When it comes to food in Melaka, there are two things Jien would absolutely, never share with me. The first being his favourite fried carrot cake and the other is pork satay. These are two Melaka staples that he would insist on eating whenever we’re there.
We drove past Sun May Hiong Satay House when we were heading to our accommodation in Melaka recently – the restaurant was packed and customers were queuing outside waiting for a vacant table. Our friend who’s a local also said it’s worth checking out, which we did the following afternoon.
Ketupat
Pork and intestine satay
It’s best to get to Sun May Hiong by 11am or earlier, as the crowd that comes in mostly arrive in large groups. After noon, you’ll most probably have to wait for a table and also, for your pork satay. Unlike Xiang Ji, Sun May Hiong offers both pork and chicken satay, along with skewered intestines.
Chicken seems to be quite popular here, though the pork satay remains a crowd favourite. We asked for 50 sticks of pork satay – because Jien himself devours 25-30 sticks on his own. The meat is nicely seasoned with a good balance of meat and fat. I do however, find Sun May Hiong’s pork satay a tad lean for my liking. I like a bit more fat content as the satay is tastier with rendered fat from the grilling.
I reckon it’s a matter of preference – if you like your satay leaner then you’ll like the one from Sun May Hiong. But if you’re looking for a bit more fat in your skewered meat (like me), you won’t fancy this as much. The pineapple sauce here is pretty tasty; I spotted a customer lapping up all the sauce with just the ketupat rice…while waiting for her pork satay to arrive!
Pineapple sauce
A skewer costs RM0.80; a tad pricey if you consider the portion. But then again, that’s the standard price point for pork satay in Melaka. Inflation, I suppose. If you’re visiting Melaka and would like a different pork satay option, give Sun May Hiong a shot.
Other pork satay options:
Xiang Ji (opens daily)
Lung Ann (irregular opening hours)
Hai Heng (opens at night)
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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: A tad leaner than I like my satay to be, but flavour is good. The pineapple sauce is tasty too.
Sun May Hiong Satay House
50/52, Jalan Kota Laksamana 1/1,
Taman Kota Laksamana,
75200 Melaka.
Tel: 06-281 7281
Business hours: 10am till 6pm (Thursday till Sunday only)