On our first day in Kuching, our local foodie buddy Joshua whisked us to try Hap Chen Hian Satay stall at Hui Sing Hawker Centre.
Hui Sing Hawker Centre has about 20 food stalls where locals hang out over coffee and local delights such as Hap Chen Hian Satay.
Hap Chen Hian's satay looked different from the satay that I have tried in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
It looked black with none of that familiar orangey hue or sign of spices like turmeric.
The piece of grilled pork was well marinated with a blend of savoury soy sauce. It was tender, moist, mostly lean pork. First impression was it was like a familiar, comforting piece of pork stir-fried in soy sauce but with a subtle overlay of smokiness as it was char grilled.
Very easy to like even though it was different from the familiar spiced satay.
The sauce was peanut based. Smooth, peanuty, savoury, and if there was any spice, I couldn't detect it.
I love the new experience though Kuching folks have enjoyed Hap Chen Hian Satay for decades since the 1970s.
Hap Chen Hian Satay has four locations, all run by the third generation of Sim family. We might say it is Teochew satay as it a Teochew interpretation of the dish, in the same way as we refer to Hainanese satay.
Our next stop is Hap Chen Hian Satay House (another third generation Sim family business). I realised that the marinade and dipping sauce are different from here in Hui Sing Hawker Centre with a different taste profile.
Stall name: Hap Chen Hian Satay 合眾香沙爹
Address: No. 10, Hui Sing Commercial Centre, Jalan Taman Hui Sing, Taman Hui Sing, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Tel: +6016 857 9081
Hours: 2:30pm - 7:30pm
Written by Tony Boey on 23 Mar 2025
Satay is Teochew … Sa Tay means 3 pc … supposedly consist of a fat sandwiched by 2 meat total 3 pc sa tay
ReplyDeleteSa cha jiang or sauce to make satay bee hoon is from swatow
ReplyDeletesa tay means 3 pc in hokkien
ReplyDeleteIt might not be definitively accurate, but what is known of satay is that it has Javanese origins and was likely influenced by the the influx of Muslim traders from India and the Arabic countries, to Southeast Asia, from as early as the 15th century.
ReplyDeleteSatay is a Malay word that is possible from the Tamil word catai (சதை).
However, what's beautiful about our region's food and languages are that they are so dynamic and intermixed, borrowing from each other and exchanging cultures. The Hokkien and Teochew interpretations of both the word and the dish, Satay are fascinating!