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Ever wondered where to find Singapore’s best-rated satay? I always believed it was at Lau Pa Sat, until a recent Google search proved me wrong. Instead, the title goes to Pang’s Satay, a stall at Chinatown Complex with 4.6 stars out of 5 and 116 Google reviews (at time of writing).
The discovery left me sceptical — would this stall really outdo the famous Satay Street? I decided to visit the stall with my mum to find out.
Pang’s Satay has been around for 11 years and is owned by Pang Yan Mui, 61. After years of operation, her stall has gained the recognition of customers and garners 30-minute wait times.
What to order at Pang’s Satay
Before visiting, I expected to see more skewers such as beef and mutton on the menu, but Pang’s Satay only offers Pork (S$3.50 for 5pcs), Chicken (S$3.50 for 5pcs) and Pork Belly (S$6 for 5pcs) satay.
Despite that, I looked forward to my meal as stalls with fewer menu items often do better. Famished, we decided to order 5 pieces of each skewer and Rice (S$0.50).
After a long wait, our food finally arrived, and was served with the usual cucumber, onion and satay sauce. It looked delectable, but we had no idea how to differentiate the satay.
Fortunately, there are coloured markings at the bottom to help clueless customers like us. The uncoloured sticks represent pork, the red ones represent chicken, while the green ones represent pork belly.
First up for review was the pork, which impressed me with a great combination of sweet, savoury, and smokiness. It was also juicy, setting it apart from some of the dry satay I’ve tried. I just wish the meat had been a little softer.
Next, I had the chicken satay, and after a bite, I wondered: did the chicken satay read my mind? Just when I thought the pork satay could be softer, the chicken satay wowed me with tender meat that detached easily from the stick.
Not only that, it achieved the same caramelised flavour and juiciness of the pork!
Kim Satay: Old-school satay stall is last muah chee seller in Old Airport Road
My mum and I thought that the chicken was the star of the show, until we had the pork belly. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed the pork and chicken skewers too, but the prominent smoky flavour and burst of umami from the pork belly made it so divine we were lost for words.
Of course, you can’t have satay without the sweet and nutty sauce. At Pang’s Satay, the sauce is a beautiful red-brown colour, and comes with fibrous pineapple, which adds sweetness and sourness to the sauce.
If you’re wondering whether it’s anything special, just know my mum loved it so much that she drank 2 bowls of it. That’ll probably answer your question.
And finally, the rice. It was fresh and well-cooked, resulting in a soft texture that doesn’t stick in your throat. You’ll also realise that it cuts easily, just use a satay stick and it’ll separate really nicely.
My mum once told me that she had the best satay in her life at a restaurant in Malaysia, so I asked her how this satay fared.
“Not as good as the one in Malaysia, but the best I’ve had in Singapore,” she replied. Looks like Pang’s Satay outdoes the famous Satay Street, and deserves the title of “best-rated satay”, at least in Singapore.
Who Pang’s Satay is best for
If you’re looking for a peaceful and clean environment for quality satay, Pang’s Satay makes a great dinner spot for you. The stall is only open in the evening when Chinatown Complex is less crowded, so you’ll enjoy a quieter environment. The air is also fresher compared to the smoky environment at Lau Pa Sat.
How to get to Pang’s Satay
The nearest MRT station is Chinatown (NE4/DT19). Head for Exit C and walk for roughly 6 minutes to Chinatown Centre Food Complex. The stall is located at #02-213.
Do we recommend Pang’s Satay?
Yes, we definitely do! Both my mum and I agree that the satay here is worth the 30-minute wait. In fact, we’re planning to bring my grandma (a huge satay fan) to the stall as well. Why don’t you visit and see whether it deserves the best-rated title?
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