Flame off: Ah Pui Tiong Bahru Satay closing due to founder's poor health, last day of operation on Nov 6

In this day and age, it's really rare to find traditional Hainanese satay made the old-fashioned way by hand.

So you can imagine the loss to our local food heritage when we learnt that one of our beloved satay hawkers is putting his grill out for good.

In a Facebook post dated yesterday (Nov 1), Ah Pui Tiong Bahru Satay announced that they will be closing permanently.

This is due to the ailing health of founder Ang Boon Ee, better known as Ah Pui to his regulars, who is in need of an extended rest.

The last day of operation for the Smith Street restaurant is slated for this Sunday (Nov 6). They will be clearing all existing food stock, but you should head down early for your satay fix since it's on a while-stocks-last basis. 

Ah Pui - who has been selling Hainanese-styled satay since the seventies – insists on everything being prepared by hand. His satay is shaped just like a pear, with an extra-long piece of fat at the bottom.

Starting out as a one-man operation, Ah Pui used to sell his food from a pushcart along the streets of Tiong Bahru. 

His handcrafted satay remains popular throughout the years, and there was a six-month-waiting list when he decided to settle permanently at 195 Pearl Hill Cafe in 2018. 

Last year, Ah Pui opened his own standalone restaurant in Smith Street and expanded the menu to include other favourites like oyster omelette and Thai chicken wings.

ALSO READ: Singapore's most elusive satay? Last pushcart satay man's pork satay is sold out till October

Address: 28 Smith Street, Singapore 058942
Opening hours: 12pm – 10.30pm, closed on Tuesdays

timothywee@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.