Satay Kaki

Got to learn of the folks behind So Lemak starting out yet another new concept named Satay Kaki whilst scrolling around social media — a show that the folks at So Lemak hadn’t been resting on their laurels even despite the closure of their Ang Mo Kio outlet. For a start, Satay Kaki actually shares a space with So Lemak’s original location within the FoodLoft coffeeshop at Blk 217 Bedok North Street 1 — the operations of both Satay Kaki and So Lemak being within the same stall unit. There has been some modifications being made to the So Lemak stall so as to incorporate the existence of the new concept; the most distinct of the lot being the orange signage that mentions “Satay Kaki” beside the original “Nasi Lemak” header that used to front the stall alone. Other attempts in making the offering of satay more obvious would be the marketing collaterals played on the screen at the stall, as well as some decals indicating satay offerings on the glass display as well. Satay Kaki offers satay in three (3) different meat options; Chicken, Beef and Mutton, whilst also offering Ketupat (i.e. rice cake) that can be added to the order as well.

Satay Kaki charges all satays at $1 a stick, with the minimum order to be made for satay at ten (10) pieces; they also do allow patrons to mix-and-match different meat options for a single order, though each variant of meat is available to be ordered via denominations of five (5). Considering so, we found ourselves ordering five pieces of the Chicken Satay and five pieces of the Mutton Satay. As expected, the order of the assorted satay here does come with a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side, as well as sliced cucumbers and onions. One thing we had noted about the satays at Satay Kaki is how the meats (and especially with the Chicken Satay for the matter) is being marinated in a way that is a little bit on the savoury side — this does seem to be slightly odd if one enjoys the satay as-is on their own, though dipping it into the satay sauce does help return back that usual sweetness in the marination of the meats of what one would expect from satays elsewhere. There is a slight hint of smokiness from the grilling process of the meats that can be detected from the satay, and our preferred meat between the two was actually the Mutton Satay; though carrying a gamey note, the marination does provide a sufficient depth of flavours, while the meat still comes relatively easy to chew. Apart from bringing back the sweetness of the satay, the satay sauce also comes with sufficient crushed nuts for that nuttiness that one is looking for — there is also a subtle hint of lemongrass that runs at the back of the tongue that keeps things refreshing as well.