Chai Ho Satay: Popular satay stall in Clementi with daily long queues and delicious peanut sauce

If you live in the Clementi area, you would probably be familiar with Chai Ho Satay, located within Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre.

Chai Ho Satay is well-known as one of Singapore’s most affordable yet delicious satay stalls which frequently attracts long queues. This stall has been a mainstay in Singapore’s hawker scene for years, and still continues to stand loud and proud with many loyal supporters eagerly waiting to get their hands on sticks of grilled chicken and pork.

Chai Ho Satay can be easily spotted as it is one of the stalls located on the outside of the hawker centre. Its iconic yellow signage is bright, and showcases the dishes that it sells — satay, dried pork and pork floss.

What I tried at Chai Ho Satay

When I visited Chai Ho Satay on a Wednesday afternoon around 4pm, I had mentally prepared myself to brave the long queues like I’d done when I visited the similarly well-known Outram Road Fried Kway Teow Mee a few weeks back. To my surprise, there was no queue at all, and I obtained my plate of satay in literally under a minute — before I was even done making my payment via PayNow, the aunty had my order all ready, sitting in the palm of her hand.

Ordering at Chai Ho Satay is pretty straightforward. The stall only offers either Pork Satay or Chicken Satay and Rice (technically ketupat, but it’s simply named Rice here) for dine-in, while those looking for bulkier take-home buys can opt for their Dried Pork (S$44) or Pork Floss (S$44).

They even have sticks of Raw Satay (S$0.50 per stick) for those looking to grill their own satay at home.

Chai Ho Satay has a 10 stick minimum order requirement, so I decided to get 5 sticks of Chicken Satay and 5 sticks of Pork Satay.

To be honest, I could not tell the difference between the chicken and the pork satay at all. All 10 sticks donned identical golden brown shades, making them virtually impossible to differentiate.

Each stick cost S$0.60, a slight increase from their previous S$0.45 price.

The satay was nicely charred with a good balance of sweet and savoury flavours. I loved the smokey aroma that permeated throughout the meat, and the bits of fat sandwiched between the meatier portions of the satay were a delight, as they were slightly chewy and gelatinous.

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I could not really taste the difference between the Chicken Satay and the Pork Satay, as they were both meaty and chewy with a slightly tough texture. However, what I can say for sure is regardless, I enjoyed every stick I devoured.

A plate of satay simply isn’t complete without a nice bowl of peanut sauce to go with it, and Chai Ho Satay nails their take on the popular condiment. The peanut sauce was sweet and nutty with a slight roasted aroma, and its fragrant taste amplified the delicious smokey notes of the satay meat.

The portion of peanut sauce served was perfect too, as I could generously sop it up with the satay without running out.

Chai Ho Satay’s Rice (S$0.80) was wrapped in banana leaves a la ketupat, and unwrapping it revealed the little piece of rice within. This was a pretty standard rice ketupat, with a slightly cold and crumbly texture, nothing to shout about.

Dipping the rice into the peanut sauce certainly elevated its flavour. If you’re looking to get a more balanced meal while still enjoying a nice plate of satay, adding on some rice is the perfect way to do so — plus, each satay order includes pieces of chopped cucumbers, which acted as a nice and refreshing side for the meatier and more indulgent satay.

Final thoughts

You can expect to spend a minimum of S$6 when you dine at Chai Ho Satay. In all honestly, I wouldn’t say that this is the most affordable hawker meal you can get, as I didn’t really feel very satiated afterwards. There’s only so much that 10 small sticks of meat can do, after all.

However, Chai Ho Satay was the perfect way for me to satisfy my satay cravings, and its clear why they’ve established themselves as one of the most well-known satay stalls in Singapore.

Expected damage: S$6 – S$8.40 per pax

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