# Zi Char in Singapore

Zi char stalls cook Chinese dishes to order for sharing, mostly in coffeeshops and hawker centres where prices are nett. Seafood such as chilli crab is often priced by weight at 'market price' – ask for the per-kg rate and the weight before it is cooked. Each stall holds its own SFA licence and SAFE grade.

## Key facts
- Listings: 2,665
- Matched to a government licence/register: 244
- Median years in business: 12

## Licences
- **Food Shop Licence (SFA)** (Singapore Food Agency (SFA), required): Every restaurant, cafe, bakery, stall and food court outlet selling food to the public must be licensed by SFA. Since 19 Jan 2026 the licence carries a SAFE grade (A, B, C or NEW) based on the outlet's food-safety track record; scan the QR code on the displayed licence to see it. Check: https://go.gov.sg/sfa-track-records

## How to choose
- Ask for the per-kg price and the actual weight of crabs, lobster or fish before cooking; 'seasonal price' disputes are a common complaint.
- Order dish sizes (small/medium/large) to match the group – a small usually serves two to three.
- Check the stall's own SFA licence and SAFE grade; the coffeeshop and each stall are licensed separately.
- Coffeeshop zi char is usually nett; seafood restaurants in air-conditioned premises often charge "++".
- Return trays and crockery or leave them at the stall as instructed – table-littering rules apply in coffeeshops too.

## Red flags
- Seafood priced as 'market price' without a stated per-kg rate.
- Refusal to show the live weight of crab or fish before cooking.

## Listings (top 30)
- [Peach Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-garden), Upper Thomson · 301 Upper Thomson Rd #01-88 Thomson Plaza · 1 min walk from Upper Thomson MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [Peach Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-garden-buona-vista), Buona Vista · 9 N Buona Vista Dr #02-02 The Metropolis · 1 min walk from Buona Vista MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [Peach Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-garden-chinatown), Chinatown · 133 New Bridge Rd #02-36 · 1 min walk from Chinatown MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [Roland Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/roland-restaurant), Katong · 89 Marine Parade Central, #06-750 · 2 min walk from Marine Parade MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1972
- [Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/imperial-treasure-cantonese-cuisine), Singapore River · 1 Kim Seng Promenade #02-112 Great World 1 · 1 min walk from Great World MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2007
- [Lai Wah Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/lai-wah-restaurant), Kallang · 44 Bendemeer Rd, #01-1436 · 7 min walk from Geylang Bahru MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1972
- [Long Beach Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/long-beach-seafood-restaurant), Dempsey Hill · 25 Dempsey Rd · 11 min walk from Napier MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1982
- [Ming Chung Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/ming-chung-restaurant), Jalan Besar · 67 Maude Rd · 5 min walk from Jalan Besar MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1975
- [Peach Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-garden-raffles-place), Raffles Place · 65 Chulia St, #33 floor · 4 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [Pu Tien Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/pu-tien-restaurant), Jalan Besar · 127 Kitchener Rd · 4 min walk from Farrer Park MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2000
- [Pu Tien Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/pu-tien-restaurant-serangoon), Serangoon · 23 Serangoon Central · 1 min walk from Serangoon MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2000
- [Tung Lok Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/tung-lok-seafood-jurong-west), Jurong West · 511 Upper Jurong Rd · 6 min walk from Joo Koon MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2000
- [Tung Lok Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/tung-lok-seafood), Somerset · 181 Orchard Rd · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2000
- [Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/ah-yat-seafood-restaurant-bukit-timah), Bukit Timah · 200 Turf Club Rd · 10 min walk from Sixth Avenue MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [Jing Hua Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/jing-hua-restaurant-bugis), Bugis · 159 Rochor Rd · 1 min walk from Bugis MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1990
- [Chin Lee Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/chin-lee-restaurant), Bedok · 115 Bedok North Rd #01-285 · 9 min walk from Bedok Reservoir MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2009
- [Beng Hiang Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/beng-hiang-restaurant), Jurong East · 135 Jurong Gateway Rd #02-337 · 2 min walk from Jurong East MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1978
- [Soup Restaurant 三盅兩件](https://lookup.sg/biz/soup-restaurant-toa-payoh), Toa Payoh · #01-10, Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre · 3 min walk from Toa Payoh MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1998
- [Kian Huat Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/kian-huat-restaurant), Sembawang · 61 Jln Malu-malu · 5 min walk from Canberra MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2007
- [Long Beach Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/long-beach-seafood-restaurant-bugis), Bugis · 220 Stadium Blvd · 4 min walk from Esplanade MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1982
- [Jew Kit Hainanese Chicken Rice](https://lookup.sg/biz/jew-kit-hainanese-chicken-rice-bukit-batok), Bukit Batok · 273 Bukit Batok East Ave 4 · 11 min walk from Bukit Batok MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1992
- [Peach Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-garden-yishun), Yishun · 1 Orchid Club Rd · 18 min walk from Khatib MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [Peach Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-garden-637331), NTU North Spine, 76 Nanyang Drive Blk N2.1 · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [San Laksa Steamboat](https://lookup.sg/biz/san-laksa-steamboat-bukit-merah), Bukit Merah · 404 Telok Blangah Rd · 6 min walk from Telok Blangah MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2007
- [Lam's Culinary Enterprise](https://lookup.sg/biz/lams-culinary-enterprise), Woodlands · No. 1 Woodlands Sq · 1 min walk from Woodlands MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2009
- [Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh](https://lookup.sg/biz/ya-hua-bak-kut-teh), Tiong Bahru · 593 Havelock Rd, #01-01/02 · 2 min walk from Havelock MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2011
- [Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh](https://lookup.sg/biz/ya-hua-bak-kut-teh-kovan), Kovan · 205 Hougang St 21 · 1 min walk from Kovan MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2011
- [Old Street Bak Kut Teh](https://lookup.sg/biz/old-street-bak-kut-teh-kallang), Kallang · 1 Stadium Place, 01-22/22A · 3 min walk from Stadium MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2013
- [Old Street Bak Kut Teh](https://lookup.sg/biz/old-street-bak-kut-teh-jurong-east), Jurong East · Westgate, 3 Gateway Dr · 1 min walk from Jurong East MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2013
- [Old Street Bak Kut Teh 驰名老街肉骨茶](https://lookup.sg/biz/old-street-bak-kut-teh-hougang), Hougang · Hougang Mall, 90 Hougang Ave 10 · 1 min walk from Hougang MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2013

## By area
- Downtown Core: 254
- Outram: 201
- Geylang: 171
- Bukit Merah: 169
- Chinatown: 169
- Kallang: 147
- Bedok: 138
- Orchard: 101
- Ang Mo Kio: 94
- Bugis: 94
- Toa Payoh: 94
- Rochor: 87
- Queenstown: 85
- Singapore River: 80
- Tampines: 72

## FAQs
### Why is chilli crab priced by market price?
Crab, lobster and live fish prices change with supply, so restaurants quote a per-kg 'seasonal' or 'market' price. Always ask for the current per-kg rate and the weight of the actual crab before it is cooked, and get the total confirmed – this avoids disputes when the bill arrives.

### What happened to the A, B, C, D hygiene grades in Singapore?
From 19 January 2026 SFA replaced the annual A–D hygiene grade with the SAFE framework. Outlets now get A (more than three years with no major lapse), B (one to three years), NEW (operating under a year) or C (a court conviction for a food-safety offence or a licence suspension under the demerit-points system). Scan the QR code on the SFA licence at the counter to see the current grade.

## Sources
- SFA – New Safety Assurance for Food Establishment (SAFE) framework: https://www.sfa.gov.sg/news-publications/newsroom/new-safety-assurance-for-food-establishment--safe--framework--to-strengthen-food-safety
- NEA – Stepped-up enforcement against table littering from 1 June 2023: https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/advisories/index/stepped-up-enforcement-against-table-littering-from-1-june-2023

---
Source: Lookup (https://lookup.sg) · Data as of October 2026 · Listings compiled from Singapore government open data (data.gov.sg), OneMap and Overture Maps places. Free listings never show contact details; featured listings are labelled.