12 places for some of the best satay in Singapore

Trying to hunt down the best places for satay in Singapore?

Satay choices here boil down to two main types — Malay and Hainanese. Malay-style satay tends to come marinated with spices such as turmeric, coriander, cumin, and lemongrass, giving it a fragrant, savoury taste. It is served with a thick, slightly spicy peanut sauce. 

Hainanese satay, on the other hand, is sweeter, using soy sauce or hoisin sauce for a caramelised glaze. The peanut sauce is sometimes mixed with pineapple puree for a tangy twist.

Whichever style you prefer your satay in, our guide includes recommendations for both styles, along with spots that offer a great atmosphere. We think satay is best enjoyed outdoors, where the aroma of the grill pairs perfectly with the skewers and a good pint of beer.

1. Pang’s Satay

Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, 02-213, 335 Smith Street
Open: Monday, Tuesday and Friday (5pm to 9pm), Saturday and Sunday (4.30pm to 9pm)

You’ll find that satay in Singapore is often dished out by mom and pop shops run by hardworking seniors. Pang’s Satay, run by the cute Pang couple, is one of them and a must-visit for Hainanese-style, handmade satay. 

The Pangs’ traditional peanut sauce comes with a golden dollop of grated pineapple, turning the sauce into a sweet-tart delight that makes each bite irresistibly moreish.

Made from fresh pork and chicken, Pang’s satay (from S$3.50 for five sticks) are served up from the charcoal grill, juicy and tender. The marinade is kept light, allowing the freshness of the meat to shine while complementing the smokiness. You can tell that Pang’s Satay ain’t just expert satay-makers but passionate ones, too.

2. Shi Xiang Satay

Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, 02-79, 335 Smith Street
Open: Wednesday to Sunday (12.30pm to 8.30pm)

Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre has no lack of solid satay establishments and one of them is Shi Xiang Satay, hidden in a corner. It’s an institution that’s been quietly holding its ground since 1955, feeding generations of satay-lovers — and once you take a bite, you’ll realise its longevity is no accident. 

Here, every pork and chicken satay (S$8 for 10 sticks) is marinated for at least 24 hours, ensuring the marinade’s flavours are deeply infused. 

The result? Skewers that are gloriously addictive and juicy. The peanut sauce is also of the old-school Hainanese variety with pineapple puree. It’s thick, chunky and bold, with just enough of a fiery kick.

3. Chye Seng Satay

Old Airport Road Food Centre, 01-146, 51 Old Airport Road
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (5pm to 11pm)

Chye Seng Satay at Old Airport Road Food Centre is, without a doubt, one of those stalls that preserve the honest flavours and textures of old-school satay — the satay here is firmer, with a satisfying chew and a bite that delivers.

Everything is handmade with painstaking care, from the satay to the ketupat to the peanut sauce. Each ketupat is carefully packed into a bamboo shell, imparting a unique aroma, while the sauce comes with peanuts that have been fried by the owner herself. 

There are three protein choices here: Pork and chicken satay go for S$8 for 10 sticks, while the mutton satay is a tad pricier at S$2 per stick.

4. Soon Lee Heng Satay Chicken Wing

ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, 01-120, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (12pm to 10pm)

If you’re a fan of the classic satay and chicken wing combo, this stall is one to seek out. Soon Lee Heng Satay Chicken Wing’s pork, mutton, and chicken satay (S$8 for 10 sticks) are generously chunky, grilled just enough to bring out a smoky depth, but without too much char. 

It is so well-grilled that the meat stands well on its own without the peanut sauce. The satay here veers towards the sweeter side, almost teetering on the edge of indulgence.

Whether or not you choose to go for it, the sauce still deserves a mention — thick and with a punchy kick that elevates the skewers without overpowering them. Make sure you’ve got a chilled drink on hand to cut through it all, the meat and the sauce, to keep things balanced. 

5. Chargrilled

Berseh Food Centre, 01-02, 166 Jalan Besar
Open: Monday to Sunday (5.30pm to 10.30pm)

When the satay from Berseh Food Centre’s Chargrilled arrives, the sight alone is enough to make you swoon, with each skewer loaded with tender meat, glistening with a mouthwatering sheen. 

You can get pork, chicken, and mutton satay (S$8 for 10 sticks) here, and what makes them so good is the care and attention the senior couple behind the stall put into preparing each skewer. If you’re spoilt for choice, we’d say the pork satay is the star. There’s just enough fat to melt into your mouth with each bite, and it has a richness that’s hard to beat.

While the sauce is a deliciously savoury companion, you could easily enjoy the skewers without it, thanks to the quality of the meat. Don’t overlook its ketupat either — soft and warm, it’s clear that this is also made with dedication. The stall also has many other barbecued treats worth ordering. 

6. Yong Seng Satay

Bukit Timah Wet Market & Food Centre (Interim), 01-005, 2A Jalan Seh Chuan
Open: Monday and Thursday to Sunday (11am to 9pm)

Yong Seng Satay is one of those traditional Hainanese satay stalls that deserves to be cherished, especially as such places become harder to find. The freshly grilled satay skewers (S$8 to 10 sticks) are meatier than the average, guaranteeing a hearty bite. There’s a choice of mutton, chicken, and pork satay offered here. The pork especially is savoury and juicy — never too sweet — where the natural flavours come through.

The ketupat at Yong Seng Satay is another standout, offering a stickiness that sets it apart from grainy versions. The homemade peanut sauce is a revelation, with the sweet and tart notes of the pineapple mash pairing wonderfully with the subtle garlicky undertone that instantly elevates the experience.

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7. Chai Ho Satay

Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, 01-10, 448 Clementi Avenue 3
Open: Wednesday to Sunday (1pm to 8pm)

At Chai Ho Satay, which serves up cheap and solid satay, you can almost always expect a queue on weekends. The pork and chicken satay (S$6.50 for 10 sticks) here are on the lighter side, delicately seasoned so as not to overwhelm. The meat is lean but charred to a satisfying finish, striking a balance that’s rare to find. These aren’t aggressively sweet or salty sticks — they quietly win you over, one unassuming skewer at a time.

Even the peanut sauce refuses to overplay its hand, maintaining a lighter consistency that complements rather than smothers. You won’t feel jelak (Malay for “cloying”), so there’s room to try the other good stuff at the hawker centre.

8. Warong Sudi Mampir

Haig Road Market & Food Centre, 01-19, 14 Haig Road
Open: Monday and Tuesday (10.30am to 7pm), Saturday and Sunday (10.30am to 5pm)

What sets Warong Sudi Mampir apart is its Indonesian-style satay, where the marinade — though a light brush on the meat — takes centre-stage. It’s a delicate yet fragrant mix of turmeric and lemongrass, giving each skewer a depth of flavour that lifts it well beyond your average satay. The sweetness in both the satay and sauce is dialled back, allowing the spices to take the spotlight.

Beyond the usual chicken, beef, and mutton (S$7 for 10 sticks) choices, you’ll also find rarer satay options such as beef tripe and beef liver. Both the tripe and liver are exceptional, with the tender meat absorbing the marinade well, letting those refreshing spices sing through with every bite. The prices here have been kept affordable as well, at just 70 cents a stick. 

9. Pondok Makan Indonesia

Albert Centre Market & Food Centre, 01-123, 270 Queen Street
Open: Monday and Tuesday (8am to 7pm), Wednesday to Sunday (8am to 8pm)

Pondok Makan Indonesia is an unassuming satay store in Singapore has gained global recognition, lauded by the Michelin Guide for its mutton satay — and rightly so.

The mutton satay skewers arrive with that perfect ratio of lean meat to fat, and not a whisper of gameyness disturbs the experience. It also comes with just enough charred edges that seals the deal with a smoky finish that lingers just long enough. Such mastery over mutton ought to be declared a national treasure, we think.

Then there’s the chicken satay, gleaming with a golden turmeric glaze that lends a subtle sweetness. The beef satay is a touch chewier, but still fulfilling in its own right. When it comes to Pondok’s peanut sauce, it’s unapologetically thick, clinging to each skewer with purpose.

All variations go for S$7 for 10 sticks, with the option to mix and match proteins to your heart’s desires. 

10. Yusoff Haji Jalal Satay

Pasir Panjang Food Centre, 01-21, 121 Pasir Panjang Road
Open: Wednesday to Sunday (6pm to 10pm)

Yusoff Haji Jalal Satay stall has a rich history, tracing its roots to the legendary Satay Club at the Esplanade in the 1970s, before it relocated to Pasir Panjang Food Centre in 1995. It has a fair number of regulars, for good reason. 

For starters, the mutton, beef, and chicken satay here (S$9 for 10 sticks) are loaded with generous portions of meat, giving each bite a substantial mouthfeel that puts flimsy pretenders to shame.

The peanut sauce is served piping hot and with a curious twist — there are subtle hints of barbecue notes that set it apart from the usual ones you get. The meat here leans on the sweeter side, and it’s the beef satay that steals the show with its unexpected tenderness.

11. Warong Satay Abang Botak

Pasir Ris Town Park, 94 Pasir Ris Central
Open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday (4pm to 3am), Thursday (2pm to 3am), Saturday and Sunday (1pm to 3am)

Warong Satay Abang Botak may not have the decades-long legacy of the other iconic satay stalls on the list, but it is slowly but surely carving out its own niche all the way in the east. Nestled in the heart of Pasir Ris Town Park, this spot serves up solid satay with a side of laid-back kampong vibes by a fishing pond. 

On the menu, you’ll find chicken, mutton, beef (all types at S$13 for 10 sticks) and even beef tripe satay, all grilled to succulent perfection. The peanut sauce is decadently rich with that peanut crunch and not at all watered down, just the way it should be. 

It’s a tad pricier than your average satay joint, but the vibes alone — that is a breezy atmosphere and its late-night opening hours which go right up till 3am, in fact — justify the splurge.

12. Satay Street @ Lau Pa Sat

Boon Tat Street
Open: Monday to Friday (7pm to 3am), Saturday and Sunday (3pm to 3am)

Lau Pa Sat’s Satay Street is a spectacle in its own right, a smoky carnival set against the glittering backdrop of the CBD. There’s something intoxicating about the open-air setup — the aroma of charred meat curling into the night sky, the hum of lively chatter, and the kaleidoscope of tourists flaunting fashions from every corner of the globe. Here, under the stars, satay becomes more than just food — it’s a whole experience.

With about nine satay stalls (prices varying) vying for your attention, everyone has their take on which stall reigns supreme. Some swear by Stall 6, while others are loyal to Stall 7 or Stall 8. Even overseas visitors arrive with pre-formed allegiances. In truth, it hardly matters. Here, it is the combination of grilled meat, beer and vibrant energy that feeds the soul as much as the stomach.

Warong Satay Abang Botak and Soon Lee Heng Satay Chicken Wing are on the GrabFood delivery service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off with GrabUnlimited). 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to try these spots for satay in Singapore.