Satay is one of our favourite local dishes. The rich, smoky flavour of grilled meat skewers, with yummy peanut sauce, will always be in our top local dishes list. East Coast Lagoon Food Village stands out as one of the prime destinations for a Singapore satay expereince.
East Coast Lagoon Food Village
Operating since the late 1970s, East Coast Lagoon Food Village is a favourite for those seeking authentic local flavours in a breezy location.
The food centre’s location in East Coast Park means that if you choose your table carefully, you can enjoy views of both the park and the sea while dining. The setting creates a relaxed ambience that can make a meal there feeling like a mini beach resort getaway.
East Coast Lagoon Food Village has numerous satay stalls. The high number of stalls selling the same thing can overwhelm visitors trying to decide where to order. However, the decision matters less than one might expect.
Prices remain fairly consistent across stalls at $0.90 per stick, with a minimum order of 10 sticks. Quality also stays relatively standard throughout the food centre. Many vendors source pre-marinated meat, peanut sauce and ketupat from the same suppliers. The key difference lies in the grilling technique. Some stalls have experienced owners who have been perfecting their craft for years. Others have young owners or even foreign workers tending to the charcoal fires. A few stalls still prepare their own sauces instead of getting them from suppliers.
Musa Ikan Bakar (Stall 51)
Musa Ikan Bakar is an old school hawker stall. It is an ikan bakar (grilled fish) stall that also sells other seafood dishes, as well as satay. They take your order by writing on to the styrofoam plate that they subsequently serve your satay on. Satay was $0.90 per stick.
The satay was served with the ketupat (rice cake) which we ordered with a few pieces of cucumber and onion. Two small bowls of sauce or gravy were given.
The satay was well grilled. The meat was tender and tasty and had the important smokiness.
Unlike competitors who use commercial suppliers, Musa Ikan Bakar Stall prepares its own satay sauce. The sauce was thick, with generous amounts of ground peanuts. It was flavourful and neither too sweet nor too spicy.
Sa-Tay & Co (Stall 54)
Young proprietors run SA-TAY & Co., and the stall’s signboard and menu board have a contemporary look. They offer innovative items like SA-TAY Cups, which provide a convenient way to enjoy satay on the go.
The stall offers standard chicken, beef and mutton satay alongside BBQ squids and chicken wings. Satay was $0.90 per stick.
The satay met expectations with properly grilled meat and standard accompaniments. Two small bowls of satay sauce were also given.
Haron Satay & Chicken Wing (Stall 55)
Founded by Haron Abu Bakar in 1980, this family-run operation has earned recognition as one of Singapore’s Hawker Masters by The Straits Times. The stall previously supplied satay to Singapore Airlines’ Business and First Class cabins. Given this pedigree, it is perhaps entitled to charge a premium; the satay costs $1.00 per stick.
Haron Satay is one of the more popular stalls in the food centre. The wait for our satay was the longest here of all the satay stalls we visited.
The satay featured tender, well marinated meat with a good balance of sweet and savoury flavours and a notable smokiness. It was served with a small bowl of homemade Javanese style peanut sauce. The sauce was thinner than the typical variety and less sweet than expected, but had a more complex flavour profile.
Every stall served enjoyable satay
All three satay stalls delivered well grilled meat, characterised by visible char marks and distinct smoky notes. Across the board, the satay meat were consistently tender and flavourful. While Musa Ikan Bakar’s house-made sauce was a particular highlight, every stall served enjoyable satay that met expectations.
Unless you are a true satay connoisseur, you will find the differences between the stalls relatively subtle. If you trust the “wisdom of the crowd”, Haron Satay is clearly very popular; however, expect a slightly higher price and a significantly longer wait.
East Coast Lagoon Food Village
1220 East Coast Parkawy
Singapore 468960
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog
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