Al La Carte Menu - Mahsuri Satay Restaurant

Mahsuri Restaurant
Mahsuri Satay Restaurant was
established in 1985, by Mohamed Noh
Hassan and his wife Rahma Abdul
Aziz. They had previously owned “Rasa
Sayang”, another traditional Malay
Restaurant in Adelaide for seven years,
after migrating to Australia in 1975.
Mr Hassan was originally a chef
specialising in French cuisine and
graduated from the exclusive Singapore
Catering school where he took top
honour in 1972-1973. Mr Hassan was
then offered a place at the Sheraton
in Perth (1974-1975) and La Perou in
Cottesloe (1975-1976).
After the successful run of “Rasa
Sayang” in Adelaide, Mr Hassan decided
to introduce true Malay cuisine to the
people of Perth, making full use of all
the traditional herbs and spices that
he could get here and incorporating a
mixture of imported spices.
Mr Hassan passed away in January
2000. The restaurant is still managed
by his wife Rahma and daughters,
Nellie, Yati and Suri.
Serving the same, authentic Malay
dishes along with some new additions
and specialising in Satay, Mahsuri Satay
Restaurant is truly “The Making of a
Sizzling Success”
The Legend of Mahsuri
During the time of the powerful Sultanates
of the Malay archipelago there lived a young
woman named Mahsuri. She was the most
beautiful woman in all of Langkawi, and the
wife of Wan Darus, a brave warrior. As was
required of him, her husband had to go to war,
leaving Mahsuri behind to fend for herself. It
was during this time that Mahsuri befriended
a young man named Deraman.
Their close friendship lead others in her village
to believe that their relationship was sexual
in nature. Some versions of the legend claim
that the parties who perpetuated the gossip
were those who were envious of Mahsuri’s
beauty. Eventually the rumours grew strong
enough that the villagers openly accused her
of adultery. Mahsuri pleaded her innocence,
but no one believed her.
Following the old Islamic punishment for
adultery, Mahsuri was to be tied to a tree
(or pole) and stabbed to death. When they
stabbed her, white blood flowed from her
wound, signifying her innocence. With her
dying breath, Mahsuri cursed Langkawi to
have seven generations of bad luck.
Many locals of Langkawi believe the legend
to be true, citing the Siamese invasion of 1821
and decades of failed crops that followed
Mahsuri’s death. It is only at the end of the
20th century, after the seven generations
have supposedly come to pass, that Langkawi
began to prosper as a tourist destination.
The descendants of Mahsuri continue to live
in Thailand, and have on occasion returned to
Langkawi to visit her tomb.
Rice fields near Mahsuri’s village.
Langkawi, Malaysia