Mr. Sate UPDATE - Los Angeles

I thought I hated sate until I tried Mr. Sate. But make no mistake, Mr. Sate didn’t make me like sate. I’ve always loved sate - I just hate bad sate. 

Up until Mr. Sate, all the sate I had was ordered by someone who didn’t know any better at restaurants that didn’t know any better, and every order inexplicably featured chunks of jerky-dry white meat in a marinade that barely scratched the surface. Dunk that in the peanut butter they called sauce, and you’ll see why I never order sate. 

But there’s that sate and then there’s Mr. Sate. They make a Chicken Sate with marinated dark meat, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender all the way through. Topped with slices of glistening garlic and doused in a rich, nutty soy, they make the memorable sate I’ve ever seen. 

It’s rare that I would prefer chicken over beef, but the chicken is THAT good. The Beef Potato is still quite likable, though, if you’re looking for variety. Dry-marinated for a more shredded texture, this one is covered in chili sauce to add some bittersweet sting. 

Perkedel makes a greasy appetizer as it does get soggy en route. That said, what’s not to like about mashed potato patties with a hint of meat and scallion? Just try to get them fresh from the fryer. 

My favorite is the Mie Goreng, a nest of egg noodles stir-fried with medium spice. Spicy enough to tickle the tonsils, egg-citing when salty slices corned beef are thrown in with the veggies.

Soto Betawi is a rich and creamy broth of coconut milk and beef. It’s comfort food at its finest, and adding some tendon is well worth the upcharge.

All Indonesian food is an adventure, but no expedition is complete without a Nasi Bungkus. Cut the strings, unwrap the paper, and let the green-earth fragrance of a banana leaf engulf you. That aroma seeps into the rice, cohabiting with a bold turmeric chicken, sugar n’ spice shreds of beef rendang, and a slurry of veggie curry.

Finish up with some Lontong, sticky dipping-discs of rice cake that come with a thick peanut-and-oil sauce. 

I took a much deeper dive into Mr. Sate’s menu this visit, and what a journey it has been. I already liked Mr. Sate, and now I like him even more!

Mr. Sate - Los Angeles

Mr. Sate sits unassumingly on a random street in purgatory Palms, inspired sticks from the heaty Indonesian paradise. 

All the food is new to me, but it's not a far cry from the sweet n' spicy tradition of the Asian tropics. The Bakwan Jagung are crunchy corn fritters, though I would have liked the corn to come through the batter more so that the sweet dipping sauce could act more like a highlight than a need. 

The sate is their namesake, and the skewers are a spiffy selection. The Beef & Potato is thick and dense, with a not-so-spicy kick from the chili smash on top. The Chicken is sweet and satisfying.

The Popcorn Chicken delivers just that, but the Shrimp Balado is a show-stealing, light-it up pocket of spice.

The Pork Belly special is a bit bland and dry. For a belly cut, it's missing most of the fat, and the soy marinade makes it taste too similar to the chicken.

The specials board is one worth visiting. We got a Noodle special that I can't pronounce, a dish of al dente flat noodles and veg, like pad Thai with garlic chips instead of peanuts. Except it's savory instead of sweet, like a common cousin of Pad See Ew and Pad Kee Mao, a sweet inclination with a savory nature.

Tempura Ice Cream, just because. The batter layer is airy and crisp, the vanilla ice cream inside is a cold contrast. Not much can really make this dessert stand out, but this one did taste much fresher than many I've had before.

An Indonesian adventure at a price we can all afford. The skewers are fun, the noodles are hearty, and there is a down-to-earth warmth about this place. Mr. Sate keeps it simple and sweet, and it's hard not to love finger-foods for all!