Satay Sate is a family-fun Indonesian restaurant in North York offering a menu of popular snack foods and ubiquitous national dishes.  We’re absolutely thrilled we found this place because there’s somewhat of an Indonesian food shortage in the GTA.  This open kitchen has become a regular jaunt for the Toronto Food Blog during COVID, as our absolute favorite dish of all time appears front-and-center on their menu…

It’s not much of a secret that Rendang tops the Toronto Food Blog’s list of favorite foods.  We’ve been chasing it since first introduced some 20 years ago in Amsterdam.  It sounds simple enough… stewing beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and a dozen spices.  The recipe dates back before the days of refrigeration; the style of cooking allowing for the preservation of the meat.  No need for preservation with us… we finish ours in no time flat, and there are never any leftovers.  Often considered a curry, no two Rendangs are the same.  In fact, there are six official ways of preparing Rendang as recognized by the Indonesian Ministry of Culture.  Satay Sate’s offering is on the saucy side… the chili-coconut gravy a perfect match for a sidecar of sticky rice.

Mie Jawa and Nasi Goreng are similarly fantastic stirfrys.  Lemongrass chicken or tofu gets marinated in soy & chili before being folded into starchy noodles or rice.  Both are finished with a fried egg and sweet chili sambal.  You can’t go wrong with either of these uber-popular Indonesian staples.

There are also a number of soups on the menu.  Many claim that Soto Ayam is the the national dish of Indonesia (think chicken noodle).  Mie Godog is a thicker version with wider gauge noodles, cabbage and egg.  Our go-to soup, though, is Sup Buntut.  It’s just perfect for these cooler fall days.  Braised oxtail and hearty vegetables served in a sweet & sour tamarind broth?  Yes please!  We’ll almost always add our leftover Nasi Goreng rice to thicken things up.

The Toronto Food Blog is aligned in supporting local small business as much as we can right now.  While it’s just awesome for business owners to see patrons back in their dining room at increased capacity, who knows how long it will last?  We’re getting the good stuff while we can.  Speaking of which, we can’t wait to head back to Satay Sate soon to try their Ayam Goreng (fried chicken).  Will update this blog post with a snapshot ASAP.