Beh Leh Hainam Satay: Grilling Smoky Chinese- (Hainanese-) Style Satay in Malacca (Malaysia) Since 1963

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This article is part of the Malacca Food Trip 2025 series. Check out the installments in this series: Asam Pedas Pak Man (Sour and Spicy Fish Soup) | Beh Leh Hainam Satay (Chinese- or Hainanese-Style Satay) | Nancy’s Kitchen (Peranakan Food) | Pak Putra Restaurant (Indian and Pakistani Food) | Seafront Restaurant 88 (Kristang or Portuguese-Malay Food)

For other Malacca articles, click here.

Eating Satay is one of the street food experiences you shouldn’t miss in Malaysia and Singapore, at least to tourists like me. These are skewers paired with Ketupat (compressed rice), cucumbers, onions, and a peanut-based dipping sauce. When done correctly, it’s juicy and smoky!

Satay is usually made of beef, chicken, and mutton, and can be eaten by Muslims. But the Chinese or Hainanese style can be made with pork. And whereas the Malay-style has a marinade of lemongrass and turmeric, the Hainanese-style has five-spice flavoring, which is a staple Chinese ingredient.

In Malacca, you can try the Hainanese style at Beh Leh Hainam Satay.

There’s a lack of resources in the Internet regarding the history of Beh Leh. All I know is that it was founded in 1963 because it’s written in their menu.

There’s no doubt that Beh Leh Hainam Satay is an institution that stood the test of time. Stepping into Beh Leh is like traveling in the past, with vintage items displayed around. While its interior has been renovated, it still gives nostalgic feels.

During our visit, there were uncles and aunties eating there, with “Oh! Carol” playing in the background. Now that’s old school!

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Anyway, customers have the following protein options: Pork, Chicken, Intestine, and Chicken Gizzard. Whichever you choose, you will only get smoky satay!

Both chicken and pork are juicy and tender.

Left to Right: Pork Satay and Chicken Satay

The intestine has a nice bitterness. The gizzard, I think, has a stronger five-spice flavoring.

The dipping sauce is nutty and spicy. It’s also fruity because it has pineapple puree in it, another distinctive of the Hainanese-style satay.

Of course, a satay meal won’t be complete without ketupat:

For drinks, Beh Leh offers soft drinks from Long Chan, a Malaccan brand that bottles carbonated drinks. The Sarsaparilla or Sarsi is nostalgic!

Beh Leh Hainam Satay makes great satay and its interior is a feast for the eyes, perfect for your Instagram fix. So make sure to try it when you’re in Malacca. I highly recommend it to you!

Beh Leh Hainam Satay

Address: 313 Jalan Gajah Berang, Malacca, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 12:30PM-7:30PM | Contact No.: +60 12-682 9355 | Facebook

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