Ever so good, you can really taste the dedicated efforts that go into this old-school Hainanese satay. Just the right amount of char, a thick sauce with perfectly balanced flavours, plus, prices that stood still in time.
Having my satay at Hainan Traditional Satay is in stark contrast to having it at the more popular, bustling satay scenes the likes of Satay by the Bay or Lau Pa Sat.
By day, except for the argy-bargy of some old uncles over a few beers or coffees, it's unlikely that you'll hear any other loud noises at the coffee shop at all. And by the evening, when even the birds stop their chatter as they turn in, this place becomes even more tranquil.
This is, after all, at the tail end of the long Potong Pasir Avenue 1, where a small roundabout connects the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital @ Potong Pasir, Saint Andrew's Village, and an old quiet HDB estate where the satay stall is located.
But the chill vibe and old neighbourhood charm here are exactly the things that attract me — especially when the satays here are also exceptionally good!
Made with lots of love
I've been a patron of this satay stall for years, and I'm glad to say that the quality of the satays here has remained consistently high all this while.
I believe that this is largely due to the stall-owner's commitment to ensuring that his satays are only served in the best way that they should be. And I can really see his dedication to his craft, just from observing the way that he works on my visits.
Above: Carefully dabbing oil onto the satays that are sizzling away on a charcoal grill to develop a lovely char
The unassuming uncle who keeps a close watch on his satays sizzling away on the charcoal grill rarely utters a word. So don't expect to strike up a banter with him. But in reality, he's really a very sweet-tempered person who is always humble to take feedback and ever so absorbed in his work. This is probably the local version of what the Japanese calls the "craftsman's spirit".
And all these translate into the delicious satays that he serves with love, which comes with a nice char and a great satay sauce with just the right viscosity and perfectly balanced flavours.
Tender with a perfect char
These days, it's common that you get satays with thin slices of meat that almost dry up after it goes through a hot grill. But I promise you: the satays here are far from that sort.
In fact, I would describe the satays here as "plump" compared to the others that I've savoured, and the meat remains tender and juicy even after grilling, which only leaves a lovely char on the surface.
The result: sweet, smokey satays with delicious aromas from a mix of spices in the marinade and the meat and pork lard that are perfectly grilled. Woohoo, I'm in heaven!
Above: Perfectly grilled pork satays with a nice char
Satay sauce with just the right kick
In any food stall that serves traditional Hainanese satays, there's one unique feature that can't go missing. And yes, we're talking about the satay sauce that comes with pineapple purée, which totally enhances your gastronomic experience.
At other satay stalls that claim to serve traditional Hainanese satays, I've personally had bad experiences with this sauce, as many of them tend to serve it with pineapple purée that's extremely tart, and in some cases, very dry — which is obviously a consequence of using cheap, low-quality pineapples.
But here, you can expect a thick satay sauce that has distinct aromas of toasted ground peanuts and delicious spices that go into the satay powder, plus the sweet and slightly tangy pineapple purée that emits a fruity scent of its own.
Above: Traditional Hainanese satay sauce with pineapple purée that tastes sweet and slightly tangy
Above: You know the sauce is right when it clings onto the satay
While many satay sauces can turn out to be too diluted, this one's a perfect balance between overly gooey and too diluted with a good amount of flavours — a full-bodied sauce, if you will.
As I always tell my friends: "You know the sauce is right when it clings onto the satay." And this is case in point.
Prices that stood still in time
As I start to see satays elsewhere shrinking in size but growing in prices, it seems that the same plump satays here at Hainan Traditional Satay still cost the same as they did a few years back. That's despite the afflictions of COVID-19 and inflation in recent years, which have seriously impacted small F&B businesses like this.
And from the bottom of my heart, I'm really glad that the satay stall is still around to serve up such delicious satays, having been in business for more than 10 years now and navigated the ups and downs of the economy across the years.
Just a tip if you're heading down to try the satays: always give the stall-owner a call beforehand if you intend to pay a visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday, or the weekends, as the business closes randomly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and very occasionally, on weekends.
Locate it
Address:
Hainan Traditional Satay
New Trend Eating House
120 Potong Pasir Ave 1, #01-806, Singapore 350120
Operating Hours:
Opens daily except Tuesdays/Wednesdays (varies between these days), 12 noon - 8 p.m.
(Occasionally closes on weekends)
Call:
9821 1904
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