Fat Man Satay (Singapore)
The deliciously named Fat Man Satay is a veritable institution as far as satay is concerned in Singapore. It occupies the esteemed stall holder number 1 position in Satay Alley at the Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre. And if the touts don’t draw you in first (they are ever so annoying), then the sight and smell of the smoky satay cart certainly will.
The stall was named after creator Martoyo Ngawan’s father, who was nicknamed ‘Fatman’ for his rotund figure. And it was a rotund figure who furiously excited the coals in front of me, whipping up the heat and the air which charred and cooked the skewered meat, rattan fan in one hand, basting brush in the other.
Satays will set you back SGD$0.50 each (approx AU$0.40) and come in beef, lamb and chicken. For SGD$2.00, you get a big fat juicy prawn instead.
We were upsold (as all good tourists) to a SGD$20 set, which included five each of beef, chicken, lamb and prawns, with slivers of onion and cucumber, ketupat (sliced compressed rice cooked in palm leaves) and the best bit, the spicy peanutty sauce. For an extra SGD$17 we also scored a cold jug of Tiger Beer (yes, alcohol is expensive in Singapore), which kept us hydrated as we waited for our food to cook, fending off the onslaught of Lau Pa Sat touts trying to sell us more food.
Anyway, the meat skewers had been basted with oil to keep them from drying out, and were deliciously tender, smoky and caramalised. They were so good in fact, you could probably eat them without the sauce (not that I’d advise it - the sauce is just too darn good!). Now the purpose of the aforementioned cucumber and onion is to break up the wicked Meatfest. So between bites you can use your skewer to pick up the crisp chunks of vegies or ketupat, dipping them into the satay sauce again.
This is what great street food is all about.
Satay Alley is open from 7pm (dinner / late night eating only). Cash only.
Written by mellie on
January 5th, 2008 | Tags: satay, Singapore | Category: Uncategorized
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January 5th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Yum! Puts my dinner this evening of fritters to shame
Skewered meat is underrated.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
the name reminds of one of 1994’s gems, Scatman John. imagine all the touts singing, I’m the Fatman. Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop. Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop.
February 5th, 2008 at 3:35 am
:O
I remember eating at Lau Pa Sat a few years ago. Whenever I pop into Singapore, it’s my Singaporean friends who show me the best places to eat at! And Lau Pa Sat’s lovely….
I remember there being a bit plate of satay skewers (about 10 chicken and 10 beef I think, or was there pork as well?), the particular stall from which I do not recall. There was also a beautiful slab of stingray meat, and another plate with little erm… not clams… my friend called them ‘pipis’…. they were smaller, prettier, more beach-y type clams? And a plate of ‘gong-gong’ which were sea versions of snails. I spent much of the meal trip with a skewer stick, trying to dig the little critters out, in between gobbling satay skewers and pieces of sizzling sambal covered stingray. Bea-u-ti-ful!