Tropical Sky’s Steve Garley continues his series of posts on his recent trip to Borneo, and this week is waxing lyrical about the delicious local food…

Satay has long been a favourite of Malaysians. You can even sample it on Malaysian Airlines while sipping a glass of fine champagne. That is if you have upgraded to business class. Malaysian Airlines have been serving satay since 1973 when they launched their first service. The airline is now serving 20,000 sticks daily around the world.

You can also try it in some of the best hotels in Malaysia. We loved it for lunch washed down with a cold Tiger beer by the exclusive Ocean Wing pool at The Shangri La Rasa Ria in Kota Kinabalu on Borneo’s north east coast.

So what is the secret of satay?

Is it the succulent cuts of chicken and beef?

Or is it the marinade of fresh shallots, tumeric, garlic, galangal and lemongrass?

Could it be the constant basting over mangrove wood charcoal?

Or is it the traditional crushed peanut sauce so liberally spread over it?

We’ve tried satay back in the UK, and although some authentic Malaysian and Indonesian restaurants do a great job, it never seems to be just right. That’s why if you want the real satay experience, you really need to fly to Malaysia with Malaysian Airlines and sample it on a Tropical Sky holiday like we did.