Satay House

£25 / Asian, Malaysian, Halal, Vegetarian options

13 Sale Pl, London

Opening hours

12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM

Sunday 12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM
Monday 12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM
Tuesday 12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM
Wednesday 12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM
Thursday 12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM
Friday 12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM
Saturday 12PM-4PM & 5:30PM-10PM

Authentic Flavors, Heartwarming Malaysian Delight.

Stashed modestly amidst the bustle near Paddington Station, "Satay House" is a culinary sanctuary where authenticity meets the charm of Malaysian flavors. If you've never juxtaposed charm with chaos, this intimate eatery could be your debut – though forewarned or fortunate guests know to book in advance, to manoeuvre the symphony of diners. Inside, an understated ambiance competes with the aural vibrancy of jovial patrons, and seating is either blessedly cozy or spatially challenged given the convivial crush of plates and cutlery on tables that feel almost affectionately non-sufficient.

The food, however, bespeaks fervor and finesse. Starting with Satay Ayam, it's a masterpiece, every skewer daring you to decipher why peanut satay sauce isn't its own food group. Kari Kambing hums under your senses like an unyielding rock ballad, aromatic and gripping, while the seafood Kway Teow dances past expectations and taste buds with exuberant wok hay. Service swings from the kind familiarity of gracious hosts knowing their craft to the occasional lapses, attributed more poetically to quirks than missteps of our always-human guides. Now toss in jasmine tea just shy of celestial, and the metaphorical rose-tinted glasses inevitably materialize post-gorging - a walkaway offense we forgive, forgetting for a moment London's other culinary sirens. Here, indeed, is part makaan mission, part welcoming whimsy, altogether memorable. — Penelope Savory