# Zi Char in Downtown Core

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: 254
- Matched to a government licence/register: 32
- 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)
- [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
- [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
- [Milkfish & Broth 鱼品良汤 Raffles City](https://lookup.sg/biz/milkfish-and-broth-raffles-city), Downtown Core · 252 North Bridge Rd B1-44F · 1 min walk from City Hall MRT · SFA licensed
- [Paradise Dynasty](https://lookup.sg/biz/paradise-dynasty-clarke-quay), Clarke Quay · #B1-01 Funan · 3 min walk from City Hall MRT · registered 2010
- [British Hainan](https://lookup.sg/biz/british-hainan), Bugis · 23 Purvis St · 3 min walk from Esplanade MRT · registered 2013
- [Palm Beach Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/palm-beach-seafood), Raffles Place · 1 Fullerton Rd · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed
- [Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/si-chuan-dou-hua-restaurant), Raffles Place · 80 Raffles Place #60-01, #1 UOB Plaza · 2 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed
- [Golden Mile Thien Kee Steamboat](https://lookup.sg/biz/golden-mile-thien-kee-steamboat), Kampong Glam · 6001 Beach Rd, B1-20 · 3 min walk from Nicoll Highway 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 Kitchen](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-jade-kitchen), Downtown Core · Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Blvd · 2 min walk from Promenade MRT · SFA licensed
- [PUTIEN Marina Square](https://lookup.sg/biz/putien-marina-square), Downtown Core · 6 Raffles Blvd, #02 - 205 Marina Square · 3 min walk from Promenade MRT · SFA licensed
- [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
- [Majestic Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/majestic-restaurant), Raffles Place · 5 Straits View, #04-01 East Tower, Marina One · 1 min walk from Downtown MRT · registered 2019
- [Delibowl Express](https://lookup.sg/biz/delibowl-express), Clarke Quay · 107 #02-06 North Bridge Road Mall Funan 179105 · 4 min walk from City Hall 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
- [SABAR Singapore](https://lookup.sg/biz/sabar-singapore), Tanjong Pagar · 100 Tras St #03-14 · 3 min walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT
- [Yan Ji Gourmet Seafood Soup By GoodEarth](https://lookup.sg/biz/yan-ji-gourmet-seafood-soup-by-goodearth), Clarke Quay · 107 North Bridge Rd #02-05 · 4 min walk from City Hall MRT
- [Guo Fu Hotpot](https://lookup.sg/biz/guo-fu-hotpot), Tanjong Pagar · 7 Wallich St #02 - 01 Guoco Tower · 1 min walk from Tanjong Pagar 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
- [Hai Tien Lo](https://lookup.sg/biz/hai-tien-lo), Downtown Core · 7 Raffles Blvd, Level 3 · 3 min walk from Promenade MRT
- [PUTIEN Raffles City](https://lookup.sg/biz/putien-raffles-city), Downtown Core · 252 North Bridge Road, #02-18, Raffles City Shopping Centre · 2 min walk from City Hall MRT
- [Peach Blossoms](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-blossoms), Downtown Core · 6 Raffles Blvd, Level 5 PARKROYAL COLLECTION, Marina Bay · 3 min walk from Esplanade MRT
- [Red House Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/red-house-seafood-downtown-core), Downtown Core · 8 Raffles Ave., #01-14 / 16 Esplanade Mall City Hall · 5 min walk from Esplanade MRT
- [The Oyster Bank](https://lookup.sg/biz/the-oyster-bank-clarke-quay), Clarke Quay · 107 North Bridge Road #02-32 Funan Mall · 3 min walk from City Hall MRT
- [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
- [Ba Xian](https://lookup.sg/biz/ba-xian), Raffles Place · 9 Raffles Pl, Penthouse, Republic Plaza Tower 1 · 1 min walk from Raffles Place MRT
- [Din Tai Fung @ Marina Bay Link Mall](https://lookup.sg/biz/din-tai-fung-marina-bay-link-mall), Raffles Place · Marina Bay Link Mall, 8A Marina Blvd · 2 min walk from Downtown MRT
- [Element Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/element-restaurant), Tanjong Pagar · 165 Tg Pagar Rd, Level One Amara Singapore · 3 min walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT
- [Jade Fullerton Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/jade-fullerton-restaurant), Raffles Place · 1 Fullerton Sq · 3 min walk from Raffles Place 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.