# Zi Char in Kampong Glam

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: 32
- Matched to a government licence/register: 4
- Median years in business: 22

## 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)
- [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
- [Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/si-chuan-dou-hua-restaurant-kampong-glam), Kampong Glam · 7500A Beach Rd · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [One Bowl Restaurant and Bar](https://lookup.sg/biz/one-bowl-restaurant-and-bar), Kampong Glam · The Sultan Hotel Lobby, 101 Jalan Sultan · 5 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Goodwill Cafeteria](https://lookup.sg/biz/goodwill-cafeteria), Kampong Glam · 390 Victoria St · 3 min walk from Bugis MRT · registered 1985
- [Seow Choon Hua Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/seow-choon-hua-restaurant), Kampong Glam · 327 Beach Rd · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT · registered 1994
- [Macau Express](https://lookup.sg/biz/macau-express), Kampong Glam · 371 Beach Rd · 3 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT · registered 2004
- [Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat](https://lookup.sg/biz/nan-hwa-chong-fish-head-steamboat), Kampong Glam · 812 N Bridge Rd · 6 min walk from Lavender MRT · SFA licensed
- [Mooi Chin Palace Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/mooi-chin-palace-restaurant), Kampong Glam · 390 Victoria St · 3 min walk from Bugis MRT · SFA licensed
- [Happy Crab](https://lookup.sg/biz/happy-crab), Kampong Glam · 13 Pahang St · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT · SFA licensed
- [Koo Kee Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/koo-kee-restaurant), Kampong Glam · Golden Sultan Plaza, 100 Jalan Sultan · 5 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT · registered 2018
- [Heng Long Teochew Porridge Rice](https://lookup.sg/biz/heng-long-teochew-porridge-rice), Kampong Glam · 809 N Bridge Rd · 5 min walk from Lavender MRT
- [Restaurant Aisyah](https://lookup.sg/biz/restaurant-aisyah-kampong-glam), Kampong Glam · 25 Arab St · 4 min walk from Bugis MRT
- [Nan Hua Chang Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/nan-hua-chang-seafood-restaurant), Kampong Glam · 462 Crawford Ln, #01-69/71 · 5 min walk from Lavender MRT
- [Juewei 绝味 (City Gate)](https://lookup.sg/biz/juewei-city-gate), Kampong Glam · 371 Beach Rd, #01-12 City Gate · 3 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Lam's Garden 林苑](https://lookup.sg/biz/lams-garden), Kampong Glam · Tai Pei Buddhist Centre, 2 Lavender St · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [King Of Fried Rice](https://lookup.sg/biz/king-of-fried-rice-kampong-glam), Kampong Glam · Beach Rd, 6001号B1-56 · 3 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Sichuan Tianfu Restaurant 天府川菜 (Beach Road)](https://lookup.sg/biz/sichuan-tianfu-restaurant-beach-road), Kampong Glam · 337 Beach Rd · 3 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [興隆潮州粥](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-198777), Kampong Glam · 809 North Bridge Rd · 5 min walk from Lavender MRT
- [YuCun 漁村砂煲咖喱魚頭](https://lookup.sg/biz/yucun), Kampong Glam · 29 Sultan Gate · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Leong Kee Bak Kut Teh](https://lookup.sg/biz/leong-kee-bak-kut-teh), Kampong Glam · 321 Beach Rd · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [House of Sticks 友情客串](https://lookup.sg/biz/house-of-sticks), Kampong Glam · PARKROYAL Serviced Suites Singapore, 7500A Beach Rd, Singapore 199591, Singapore · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Mr. Triple Hotpots 三锅先生](https://lookup.sg/biz/mr-triple-hotpots), Kampong Glam · 61 Jln Sultan · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [传统福洲风味](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-198481), Kampong Glam · 33 Sultan Gate · 4 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Let's Serve The Skewers](https://lookup.sg/biz/lets-serve-the-skewers), Kampong Glam · 100 Jln Sultan, #01-09 Sultan Plaza · 5 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Crab Man 烤蟹](https://lookup.sg/biz/crab-man), Kampong Glam · 341 Beach Road · 3 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Xia Lao Sheng Tang Si Fang Cai](https://lookup.sg/biz/xia-lao-sheng-tang-si-fang-cai), Kampong Glam · 807 North Bridge Rd · 6 min walk from Lavender MRT
- [52 Seafood Kitchen](https://lookup.sg/biz/52-seafood-kitchen), Kampong Glam · 100 Jln Sultan, #04-21 · 5 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Pak Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/pak-cuisine), Kampong Glam · 14 Haji Ln · 3 min walk from Bugis MRT
- [Steamov](https://lookup.sg/biz/steamov-kampong-glam), Kampong Glam · 367 Beach Rd · 3 min walk from Nicoll Highway MRT
- [Curry Fish Head House](https://lookup.sg/biz/curry-fish-head-house), Kampong Glam · Crawford Court, 462 Crawford Ln · 5 min walk from Lavender 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.