Larkin Bus Terminal: Satay & ABC

I can still remember back in my secondary school days when a good buddy Ashraf Tank brought me to Larkin Bus Terminal for makan.

Our plan was to spend a day out in JB just to relax but we still had to eat right? So we took the bus from Singapore-JB from Queen Street in Singapore and that bus ended its journey at the Larkin Bus Terminal. And now after all these years, we can drive up and it still brings back memories when I get there.

So when you first arrived the main thing you'll see are all the bus companies and some money changers.
There are also some stalls selling some Malay food and snacks (maybe we'll go there for the next post?) but the stall we are looking for at on the 3rd floor.

A lot of people have the impression that the Larkin Bus Terminal makan area is dirty and unhygienic.
Well maybe in the past that may have been the case but they have since renovated the place and really cleaned it up. Stalls (including utensils) and eating area are really clean. But this is, in the end, hawker food so if you have a sensitive stomach or are really squeamish then maybe be a bit more cautious.

So back in the day, Ashraf Tank brought me to this stall selling Satay which he claimed was the bomb.
And boy was he right.

And this stall is still around today and believe it or not, the same guy is still burning the satay at the side of the stall and I've never seen him take a break because the orders seem to be non-stop.

I don't know what this guy's name is...
but they should call him... The Satay Master!!

He uses and old-school Satay burner and keeps his coals at just the right intensity to give the Satay a nice charred crisp on the surface while keeping the meat tender and juicy.

There are other stalls around that also sell Satay but everyone seems to be flocking to this stall and I can tell you that the Satay really lives up to its hype.

Okay enough talk and let's get on to the Satay.

Satay Kambing and Ayam

They serve the Satay with a soy-sauce gravy and some sambal.
If you want the usual peanut gravy, you can request for it but sometimes it is not available.
And even if it's not, trust me - the soy-sauce gravy is power.

Look at the char on that meat!
And it's still so juicy and tender when you bite into it.
Coat it with the sauce and you'll be having a taste party in your mouth I tell you.

But they only have Kambing (Mutton) and Ayam (Chicken) Satay though FYI.

Satay Kambing

One of the secrets of the Satay flavour is the fact that they include a small piece of the fat on the skewer with the meat. (See the 2nd segment from the bottom? That's the fat.)
I guess it really makes a difference with this Satay!
But if you don't fancy it, just remove the fat before you chomp down on the rest of the meat. The meat itself is already infused with enough flavour to savour.

The stall also sells other stuff like Soto, Gado-Gado and Nasi Rawon by the way.

Just a few stall down, there's a stall that sells drinks and dessert.
So he has Chendol and stuff like that but we saw this guy at the opposite table with this delicious looking thing and we couldn't resist so I actually asked him which stall he bought it from!
Semangat or what?!

 ABC (RM3.00)

Now can you see why I bothered to ask the guy?

Air Batu Campur (ABC) is basically like our Ice Kachang here but a simpler version.
This version has chin-chow and red beans and jelly and topped off with some sweet corn.
But instead of Atap Seeds (Kabong), he adds longan!

And at such a low price, I'd say this was definitely worth every RM.

The ice is bathed in red and green syrup.
And get this - instead of dousing it in Evaporated Milk like here in SG, the guys gives a nice pour of Condensed Milk instead!

So if you have a sweet tooth - this is definitely the dish for you!
But my advice is perhaps get it to share with 2-3 people should be just nice.

So what did we think of the food?

Adam's Verdict:

Satay Kambing 4.5/5 -- Satay Ayam (5/5)

ABC - (3.5/5)

Maryah's Verdict:

Satay Kambing 3.5/5 -- Satay Ayam (3/5)

ABC - (5/5)

There are other stalls to cover that sell so many other things and I'll probably cover it in future posts.
But I have a feeling that I'll probably still order some Satay to go along.

And my wife says "MUST TRY PAK ABU ICE KACANG!".

No Name Satay (MS20)   Gerai Pak Abu (MS16)

Kompleks Pengangkutan Awam Larkin (3rd Level)

Opening Hours: 0900-2100 Monday - Sunday