't think there are much more than 10 tables. When we entered at 5:30, there was no other diners, but at 7, when we were leaving, it was full. Many of the customers looked familiar to the place and were greeted affectionately by the owners.
My impression was the waitress (only waiting staff at the time) and the chef were wife and husband, and they are the owners. She was from Malaysia, so I guess also is the chef.
I forgat to take photo, but before the meal we were offered complementary prawn crackers and chili sauce. The crackers were the same as those usually served at Chinese restaurants, but the sauce was Malay Sambal which was very nice.
These are roti canai (£2.50). In Malay, roti is bread, canai is to smash; this bread is made smashing the dough on the kitchen worktop. They are usually eaten with curry sauce.
They were nice, but too elegant for my liking. The roti I used to eat in Malaysia and in Singapore were more hearty affair. And the worst thing was they did not go on well with the main dish I ordered.
This is the one: Sambal Ciam Ciam, squids cooked in sambal sauce (£5.50). Besides squid, I detected onion and tomato in the sauce.
It was tasty, but also very salty; it was difficult to eat without a decent dose of white rice. I should have ordered rice instead of roti. Shame.
I ordered also a cup of jasmine tea (£1.50), and my bill came up to £9.50, which is not bad. My dining companions were pretty happy, too. I need to try this place again to be able to enjoy the food better.
Address: 47 High Street, Lye, Stourbridge, DY9 8LQ
Telephone: 01384 898 448 or 01384 591 855
Opening hours: 5:30-11:00 everyday (Sunday closure 10:00)
