Are you craving satti in Cebu? Fortunately, there are a few places to enjoy this delicious Zamboanga City dish. As a traveler, one thing I miss in Cebu is the lack of regional cuisine. It seems most Cebuanos haven’t experienced many regional dishes, especially those from Zamboanga City. This is why, last year, I discovered a small stall offering not only satti in Cebu but also other Zamboanga delicacies. In this post, I’m excited to showcase Shobe’ST Satti.
What is satti
Zamboanga City offers satti, a must-try street food with bold flavors. This iconic dish features skewered and charcoal-grilled beef and chicken meat and liver, served with tamuh or sticky rice cubes (puso in Cebu, or ketupat in Indonesia/Malaysia), all drenched in an thick, orange, spicy and sweet sauce. Satti traces its origins to Southeast Asian influences, particularly the Malaysian and Indonesian satay. Locals and visitors best enjoy satti for breakfast at spots like Jimmy’s Satti House in Zamboanga City, where its fiery sauce and hearty serving embody the city’s vibrant culinary heritage.
Satti in Cebu
There are a few places where you can get this satti in Cebu. I first tried Shobe’ST Satti at a small stall inside the Southpole Grill & Restaurant food place. It’s along Osmena Boulevard and just walking distance to the Mathilda Bradford Memorial Chapel, a heritage structure built in 1913. You can get good and flavorful satti with its trademark orange sweet and spicy sauce. The beef skewers, like those in Zamboang City, can be just a few pieces.
Other interesting delicacies
What amazed me with Shobe’ST Satti is that they also offer the following:
- Tamal – it was during a walk around downtown Zamboanga City that I found this teenage boy selling banana leaf wrapped food along the sidewalk, got curious and bought a few. At the hotel, I opened these and lo, tamales! However, in this city, its called tamal. But they fill it with seasoned glass noodles instead of the usual meat and egg filling! Unusual but still delicious.
- Pastil – while most people associate pastil/pater with the banan leaf wrapped rice topped with chicken flakes that has exploded in popularity across the Philippines, this is different. The Tausug pastil resembles the traditional empanada and the Ilocos variety, but they fill it with seasoned thin noodles instead of meat, which is common in most Christian areas of the country. I first encountered this one in Bongao in Tawitawi and like it too.
- Saging rebosao – similar to banana cue but mostly twice fried and without the skewers commonly found in most of the Philippines
If you’re craving for traditional Zamboanga City street food, then you should visit Shobe’ST Satti. They also accept online orders via their FB page (link below). Indulge and enjoy!
Shobe'ST Satti
Southpole Grill & Restaurant
Osmena Boulevard
Cebu City
