Halal Food in Circuit Road

At 79 Circuit Road stands a testament to Singapore's vanishing street food heritage. Original Alhambra Satay traces its lineage to the first Satay Club formed in the late 1940s along Beach Road, where the founder's father established what became known as Alhambra Satay. The stall took its name from its proximity to the Alhambra Cinema, one of two theatres flanking Hoi How Street near Beach Road. That original beachfront location hosted 26 stalls selling satay, mee rebus, and drinks, creating a nightly congregation that became legendary in Singapore's culinary memory. The Satay Club relocated several times before its final incarnation at the Esplanade met demolition in 1995. Of those 26 stalls that once constituted the soul of Satay Club, Original Alhambra Satay survives as the sole remnant, now operated by 71-year-old second-generation owner Saiful bin Haji Juwahir. His commitment to tradition extends beyond recipes to method: the satay remains entirely handmade without machines, preserving preparation techniques from an era when speed mattered less than craft. The Circuit Road location places this historic stall within an old neighbourhood hawker centre, far from the tourist circuits that might dilute authenticity for mass appeal. Regulars who remember the original Satay Club's atmosphere make pilgrimages here, seeking flavours that connect them to Singapore's pre-air-conditioned past. Each skewer represents continuity with a food culture that predates the nation's independence, offering tangible links to the communal dining traditions that once flourished along Singapore's waterfront before urban redevelopment transformed the island beyond recognition.