2. Satay (and a side of rice)

More Malaysian delights from the picture menu. I went early in the evening and it was chaotic already - a testament to KC's success. The place is humming with the sizzle of the woks and the buzz of conversation. No music here. I am at the same booth as last time, all the way up the back. I feel like the cool kids at the back of the school bus. Formica table, dark plywood seats with rudimentary padding. Less painfully uncomfortable than church pews, not as cushy as the comfy couches at Bristol. After a day of shopping (about the only cardio I don't detest) I have a rather large appetite so order a side of rice to go with my satay. The side of rice sets me back $2.50. In total, $13.50.

For this princely sum you get six chicken kebabs a big mound of rice (the same size as that which accompanies a main) and a generous little bowl of peanut sauce. The chicken is tender, and appears to be breast - a cut very easy to overcook. The difference between succulent and (I hate this word) moist, and a slab of meat as dry as the Sahara is about a minute. The skilled chefs at KC know their chicken. The peanut sauce is, unusually, fridge cold and slightly spiced. It is a darker colour than the regular fare at Malaysian restaurants, more of a burnt toffee than a golden nut brown. Running out of sauce is a pet peeve of mine, and fortunately they provide a lot, which when I have exhausted my stocks of chicken, I dip my rice in. There is random diced onion under the satay sticks, which I also dip into the peanut sauce. The acrid bite of the onion offsets the fatty sweetness of the peanut sauce rather well. Is it terribly uncool to eat the garnish? I think the best part of the Bloody Mary is the slice of cucumber or celery. I eat about half a raw onion because it is there, and am not on the lookout to kiss anybody soon. The onion breath lasts for hours, and it is just as well that I am not trying to attract a mate.

Would I order this dish again? Absolutely, for a light snack when I am all dumpling'd out. Even with the side of rice I was still ravenous so ordered Number 85 Green Beans With Pork Mince And Chilli. But that is a post for a later date. (Spoiler alert: it was magnificent!)

Next time: more Malaysian delights in the form of one of my least favourite dishes of all time. I never said it was going to be easy...