After clocking out from her eight-hour shift at a bank, Bangsar-born Safiah would spend long nights on her feet, marinating, skewering chunks of meat and grilling them the way her sister-in-law, who learned the recipe from a Javanese satay seller, had taught her.
“After three months, I decided to quit my job when I saw the income was much better than working in a bank.”
Despite her success, Safiah didn’t rest on her laurels. Instead, she had a bigger dream.
“When I first learned the recipe from my sister-in-law, there were no real measurements – she would add the ingredients based on feel. So I set the measurements to ensure consistency and I also changed the parts of the chicken used for the satay.
“I tried and tested the different parts and found that chicken thighs were the best because the meat is tender and juicy, and even if people want to eat them later on, they won’t get dry and chewy like breast meat.”
Her decisions paid off and Safiah was soon the proud owner of six stalls. However, managing the stalls was not easy. At times, it was also frustrating as dishonest workers would pocket the money.
“So I decided to reach out to hotels because nearly all hotels served satay as part of their buffet or ala carte menu, and I knew how tedious it was. I felt I could prepare the satay and the hotels could then cook them whenever they needed to.”
The first hotel she catered for was the Hyatt Saujana.
She has never looked back.
Safiah has opened a factory in Batu Caves where her team of over 35 workers painstakingly prepare chicken, beef, lamb and “perut” (stomach) satay by hand to be sent to numerous hotels, company kitchens, and even Parliament on a daily basis.
She also makes venison and ostrich satay if there are requests.
Safiah’s attention to detail is apparent in the running of the factory, which is as clean as a whistle, and the labelling of the satay which includes the name of the worker who prepared them to ensure quality control.
She has also expanded into making traditional Malay kuih and nasi lemak which are also supplied to hotels and Parliament.
Naturally, the director of Safiah Satay declined to share the recipe for the satay marinade or the delicious peanut sauce but she did share her strategy for success: work hard and seek knowledge.
“The food business is a great business for youth to get involved in due to the huge market as Malaysians love to eat. Unfortunately, many cannot stand the long hours and quit after a short while.
“But there are rewards for hard work.”
For Safiah, one of those rewards is having the honour of catering for some of the country’s past and present prime ministers.
But despite her success, Safiah misses the good old days and wants to once again serve the man on the street with her succulent satay.
“I’d like for everyone to enjoy my satay so I’m looking to develop a new business model to reach the mass market. I’m hoping to expand my market throughout Malaysia.
“I may open a restaurant in the future,” she says with a coy smile.