Satay Addiction

Satay Addiction

Forget about the dirty surroundings and endless touting, the old Satay Club at Esplanade used to offer delicious chicken, mutton and beef satay that lured customers return for more. The club had moved from Hoi How Road (Beach Road) to Esplanade in 1970, and the makan place of about 21 satay stalls was so popular that a rumour, out of nowhere, started to spread around, claiming that the hawkers put something “special” in their satay gravy so that the customers would be addicted. That “special” ingredients were soiled sanitary napkins.

However, after an operation of 25 years till 1995 when it was closed down, no one really found the evidence at the old Satay Club, not even the frequent spot checks conducted by the National Environment Agency (NEA). After the closure, the stall owners moved their businesses to Lau Pa Sat, Clarke Quay, Pasir Panjang and Sembawang, and satay remains one of the favourite food for Singaporeans.