Remembering the Travelling Satay Man

Image from MummyICanCook.

Younger Singaporeans, especially those who grew up in the brand new housing estates of the country island, have no inkling what the Satay man is or understand the privilege of having one.

A decade or two ago, which seemed like a long time back in the fast-paced city of Singapore, the travelling Satay men visited neighbourhoods like bees buzzing from flower to flower. In our eager pursuit of progress and GDPs, we left the travelling Satay men to a nostalgic distant past. I liked to imagine the inhabitants of these honoured neighbourhoods yearning for the weekly or bi-weekly visit of these Satay men. Excitement follows wherever the Satay man goes as the tantalising smell of barbecued meat creeps into the conglomeration of boxy apartments, luring its inhabitants out. Sometimes the smell lingers too, though we would have gotten our fill of delicious Satay to not be bothered by it.

In some neighbourhoods, the Satay man announces his arrival by calling out “SAAA-TAY!” or honking a little horn. But when enforcement was stricter, and their presence was illegal on the streets, we know the Satay man is here when we smell him. When we reach the spot where the mobile charcoal stove puffs away with diligence, money in hand, there would already be a couple of customers. We would stand around, in silence, enthralled by the embers and the smoke while the Satay man works his magic. As the sun sets and the sultry heat of the day slowly dissipate, the neighbourhood comes alive with the buzz of people heading home for dinner after work. The Satay man chooses his timing well—usually beginning his day at this moment. We might be thinking about school, about the day we had, losing ourselves in the memories of the day we had, or busy planning for the coming evening, yet these thoughts sink to the back of our mind when the meat sizzles and drip animal fats into the hot coals. The smell of the sugar caramelising and the delicious fat burning is thought arresting. We are brought back to the present and we would eye the Satay man’s movements hawk-like, our mouths watering at the idea of savouring those little pieces of meat in the privacy of our homes with the people we love.

Many late afternoons and early evenings, our lives have been enriched by these short and transient visits by the Satay man. As my siblings and I stepped into adulthoods, these were wonderful childhood memories we would recall fondly. If we had a choice between a cleaner Singapore where street food are all institutionalised into Hawker Centres or one where street food like these could thrive, I would choose the latter. Even if the risk of getting diarrhoea or food poisoning is present, the possibilities of bringing people in the neighbourhood closer to each other, and having a great reason to love the place you grow up in would be enough to compensate.

In this current Singapore, allowing street food back on the streets would raise many concerns. We might see a greater diversity of them, Thai, Pilipino, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian etc. But we should be given the opportunity to choose and to take the risk of discovering if we have found a gem or a disappointment. Perhaps, with greater openness towards a street food culture, Singaporeans will not only discover what the new inhabitants have brought to this island through food, and the cacophony of voices may begin to amalgamate and sing in unison. 

Singapore's Melting Pot needs Heat!

          Years ago, the vibrant and culturally diverse atmosphere of Singapore have disputably produced dishes like Rojak and Ice Kacang. These dishes captures very well the spirit of cultural mixing and creativity, prominent in Singapore since our colonial days. Such a spirit has waned considerably today.

Image from Rolling Writes
The Rojak

          Since dishes like Chicken rice, Roti Prata, Char Kway Teow, Nasi Lemak, Hokkien Mee, Nasi Briyani and Fish Head Curry etc has been institutionalised under the Hawker Centres of Singapore, little changes have been made to these food equivalents of blockbusters enough to have notable new members among them. These dishes sit in their thrones, undisputed and unchallenged in their rank as Singapore's most well-known and well-loved food. Perhaps Singapore is clinging to them as desperate prove of our identity and history. What would the inventors of these dishes say to these foolish attitudes?

Image from Delicious Food for You
Some common hawker fares:
top left, Chicken rice, top right,  Fried Carrot cake, 
bottom left, Char Kway Teow, bottom right, Ice Kacang

          Other street food like carrot cake, curry puffs, otah-otah, goreng pisang, ice kacang, chendol, burbur chacha, to speak of a long list of these memorable fellows, which barely have a tercentenary history are now accepted as traditional food items. Imagine the creative individual setting his eyes on the banana, carrot or humble corn and making magic with them. Today, the banana, carrot and corn, among many other vegetables, are seen as plain and common, dismissed and shuffled out of sight. Instead, the new exotic imports of Avocados, Korean Strawberries, Moroccan Blueberries, Asparagus etc signals an entire new range of culinary ingredients available to Singaporeans.

Image from HDwallpapers
Stop Yawning at the Carrot!

          With supermarkets bursting with variety of fresh ingredients and almost all the world's notable cuisines readily found here, where is the "Rojak"? Where is the spirit of fusion, of creativity and reinvention? We have food inspiration from all over the world that howls to be captured to fuel the imaginative minds in creating new Singapore dishes that reflect our times better than the Char Kway Teow and Ice Kacang which speaks of our Grandfathers' time.

Image by Miss Karen.
 Singapore's produce market has so much to work with!

          Perhaps this is the time to call for contests or competitions for new dishes submission, like people did for the American food fairs. If the Americans invented their "Fried Beer" and "Fried Butter" that now defines them, we could have a new Curry Puff and outshine out Malaysia's Ramly Burger (proudly invented by Malaysian Ramly Bin Mokly).

          It would benefit Singaporeans to take a stroll in our neighbour's Pasar Malam (night market) in comparison to our Pasar Malam as a proof of the death of the "Rojak" spirit here.