# Zi Char in Kovan

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: 23
- Matched to a government licence/register: 3
- Median years in business: 14

## 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 23)
- [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
- [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
- [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
- [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
- [Xing Hua Lou](https://lookup.sg/biz/xing-hua-lou-kovan), Kovan · 205 Hougang St 21 · 1 min walk from Kovan MRT · registered 2018
- [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
- [Ding Tele](https://lookup.sg/biz/ding-tele), Kovan · 949 Upper Serangoon Rd · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Jia Li Seafood Soup](https://lookup.sg/biz/jia-li-seafood-soup), Kovan · 957 Upper Serangoon Rd · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Kopitiam](https://lookup.sg/biz/kopitiam-kovan), Kovan · 11 Hougang Ave 1 · 3 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Wan Xing Mala Hotpot](https://lookup.sg/biz/wan-xing-mala-hotpot), Kovan · 1006 Upper Serangoon Rd · 5 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Tian Wai Tian Fish Head Steamboat](https://lookup.sg/biz/tian-wai-tian-fish-head-steamboat-kovan), Kovan · 203 Hougang St 21, #01-89 · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Claypot Valley](https://lookup.sg/biz/claypot-valley), Kovan · 212 Hougang St 21, #01-329 · 4 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [鼎旺麻辣香鍋](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-kovan), Kovan · Heartland Mall-Kovan, 205 Hougang St 21 · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Redhill Braised Duck Kway Chap 红山卤鸭粿汁](https://lookup.sg/biz/redhill-braised-duck-kway-chap), Kovan · 13 Simon Rd · 3 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [海珍坊 - Hai Zhen Fang Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/hai-zhen-fang-seafood), Kovan · 212 Hougang St 21, #01-341 · 4 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [金沙湾菜馆](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-530212), Kovan · Kovan City, 212 Hougang St 21 · 4 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Yi Shi Jia Shu Shi](https://lookup.sg/biz/yi-shi-jia-shu-shi), Kovan · 209 Hougang St 21 · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [Ah Siong Roast Duck 啊雄烧腊饭](https://lookup.sg/biz/ah-siong-roast-duck), Kovan · 7 Stars Coffee Shop, 210 Hougang St 21 · 2 min walk from Kovan MRT
- [潮州魚圓麺](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-74), Kovan · 209 Kovan Rd · 1 min walk from Kovan 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.