# Zi Char in Joo Chiat

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: 27
- Matched to a government licence/register: 4
- Median years in business: 15

## 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 27)
- [Thunder Tea Rice](https://lookup.sg/biz/thunder-tea-rice-joo-chiat), Joo Chiat · 328 Joo Chiat Rd. #01-04. · 9 min walk from Marine Parade MRT · registered 2002
- [Mackenzie Rex Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/mackenzie-rex-restaurant-joo-chiat), Joo Chiat · 144 Changi Rd · 4 min walk from Eunos MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1997
- [Tin Yeang Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/tin-yeang-restaurant), Joo Chiat · 300 Joo Chiat Rd · 10 min walk from Marine Parade MRT · registered 1978
- [Yam Kee Fei Fei Noodle House](https://lookup.sg/biz/yam-kee-fei-fei-noodle-house), Joo Chiat · 62 Joo Chiat Pl · 9 min walk from Eunos MRT · registered 1992
- [Chuan Wei Xuan](https://lookup.sg/biz/chuan-wei-xuan), Joo Chiat · 348JOO CHIAT ROAD · 9 min walk from Marine Parade MRT · registered 2011
- [JB Garden Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/jb-garden-seafood-restaurant), Joo Chiat · 346 Joo Chiat Rd · 9 min walk from Marine Parade MRT · registered 2011
- [Home Of Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/home-of-seafood), Joo Chiat · 1 Joo Chiat Pl · 10 min walk from Eunos MRT · SFA licensed
- [Teochew Traditional Seafood Steamboat](https://lookup.sg/biz/teochew-traditional-seafood-steamboat), Joo Chiat · 176 Joo Chiat Rd · 10 min walk from Eunos MRT · SFA licensed
- [Kim's Place Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/kims-place-seafood-joo-chiat), Joo Chiat · 43 Joo Chiat Pl · 9 min walk from Eunos MRT · SFA licensed
- [Old Place Seafood Taiwan Porridge](https://lookup.sg/biz/old-place-seafood-taiwan-porridge), Joo Chiat · 59 Joo Chiat Pl · 9 min walk from Eunos MRT · registered 2016
- [Joo Chiat Fish Soup](https://lookup.sg/biz/joo-chiat-fish-soup), Joo Chiat · 151 Joo Chiat Rd · 10 min walk from Eunos MRT · registered 2018
- [Yu Kee House of Braised Duck](https://lookup.sg/biz/yu-kee-house-of-braised-duck), Joo Chiat · 34 Joo Chiat Pl · 9 min walk from Eunos MRT · registered 2020
- [Lin's Braised](https://lookup.sg/biz/lins-braised), Joo Chiat · 271 Onan Rd, #02-29 · 10 min walk from Marine Parade MRT · registered 2021
- [Eng Seng Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/eng-seng-restaurant), Joo Chiat · Flora East241 Joo Chiat Pl · 8 min walk from Eunos MRT · registered 2026
- [East Treasure](https://lookup.sg/biz/east-treasure-joo-chiat), Joo Chiat · 328 Joo Chiat Rd · 9 min walk from Marine Parade MRT
- [锦记海鲜火锅](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-427447), Joo Chiat · 176 Joo Chiat Rd · 10 min walk from Eunos MRT
- [劉府私房菜](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-423556), Joo Chiat · 20 Tembeling Rd · 8 min walk from Eunos MRT
- [OK Zhen Hao Wei](https://lookup.sg/biz/ok-zhen-hao-wei), Joo Chiat · 271 Onan Rd · 10 min walk from Marine Parade MRT
- [Teck Ee Rice and Teochew Porridge](https://lookup.sg/biz/teck-ee-rice-and-teochew-porridge), Joo Chiat · 302 Joo Chiat Rd · 10 min walk from Marine Parade MRT
- [House Of Gandos](https://lookup.sg/biz/house-of-gandos), Joo Chiat · 1 Geylang Serai, #02-157 · 7 min walk from Cc9 MRT
- [Geylang Seafood Restaurant @ Joo Chiat](https://lookup.sg/biz/geylang-seafood-restaurant-joo-chiat), Joo Chiat · 44 Changi Rd · 7 min walk from Eunos MRT
- [Iqbal Soup Kambing At Geylang Serai Market](https://lookup.sg/biz/iqbal-soup-kambing-at-geylang-serai-market), Joo Chiat · 1 Geylang Serai · 7 min walk from Eunos MRT
- [香港街珍達記](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-joo-chiat), Joo Chiat · 132 Changi Rd · 4 min walk from Eunos MRT
- [荣 Rong Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/rong-seafood), Joo Chiat · 151 Joo Chiat Road · 10 min walk from Eunos MRT
- [Fei Fei Wanton Mee King](https://lookup.sg/biz/fei-fei-wanton-mee-king), Joo Chiat · 45 Joo Chiat Pl · 9 min walk from Eunos MRT
- [Hong Mao Noodle House](https://lookup.sg/biz/hong-mao-noodle-house), Joo Chiat · 128 Tembeling Rd · 11 min walk from Marine Parade MRT
- [D'Original Bumbu](https://lookup.sg/biz/doriginal-bumbu), Joo Chiat · 1 Geylang Serai, #02-109 Market and Food Centre · 7 min walk from Eunos 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

---
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.