# Zi Char in Hougang

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: 68
- Matched to a government licence/register: 6
- Median years in business: 8

## 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)
- [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 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
- [Qi Wei Chicken Claypot](https://lookup.sg/biz/qi-wei-chicken-claypot), Kovan · 947 Upper Serangoon Rd · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Qi Xiang Chicken Pot](https://lookup.sg/biz/qi-xiang-chicken-pot), Kovan · 973 Upper Serangoon Rd · 3 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [House of Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/house-of-seafood-hougang), Hougang · 180 Yio Chu Kang Rd · 15 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Yi Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/yi-restaurant), Kovan · 947 Upper Serangoon Rd · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2012
- [Yong's Teochew Kueh](https://lookup.sg/biz/yongs-teochew-kueh-kovan), Kovan · 1022 Upper Serangoon Rd · 6 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 1997
- [21 Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/21-seafood), Kovan · 212 Hougang St 21 · 4 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 1995
- [Yeo Ah Chye](https://lookup.sg/biz/yeo-ah-chye), Hougang · BLK 19 Defu Lane 10, #01-304 · 13 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 1974
- [Rui Xiang Restaurant Singapore](https://lookup.sg/biz/rui-xiang-restaurant-singapore), Hougang · Singapore Girls' Home, 1 Defu Ave 1, Singapore 539540, Singapore · 16 min walk from Tai Seng MRT · registered 2013
- [Hong Kong Street Hua Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/hong-kong-street-hua-seafood), Hougang · 21 Hougang St 51, #01-48 Hougang Green Shopping Mall · 9 min walk from Buangkok MRT · registered 2015
- [Heng Long Teochew Porridge](https://lookup.sg/biz/heng-long-teochew-porridge-kovan), Kovan · 1012 Upper Serangoon Rd · 5 min walk from Kovan MRT · SFA licensed
- [Sin Heng Kee Porridge](https://lookup.sg/biz/sin-heng-kee-porridge-hougang), Hougang · 685 Hougang St. 61, #01-150 · 9 min walk from Hougang MRT · SFA licensed
- [Yummy Palace](https://lookup.sg/biz/yummy-palace), Hougang · 87 Defu Lane 10, #02-01 · 15 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 2017
- [Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup](https://lookup.sg/biz/xin-yuan-ji-fish-soup-hougang), Hougang · 107 Hougang Ave 1 · 12 min walk from Kovan MRT · SFA licensed
- [Mala Xiang Guo](https://lookup.sg/biz/mala-xiang-guo-hougang), Hougang · Hougang Mall, 90 Hougang Ave 10 · 2 min walk from Hougang MRT · registered 2018
- [Xing Hua Lou](https://lookup.sg/biz/xing-hua-lou-kovan), Kovan · 205 Hougang St 21 · 1 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 2018
- [Uncle Leong Signatures](https://lookup.sg/biz/uncle-leong-signatures), Hougang · Daxin Industrial Building, 2 Kg Ampat · 7 min walk from Hougang MRT · registered 2019
- [House of White Bee Hoon](https://lookup.sg/biz/house-of-white-bee-hoon), Hougang · Our Tampines Hub, 1 Tampines Walk · 13 min walk from Hougang MRT · registered 2020
- [小邻里莆田兴化风味美食 Xiao Lin Li](https://lookup.sg/biz/xiao-lin-li), Hougang · Hougang Ave 1 · 9 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 2022
- [Soon Lee Fish Porridge Seafood Soup](https://lookup.sg/biz/soon-lee-fish-porridge-seafood-soup), Hougang · 4 Defu Lane 10 · 13 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 2023
- [A1 Kway Chap Duck Rice](https://lookup.sg/biz/a1-kway-chap-duck-rice), Kovan · 209 Hougang St 21, #01-16 · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 2026
- [Kow Loon Hong Kong Dim Sum](https://lookup.sg/biz/kow-loon-hong-kong-dim-sum-kovan), Kovan · Hougang St 21 Blk 210 · 3 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 2026
- [Lai Jiak Png (来呷饭)](https://lookup.sg/biz/lai-jiak-png), Hougang · 681 Hougang Ave 8, #01-853 · 8 min walk from Hougang MRT · registered 2025
- [Ding Tele](https://lookup.sg/biz/ding-tele), Kovan · 949 Upper Serangoon Rd · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Fragrant Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/fragrant-garden), Hougang · 756 Upper Serangoon Rd, #01-15/16 · 8 min walk from Serangoon MRT
- [Din Tai Fung](https://lookup.sg/biz/din-tai-fung-hougang), Hougang · 30 Tai Seng St, #01-02 · 2 min walk from Tai Seng MRT
- [Hougang fried oyster & Char Kway Teow](https://lookup.sg/biz/hougang-fried-oyster-and-char-kway-teow), Hougang · 435 Hougang Ave 8 · 7 min walk from Buangkok MRT
- [Jia Li Seafood Soup](https://lookup.sg/biz/jia-li-seafood-soup), Kovan · 957 Upper Serangoon Rd · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Peng Restaurant and Catering Services](https://lookup.sg/biz/peng-restaurant-and-catering-services), Hougang · 30 Lor 1 Realty Pk · 5 min walk from Hougang 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.