Pork Satay @ Hai Heng Pork Satay, Jalan Gajah Berang, Malacca

A local haunt which is worth the detour, Hai Heng has always excelled in getting their grilling game down on point. And it is one of my favourite satay places, and that goes beyond Malacca.

A look see into the establishment

This place only opens at 6.30 pm onwards, as such this is a dinner only spot.  Being incredibly popular, many people come over here to take away. As such, I highly recommend that you come over right on the dot when they open, or come over about 8.30 onward when the line for the take away has diminished. Feeling a bit peckish even after having dinner, I went with my father for a porky night cap. Located just behind my Gran's house in Malacca, I always look forward to this meaty treat whenever I am down in Malacca. And when home boy is back in town, some good old fashioned treats are in order.

Burn baby burn!

Even before you enter the the shop, you will be greeted with the scent of satay marinade. It is slightly different that the traditional Malay type, which is more intense. The aroma that envelops the premises is more subtle, unlike the turmeric punch you might experience in a warong.

Just beautiful

Like the many visits before, each skewer was satisfying and was cooked to perfection. The meat is juicy and fatty. The outer part of the meat has a slight crispiness, akin to a steak. It is a bit greasy, but in a good way. There is a good ratio to lean meat and fatty bits for each stick. 

Close up of the piggies. 

Flavourwise, the pork has been fused with the flavours of lemongrass , garlic and the aforementioned turmeric. Each flavour element balanced the other out and each skewer was very fun to eat. And the smokiness of the charcoal seems like the glue that combines everything well together. 

A flavour explosion coming soon. With the best condiment at the background. 

The size of each skewer has reduced somewhat compared to its size years back. Well, times are tough I guess. The real star maker here its not the satay itself. Rather, it is the peanut sauce. A very different version to its Malay counterpart, this sauce has been turned up a notch with the inclusion of pineapples. Some places even use starfruit or tamarind, or even the inclusion of all three. They may be inside this nutty and spicy concoction, but the pineapple is the most evident. It was zesty, fruity, spicy and nutty. Sounds like a description for a Thai dish, but it is definitely not. The sauce is something not to be wasted. As such, I strongly recommend getting some ketupat to gobble up all of that incredible sauce. 

Another angle of the shop

The grub here is quite reasonable, with a stick of pork satay costing RM0.80 and a ketupat rice cake costs RM1. They have chicken satay too, which is Gran's favourite. But I prefer the pork version. Each is to their own I guess.

Front of the house. 

 However, I have to admit that portions used to be bigger and cheaper moons ago. You may be able to fight a mob of drunk gangsters or a global crisis, but I guess no one can fight the horror that is inflation. Despite that, I have always enjoyed every visit to Hai Heng and it will probably stay that way. If you are down for some great and satisfying meat on sticks, here is the address:

315, Jalan Gajah Berang, 75200 Melaka