And so, from now onwards, I shall measure all pork satay against Ah Pui Tiong Bahru Satay at 195 Pearl's Hill Cafe. It's not that I am a satay bigot, but it's just that I cannot un-taste what I had tasted ๐
Update 23 May 2021: Ah Pui, the man, has signed up with Select Group and now operates from a swanky restaurant at 28 Smith Street of Chinatown. 195 Pearl's Hill Cafe is still fulfilling past orders. Feedback from customers of 195 Pearl's Hill receiving their satay after Ah Pui left has been positive. So, now you can get your Tiong Bahru style Hainanese satay fix either from Select Group or from 195 Cafe at Pearl's Hill.
Ah Pui is now part of Select Group's vision: "To be the F&B Group with 1000 restaurants and establishments."
Ah Pui is a well known satay legend (his actual name is Ang Boon Ee). He learnt the craft from a Hainanese satay master and plied his trade, pushing a push cart stall in the Tiong Bahru area since 4 decades ago (in the 1970s).
He would call out "kueh! kueh!" but Tiong Bahru residents recognised his voice and knew that it was Ah Pui Satay. Tiong Bahru flat residents would shout their orders for Ah Pui's satay from their windows, and lower a basket tied to a rope (with money inside) from their upstairs unit. Ah Pui would put the freshly grilled satay into the basket and residents would pull it back up to their homes to enjoy. This is Singapore! we love so much ๐งก
Unseen/Unsaid: Through Thick and Thin (Episode 9) from Rediscover SG on Vimeo.
Ah Pui had to masquerade as a kueh seller to dodge the health inspectors. Too often, he wasn't successful and got into trouble with the authorities for illegal hawking.
Tasked to buy spices, Ah Pui simply asked the satay master's Indian spice seller to issue him an invoice - and there it was, the exact list of spices and proportions ๐ Ah Pui stuck steadfastly to his master's recipe ever since, changing nothing all these years (source).
During his Tiong Bahru days, this corridor off Seng Poh Road was Ah Pui's usual parking slot.
So, in the past 3 decades, Ah Pui Singapore's satay legend was rather elusive. Most of the time under the radar and popping up briefly on cameo appearances in restaurants, bars, private home parties here and there.
Today, Ah Pui is at 195 Pearl's Hill Cafe. Fans of Ah Pui would be happy to
know that this arrangement is not another one-night stand. Ah Pui is a partner in 195
Pearl's Hill Cafe, so he is likely to be here for a relatively longer time.
Hopefully.
What makes Ah Pui's satay stand out?
Because in today's fast paced, "high productivity" F & B world, no one makes "low productivity" satay like Ah Pui anymore (except maybe at home).
Ah Pui still hand slices his pork to make satay. With years of experience, he knows how to get the best slices off a slab of fresh pork ham ๅ่ ฟ่.
He then marinates the pork slices before hand skewering them with a thin wooden stick. The marinate is given time to penetrate and infuse the pork slices with its mild spice flavours and aromas.
Ah Pui's station is a little yellow push cart, not so different from that which he used to conquer Tiong Bahru during his heydays.
Aromatic white plumes rise from the sizzling trough of charcoal embers as Ah Pui grilled his legendary pieces of marinated pork on wooden sticks.
Golden brown grilled pork. There's a slight sheen from caramelised marinate and a bit of char at the edges.
Ah Pui inserted a thick strip of pork fat between two pieces of lean meat. The pieces of tender grilled meat taste savoury, porky sweet with subtle hints of aromatic spices. There was also a slight toasty taste from the charred edges. The strip of fat is extra juicy and sweeter than the meat. The fat felt like jelly and bursts sweet juices when you pop it with your bite.
Ah Pui's peanut sauce is Hainanese style with grated pineapple. The sauce is sweet nutty with subtle spice hints and a sweet citrusy zest from grated pineapple.
Ah Pui's partner Sebastian Liu has a chicken satay which is also a must try. Chef Sebastian has over 10 years of culinary experience under his belt specialising in Italian, French and Spanish cuisine. He is also well versed in curing Australian meats. Sebastian loves to experiment with fusing Western and local cuisines - this chicken satay is one of the delicious outcomes.
The tender juicy char grilled chicken was well infused and smothered with savoury flavours which complemented the chicken's natural sweetness. The savoury tangy sauce go well with the grilled chicken.
Pro-tip: Ah Pui's pork satay and Sebastian's chicken satay are all hand made, so volume is limited. It is always best to call ahead to reserve your satay before coming.
Call Ben at ☎ +65 9748 9904 to book your satay. Enjoy it with 195 Pearl's Hill Cafe's artisanal Arabica coffee and teas.
Sebastian also serves spaghetti, pizzas, salad etc which I haven't tried but heard much good feedback about. Maybe you can try and share your experience with us in the comments.
An unbiased review ๐
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It's quite an irony that Ah Pui who had to run for dear life every time health inspectors or police appear is now stationed at the former police headquarters.
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| Note the wartime camouflage pattern painted on the walls of the building. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore |
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| Police & Civil Defence Control Room 1956. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore |
Restaurant name: 195 Pearl's Hill Cafe
Address: 195 Pearl's Hill Terrace, #01-56, Singapore 168976
Tel: +65 9676 2079 ☎ +65 9748 9904 (best to call ahead to reserve)
Hours: 11:00am - 8:00pm (Sun off)
Non Halal
Oh my! A simply must-try.
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