Capitol Satay Celup
Malacca has only two places to have satay celup. Enough said. If any of your friends bring you to any other satay celup shop other than the two listed below, brace yourself for a yucky meal. You have my words, partially.
The first one is Ban Lee Hiang Satay Celup at Jalan Ong Kim Wee, which I blogged about it long time ago (March 2005) but briefly and the other one is Bukit Cina’s Capitol Satay Celup, which is what you are reading now. Should I rewrite the post for Ban Lee Hiang Satay Celup?
Comparing Ban Lee Hiang and Capitol side by side…
Ban Lee Hiang
RM0.50 per stick.
No extra bonuses.
Not much varieties.
Popular among locals.
No queue, or sometimes, shorter queue.
Two shop lots, spacious and comfortable.
Milder taste peanut sauce, but has the one bit of spiciness in it.
No medium and big sized prawns, only small sized shrimps (one per stick).
Capitol
One shop lot.
RM0.60 per stick.
Long queue, as in, extremely long.
Strong ginger / lemon grass taste.
Stronger taste and a little sweetness in it.
A favourite among Singaporeans and tourists.
A lot of varieties, perhaps double of Ban Lee Hiang.
Extra bonuses like big sized prawns, squids and etc.
Small sized shrimps (two per stick) are fresher, juicer and tastier.
I didn’t really like Capitol from the beginning but after being forced to dine at Capitol few times, I think I am starting to like it for its varieties, delicious shrimps and big prawns, but not the sauce still. If its weekday, I would pick Capitol as the queue is short but if its weekend or public holidays, Ban Lee Hiang it is for the fast turnover.
Everything is pretty much standard and doesn’t differ much from any other satay celup shop. Upon seated, you can opt for the Muar’s bread or not. I like the bread, a lot, to go along with the peanut sauce. The breads are exceptionally soft and fluffy. If you don’t want the breads, you will have a plate of cut cucumbers.
Smack right in the middle of the table is the pot of aromatic and orgasmic peanut sauce. The same pot of peanut sauce is used again and again and again and again and again and again and again… Until they end their business around 1.30am. Every now and then, the waitresses would come over to add extra peanut sauce to give you the kick. I am sure you get my point, right? Yes, the same pot for all customers throughout the night. Hence, if hygiene is your utmost priority, you can kiss satay celup good bye in your food-to-eat-in-Malacca list.
Everything is self serviced.
The food are neatly displayed and you take whatever you want to eat. You will be charged for what you have ate, not what you have taken. However, don’t take too much and leave them on your plate. Wasting food is a no-no. Thumbs up to Captiol for the really huge varieties. Four and a half rows of food, assorted fish / meat balls, vegetables, deep fried snacks, seafoods and meats for you to choose from.
Well, despite the number of food served, I only eat a few selected ones. The pork and shrimp. Heh! These two contributes up to 90% of the sticks I usually have. Capitol’s pork ahd shrimp taste much better than Ban Lee Hiang’s. However, when I am at Ban Lee Hiang’s, my selected ones are two totally different thing from Capitol’s.
After you eat more than a certain amount, the waitresses would give you the bonuses, usually big prawns, squids and something-I-don’t-know-what. The price of these few varieties are definitely more than RM0.60 but you are charged RM0.60 still. Its another form of discount and giving back to the customer after eating a lot. In another way, they are encouraging you to eat more so that you can earn the extra bonuses and increase their profit at the same time. I like the big prawns, very much!
When you are done, they will collect your sticks and count them, and then, you pay.
After that, you get your ass up and move to your next station so that other people can take over your table. Don’t sit down there and chit chat, please. I absolutely hate and despise people who do that, as you are making other people waiting unnecessarily. Be nice!
Capitol Satay Celup,
41, Lorong Bukit Cina,
Melaka.
Map, courtesy of Amazing Melaka.
Related posts:
Tags: Ban Lee Hiang, Bukit Cina, Capitol, Food, Malacca, Ong Kim Wee, Satay, Satay Celup
January 21st, 2008 00:12
*drools*
It’s your fault that I’m hungry now :p
Bring me to BOTH restaurants when I’m down in Malacca yah? *big wet eyes*
Nights jason! And have a nice day tmr! Hehe…
January 21st, 2008 00:18
I can kiss Satay Celup goodbye already >_<
January 21st, 2008 01:13
Woah. I’ve tried this before! But I didn’t know about the “bonuses” cause we didn’t eat much. We’ve been eating for the whole night, so just simply went then to get a taste of it. Haha.
January 21st, 2008 09:30
dude..I am missing those foods..and I am going to eat them soon when I back..haha..but i personally like the Ban Lee Hiang..let’s go together..
January 21st, 2008 11:29
yay Yay I ate there before !!!
I was there the same night I met you !! ahaahahahaha
January 21st, 2008 12:37
I’m one that is quite particular with hygiene…that’s why until now I still have not try Satay Celup.
Do most of the ppl there celup already, bite and celup again? hahaha
But you know what? I can still try. I can be their first customer lo. Hehe
January 21st, 2008 12:42
It’s my favorite but now kena ban by hub due to hygiene! sob sob…
January 21st, 2008 13:25
I’ve been there before. But that was 3 years back and was brought there by my friend. And yeah, that’s how long it was since my last satay celup outing :(
Regarding about the hygiene-ness, you forget to mention that they use the same scoop to stir the ‘kuah’ on each and every table in their shop. Haha.
Besides, I couldn’t even sit for long as the heat under the table is literally ‘cooking’ my legs.. The stove is pretty near to where my legs are.
January 21st, 2008 13:40
I haven’t been there for quite sometimes now. Been there twice or more last time and it was my first satay celup in Malacca. So, another session there on the 5th Feb? :P I will be on town bfr midnight. :)
January 21st, 2008 17:42
Used to eat at Capitol after my tuition class at UE. Would go there just as it opens because I wouldn’t want to be eating people’s saliva. Didn’t like the kuah too much. A lot of variety but that’s kinda IT la. Dunno why so many tourists like to go there. Just the publicity that’s all I suppose.
I somehow preferred the one at the other side. Erm..Opposite the pasar. The kuah tastes a whole lot better. But dunno how isit like already now. Haven’t been there for quite a while… Hehe.. :p
January 21st, 2008 17:59
nasib takda
January 21st, 2008 19:12
looks great as usual..:P
January 21st, 2008 20:33
Jac : Haha! Why both? Either one will do.
Chingy : Why so?
SilverIsle : I see. Come down again and eat heartily.
Seong Yee : Anytime, my friend.
Robin : And you ate your char siew rice before that too! :D
Che-Cheh : Haha! Well, no bacterias can survive under a temperature of a pot of boiling peanut sauce. So, why worry so much? Eat first, think later.
Jesslyn : Awww… Too bad.
Chong : You should have picked a seat further from the stove. That simple! Haha! Come Malacca and we go eat together.
Surfnux : Ah, 5th of February. Perhaps we can meet up. :D Give me a call.
Twosuperheroes : The sauce also not bad actually, but my preference is more towards Ong Kim Wee’s.
Michy : Apa nasib? Tak faham lah!
Sarah : Yes, they are.
January 21st, 2008 21:01
Mum told me the pioneer of satay celup is the owner of Lim Tian Puan. He used to sell them at Tengkera.
January 21st, 2008 21:47
Etto. Then i’ll choose Capitol :)
January 21st, 2008 22:37
oh. i went this shop twice also. i like the variety and satay sauce, but excessive satay sauce gave me sorethroat. I still prefer the normal type of lok-lok
January 22nd, 2008 00:16
And one thing extra, if you really like fresh, big and probably bloody si-ham, go for ban lee hiang instead of capitol. The latter serves smaller and dry (mostly frozen i guess) ones…
January 22nd, 2008 03:26
Anthraxxxx : Now, that’s something new!
Jac : No problem! :D I shall bring you there.
Xin : Haha! But its the peanut sauce that makes it different from the normal lok lok. :D
Allison : Haha! I don’t eat those bloody things. :P
January 22nd, 2008 11:42
Is that Tong of satay kuah for the individual table ? Like 5 of us only ?
Or the whole Melaka share one Tong of satay kuah ?
If individual, then book 1 table for me ! fast fast !!
My sister would like to 表 演 美 女 喝 satay kuah in Melaka !! lol !!
January 22nd, 2008 11:53
hehe okay, see u then by midnight.
January 22nd, 2008 13:28
Don’t really like it. Very sickening after a while. Hehe… But u must one day bring me go eat around in melaka. I will find time to go ok. hehe…
January 22nd, 2008 13:55
Yummmm…. It’s still cheap, well outside KL of course. I remember having a stick for RM 1.50. *pouts*
one of my biggest pet peeves is those satay celup on the streets where people dip their half-eaten stuff inside the sauce. Gross. get your own plate of sauce!
January 22nd, 2008 17:06
Great. Now, I know who to look for when I’m in Malacca for god-knows what reason. Haha.
There’s one more place my friend took me to. The shop extends its business to the back alley as well. But that was 5 years back. Hehe
January 22nd, 2008 17:35
wooo…next week go to eat…hehehe
January 22nd, 2008 21:32
Kai Hong : Errm, each table has an individual pot of peanut sauce. But what happens at the back of the kitchen, I don’t know. :D
Surfnux : No problem.
Cutie : It won’t be that sickening one, damn yummy somemore.
Felicia : RM1.50 per stick? I might as well not eat. Haha! Honestly, I sometimes do that too. :P
Chong : Anytime, man! That should be Ban Lee Hiang’s satay celup shop. ;)
Kim Fei : Enjoy.
January 23rd, 2008 13:37
Personally prefer Capitol than Ban Lee Hiong due to the cleanliness.
Althoug sometimes must suffer the long waiting but they are still pioneered the satay celuk business.
January 23rd, 2008 13:42
Jijitankyy : Well, Capitol does look cleaner on the outside, but what goes on behind the kitchen, nobody knows. Hehe! As for who is the pioneer, Anthraxxxx’s mum claimed that it was the owner of LTP Restaurant that started it by selling it at Tengkera. So…
July 30th, 2008 08:21
Problem for capitol is the shop too small and everytime need long queue
July 30th, 2008 11:27
Jojopang : Yup, agree.
September 8th, 2008 03:47
Most ppl in Mcca shd noe abt this restaurant. It was the famous satay celup and whenever you go there you need to queue for the table. I always went there to have their satay celup.
But last week, I was surprised when I pay for the bill. They’d increase the price to 70cent per stick and a plate can cost up to RM5.00(No price label in the shop).
The thing that freak me out is they charge RM1.70 for a small plate of cucumber and RM2.20 for a few pieces of bread. FYI, dis is a cheap bread and it cost aro 1.00 for whole loaf of it. Even gardenia’s bread is not that expensive.
They’ve increased their price for all item including drinks…
I’d rather spend the money on Japanese food..Haha
September 9th, 2008 11:04
Malaccan : I don’t eat satay celup anymore unless friends from out station are here. They are getting way too expensive these days.