Looking for the best chicken or beef satay (and peanut satay sauce) in Singapore? Head down to these hawker stalls, and you definitely won’t stop at one stick.
It’s our answer to Japanese yakitori and Middle Eastern kebabs – who’s down for some satay? Typically served skewered on a stick, these grilled meats are usually eaten at dinner or supper with an ice-cold pint of beer. Served with chopped onions and cucumbers, rice cakes, and a thick, heavenly dipping sauce that’s sweet and nutty, satay is comfort food you can find at hawker centres and even some restaurants if you know where to look. Good thing you have us, right?
The best satay spots in Singapore
1. Syifa’ Satay
A bustling alfresco hawker centre adjacent to The Esplanade, Makansutra Gluttons Bay always sees throngs of hungry folks hovering over others in hopes of securing a table (that’s the shamelessly Singaporean way!). Once you finally get a seat, ask your pal to look after the table while you queue up to buy some sticks from this stall. The meats have been marinated with 12 spices and slowly grilled over charcoal.
Syifa’ Satay, #01-15C, Makansutra Gluttons Bay, 8 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039802
2. Chomp Chomp Satay
No trip to Serangoon Gardens is complete without planting your bum at this beloved hawker centre. It’s a veritable haven for sticks of meat grilled to utter perfection, so you can expect long queues on the weekends. For less than a dollar per stick, and with generous servings of achar (vegetable pickle), chunky peanut sauce, onions, and rice cakes, the wait’s absolutely worth it!
Chomp Chomp Satay, #01-34, Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557269
3. The Warung
If you’re looking for satay with an Indonesian twist, this stall at Chomp Chomp is your best bet. Over here, beef, chicken, and mutton sticks are cooked over a charcoal grill before being smothered in warung sauce and topped with green chilli slices, red onions, and cucumbers. A tolerance for spicy stuff is needed here; otherwise, you’re going to reach for many cups of water. You’ve been warned!
The Warung, #01-15, Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557269
4. Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant
A change of scenery from your sweaty hawker centres, this Indonesian restaurant in Tanjong Pagar will still satisfy your satay cravings – in aircon comfort, no less. Its house specialty is sate madura, an eight-inch-long chicken satay grilled with sweet soy sauce and topped with fried shallots. Btw, the serving here is huge. One stick is enough for one person, so don’t over-order!
Cumi Bali Indonesian Restaurant, 50 Tras Street, Singapore 078989
5. Satay By The Bay
Well, the name’s pretty much a giveaway. Admittedly a hot tourist spot, prices here are slightly more expensive than your average satay stick. Aside from the sublime view of Marina Bay, there are two stalls serving up satay here, as well as a number of other selling favourites like barbecued chicken wings, carrot cake, and Hokkien mee.
Satay by the Bay, #01-19, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
6. Chai Ho Satay
What’s better than grilled meat on a stick? Cheap grilled meat on a stick! Satay is known for flying off the barbie here at Chai Ho Satay as low as 60 cents a stick. As you can expect, monster queues are frequent at this stall in Clementi, so make sure you order a heap of satay on your turn. Unless you don’t mind waiting 30 minutes for your second round.
Chai Ho Satay, #01-10, Clementi Central Market & Hawker Centre, 448 Clementi Avenue 3, Singapore 120448
7. Haron Satay
Worked up an appetite after cycling along East Coast Park? This beachside food haven is where you’ll most likely end up. While there are plenty of satay stalls here – you’ll leave smelling like a BBQ after you’re done – one that’s highly recommended is Haron Satay. We always order an equal mix of beef and chicken satay; these are tender and moist with just the right amount of smoky charredness. Psst: can’t get enough of that nutty satay sauce? Complement your meal with some satay bee hoon from Meng Kee!
Haron Satay, #01-55, East Coast Lagoon Food Village, 1220 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 468960
8. Zaiton Satay
While many residents of Bukit Timah like to come here for this hawker centre’s famous nasi lemak, they’re also in for a satay snack that deviates from the norm. Zaiton Satay doesn’t just offer any beef satay, but beef tripe in particular. An acquired taste for some but if you’re gaga over gamey-tasting meats, you definitely won’t stop at one stick here. Dip in the peanut sauce and eat with onions if you prefer to mask the taste.
Zaiton Satay, #01-07 Adam Road Food Centre, 2 Adam Road, Singapore 289876
9. Kwong Satay
The stall that’s gotten satay lovers raving? Kwong Satay. Why? Because, unlike most satay stalls that serve chicken, beef or mutton, what you’ll find here is pork belly satay – yes, you read that right. Think of it as a Chinese-styled ton-toro kushiyaki; this satay is extra fatty and juicy, and reaches new heights when dipped in the savoury peanut sauce infused with pineapple.
Kwong Satay, 517 Lorong 27A Geylang, Singapore 389473
Stick your neck out for the best satay spots in Singapore.
