Best Satay in Johor Bahru (JB)

This full-of-life food court is a foodie’s paradise. The pork satay stall just adds up a bustle to the gastronomy scene. The wicked meat is marinated with lemongrass and assorted Nyonya spices, then adroitly grilled to bright-marbling texture with scorched speckles. The meaty bits just slid off the skewer with ease and dipping in the coarse peanut sauce just enhances the flavour to another level. 

Al Mizan Satay House is no stranger to meat-guzzlers. Spanning more than 40 years, it’s been reaping reputations as one of the best satay spots in Johor Bahru. It’s an airy and convivial space, and the satay pit is at the corner, easily identified with hefty smoke and a lighting speed satay-master. Loaded with scorching charcoal, the skewered meats are deftly done in small batches and laid on a banana leaf once done. The top seller is the beef, followed by chicken and lamb, each grilled to perfection with gritty charred bits over the succulent chunks of meats, that just bursts with fragrance. The treacly sauce is filled with gravels of crusted peanuts, forming the best match for the meats. 

This spacious restaurant has swept up the hearts of the locals with a staggering spread of local delights. The satay station is easily spotted where punters flock around a charcoal pit that beams with wispy smoke. Marinated dice-sized meats are nicely grilled over charcoal fire, offering a delicate blend of smokiness and savoury at each bite. Aside from the perfectly executed meat, the peanut sauce is sure to rev up your taste buds, along slices of cucumbers, onions and rice cakes wedged onto the plate. A reasonable gamy goodness guaranteed. 

Bustling with clienteles chomping down their top-notch satays, they could easily build a wooden raft daily with the amount of skewers being used. The smoky aroma just wafts throughout the dining space, a teaser before heading to the meaty goodness. The skewers are well-balanced with the ratio of fat and meat that is meticulously marinated with spices and grilled over the charcoal pit. The satay is tender and juicy, then tarted up with rice cubes, cucumbers, onions as well as an addictive sauce. 

This commodious restaurant offers a great social dining experience in a resort-like ambiance with wooden furniture and thatched roof space. You’ll be spoilt to rotten with local and Western fare that are easy on the wallet, however, your visit shall not be deemed complete without wolfing down their satays. Truly value-for-money, the meats are thick and sealed with rich spices and served with a handful of onions, cucumbers, and rice cakes. The gravel peanut sauce is sinfully satisfying too, a combination that is worth the calories. 

Don’t be deterred by the spooky name of the restaurant, which is literally translated to “Chinese Cemetery.” This unassuming restaurant is a couple of steps away from the cemetery and the patrons are not particularly bothered about it as their palate is consistently cherished with assorted Indonesian dishes and toothsome satays. The well-marinated and grilled meat is filled in a floral plate then liberally loaded with thick gravy, smatterings of diced onions and cucumbers and a wedge of lime. Drenched with the lip-smacking sauce, the satays are impeccable with a well-balanced proportion of fat and meat. 

Another consistent and reliable satay stall that wakes up after the dark to satiate meat lovers in Johor Bahru. Offering variations of lamb, beef, chicken and surprisingly fish, one can choose to mix and match the flavours that are adroitly grilled on the blistering charcoal pit with a little brush of oil. The meat comes with a distinct smoky aroma and the rugged charred spatters is spot-on, an exemplary satay before you.