# Zi Char in Bugis

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: 94
- Matched to a government licence/register: 9
- Median years in business: 16

## 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)
- [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
- [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
- [Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/wah-lok-cantonese-restaurant), Bugis · 76 Bras Basah Rd · 2 min walk from Bras Basah MRT · registered 1988
- [British Hainan](https://lookup.sg/biz/british-hainan), Bugis · 23 Purvis St · 3 min walk from Esplanade MRT · registered 2013
- [Ah Yat Abalone](https://lookup.sg/biz/ah-yat-abalone), Bugis · Hotel Grand Pacific, 101 Victoria St · 2 min walk from Bras Basah MRT · SFA licensed
- [Crystal Jade Singapore](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-jade-singapore), Bugis · 200 Victoria St B1 04A · 1 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2018
- [Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-jade-la-mian-xiao-long-bao-bugis), Bugis · 3 Temasek Blvd · 3 min walk from Promenade MRT · SFA licensed
- [Qi Ji](https://lookup.sg/biz/qi-ji-bugis), Bugis · Shaw Towers, 100 Beach Rd · 3 min walk from Bugis MRT · SFA licensed
- [Song Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/song-garden), Bugis · 122 Middle Rd Level 2 Mercure Singapore Bugis · 3 min walk from Bencoolen MRT
- [Xiao Long Kan Hotpot](https://lookup.sg/biz/xiao-long-kan-hotpot), Bugis · 200 Victoria St #02-54 · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT
- [Big Fish Small Fish Cafe (Suntec City)](https://lookup.sg/biz/big-fish-small-fish-cafe-suntec-city), Bugis · 3 Temasek Boulevard #02-606/607 Mall Tower 3 Suntec City 038983 · 3 min walk from Promenade MRT
- [Ba Fang Lu Cai 八方卤菜](https://lookup.sg/biz/ba-fang-lu-cai), Bugis · 1 Rochor Canal Rd, B1-08 · 1 min walk from Rochor MRT · registered 2025
- [Yi by Jereme Leung](https://lookup.sg/biz/yi-by-jereme-leung), Bugis · 328 N Bridge Rd, #03-02 Raffles Arcade · 3 min walk from Esplanade MRT
- [寻味火锅](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-188735), Bugis · Bugis Cube, 470 North Bridge Rd · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT
- [New Rong Liang Ge](https://lookup.sg/biz/new-rong-liang-ge), Bugis · 269B Queen St · 3 min walk from Bugis MRT
- [A One Claypot House](https://lookup.sg/biz/a-one-claypot-house-bugis), Bugis · Suntec City Mall, North Wing, 3 Temasek Boulevard · 3 min walk from Esplanade MRT
- [Man Fu Yuan](https://lookup.sg/biz/man-fu-yuan), Bugis · 80 Middle Rd, Level 2 Frasers House · 3 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 1995
- [Alex's Eating House](https://lookup.sg/biz/alexs-eating-house), Bugis · Beach Rd, #01-01 Chye Sing Building, 87 · 3 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 1991
- [Parklane Zha Yun Tun Mee House](https://lookup.sg/biz/parklane-zha-yun-tun-mee-house), Bugis · Bugis Cube, 470 North Bridge Rd · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2001
- [Art of Mee Pok](https://lookup.sg/biz/art-of-mee-pok), Bugis · Peace Centre/ Peace Mansion, 1 Sophia Rd · 1 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2004
- [Chao Shan Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/chao-shan-cuisine-bugis), Bugis · 85 Beach Rd · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2010
- [San Ren Xing](https://lookup.sg/biz/san-ren-xing-bugis), Bugis · 200 Victoria St, #03-30A Bugis Junction · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2013
- [Coucou Hotpot and Brew Tea](https://lookup.sg/biz/coucou-hotpot-and-brew-tea), Bugis · 3 Temasek Boulevard Suntec City, Mall, #03- 332/337 Tower 2 · 3 min walk from Promenade MRT · SFA licensed
- [Fish & Co](https://lookup.sg/biz/fish-and-co-bugis), Bugis · 201 Victoria St · 1 min walk from Bugis MRT · SFA licensed
- [Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/xiang-xiang-hunan-cuisine-bugis), Bugis · 1 Liang Seah St, #01-12/13/14 · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT · SFA licensed
- [Hong Hu Restaurant Steamboat Buffet](https://lookup.sg/biz/hong-hu-restaurant-steamboat-buffet), Bugis · 12 Liang Seah St · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT · SFA licensed
- [Li Fang Congee](https://lookup.sg/biz/li-fang-congee), Bugis · 270 Queen St, #01-78 · 2 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2018
- [Suhang Xiangban 苏杭湘伴 新加坡](https://lookup.sg/biz/suhang-xiangban), Bugis · 36 Liang Seah St, #01-00 Heap Seng House · 1 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2024
- [虾皇小龙虾 Xiahuang Crayfish](https://lookup.sg/biz/xiahuang-crayfish), Bugis · 26 Liang Seah St · 1 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 2025
- [Wok Hey](https://lookup.sg/biz/wok-hey-bugis), Bugis · 200 Victoria St Bugis Junction Bugis Junction B1 · 1 min walk from Bugis MRT

## 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

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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.