# Zi Char in HarbourFront

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: 36
- Matched to a government licence/register: 5
- 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)
- [Paradise Teochew Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/paradise-teochew-restaurant), HarbourFront · VivoCity 1 Harbourfront Walk #01-53 · 3 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · registered 2011
- [Dancing Crab](https://lookup.sg/biz/dancing-crab), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-10 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · registered 2014
- [Putien](https://lookup.sg/biz/putien), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02 - 131 / 132 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Feng Xiang Bah Kut Teh (豐香)](https://lookup.sg/biz/feng-xiang-bah-kut-teh), HarbourFront · #03-01, VivoCity (Level 3), 1 HarbourFront Walk · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [A-One Claypot House](https://lookup.sg/biz/a-one-claypot-house), HarbourFront · Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Mr Hainan VivoCity 海南先生](https://lookup.sg/biz/mr-hainan-vivocity), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-116 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Mala Mala](https://lookup.sg/biz/mala-mala), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-01R5 in Food Republic) Vivo City · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Food Republic](https://lookup.sg/biz/food-republic-harbourfront), HarbourFront · Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2005
- [Paradise Dynasty](https://lookup.sg/biz/paradise-dynasty-harbourfront), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-128 / 130 · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2010
- [No Signboard Seafood 无招牌海鲜](https://lookup.sg/biz/no-signboard-seafood), HarbourFront · #03-02, VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2023
- [Bosses Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/bosses-restaurant), HarbourFront · Vivo City, 1 Harbourfront Walk · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · registered 2006
- [Dian Xiao Er](https://lookup.sg/biz/dian-xiao-er-harbourfront), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-138 9 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · registered 2016
- [Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/prima-tower-revolving-restaurant), HarbourFront · 201 Keppel Rd · 5 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · SFA licensed
- [Western Mahua 西部马华中华第一面](https://lookup.sg/biz/western-mahua), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03 - 11 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · registered 2017
- [Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup](https://lookup.sg/biz/xin-yuan-ji-fish-soup), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #B2-26 VivoCity · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · SFA licensed
- [London Fat Duck](https://lookup.sg/biz/london-fat-duck-harbourfront), HarbourFront · Vivo City, 1 Harbourfront Walk · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT · registered 2014
- [Alijiang](https://lookup.sg/biz/alijiang), HarbourFront · Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Ban Heng Pavilion Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/ban-heng-pavilion-restaurant), HarbourFront · 1 Maritime Sq · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Crystal Jade Pavilion (Vivo City)](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-jade-pavilion-vivo-city), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01 - 112 · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Haidilao Hot Pot](https://lookup.sg/biz/haidilao-hot-pot), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-09 Vivocity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Riverside Grilled Fish](https://lookup.sg/biz/riverside-grilled-fish), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-150 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Canton Paradise+ 樂天小香港小品 at VivoCity](https://lookup.sg/biz/canton-paradise-at-vivocity), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #B2-37 VivoCity · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [LeNu Chef Wai's Noodle Bar](https://lookup.sg/biz/lenu-chef-wais-noodle-bar), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-91 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Da Xi](https://lookup.sg/biz/da-xi), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-83/83A/84 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Xi Yu Grilled Fish/ Sauerkraut Fish](https://lookup.sg/biz/xi-yu-grilled-fish-sauerkraut-fish), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03 - 01 · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Chunky Lobsters](https://lookup.sg/biz/chunky-lobsters), HarbourFront · Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk · 1 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Tanyu 探鱼](https://lookup.sg/biz/tanyu), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-169/170 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [YAO YAO Chinese Sauerkraut Fish](https://lookup.sg/biz/yao-yao-chinese-sauerkraut-fish), HarbourFront · #02-145/146 VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [Yang Ming Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/yang-ming-seafood), HarbourFront · #02-158/259, VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront MRT
- [农耕记湖南土菜 Nong Geng Ji @ VivoCity](https://lookup.sg/biz/nong-geng-ji-vivocity), HarbourFront · 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-51A VivoCity · 2 min walk from Harbourfront 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.