# Zi Char in Raffles Place

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: 56
- Matched to a government licence/register: 11
- 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)
- [Peach Garden](https://lookup.sg/biz/peach-garden-raffles-place), Raffles Place · 65 Chulia St, #33 floor · 4 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2002
- [Palm Beach Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/palm-beach-seafood), Raffles Place · 1 Fullerton Rd · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed
- [Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/si-chuan-dou-hua-restaurant), Raffles Place · 80 Raffles Place #60-01, #1 UOB Plaza · 2 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed
- [Majestic Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/majestic-restaurant), Raffles Place · 5 Straits View, #04-01 East Tower, Marina One · 1 min walk from Downtown MRT · registered 2019
- [The Salted Plum](https://lookup.sg/biz/the-salted-plum), Raffles Place · 6 North Canal Road · 4 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · registered 2018
- [QIN Restaurant and Bar](https://lookup.sg/biz/qin-restaurant-and-bar), Raffles Place · 10 Cross St, Level 4 · 1 min walk from Dt18 MRT · registered 2021
- [Tong Xin Ru Yi Traditional Hotpot](https://lookup.sg/biz/tong-xin-ru-yi-traditional-hotpot), Raffles Place · 6 Lor Telok · 4 min walk from Clarke Quay MRT
- [Ba Xian](https://lookup.sg/biz/ba-xian), Raffles Place · 9 Raffles Pl, Penthouse, Republic Plaza Tower 1 · 1 min walk from Raffles Place MRT
- [Din Tai Fung @ Marina Bay Link Mall](https://lookup.sg/biz/din-tai-fung-marina-bay-link-mall), Raffles Place · Marina Bay Link Mall, 8A Marina Blvd · 2 min walk from Downtown MRT
- [Jade Fullerton Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/jade-fullerton-restaurant), Raffles Place · 1 Fullerton Sq · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT
- [Zui Yu Xuan Teochew Cuisine 醉宇轩经典潮膳](https://lookup.sg/biz/zui-yu-xuan-teochew-cuisine), Raffles Place · 130/131 Amoy St, Far East Square · 1 min walk from Dt18 MRT
- [璞珍.精致潮粤菜 Pure Gem Chinese Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/pure-gem-chinese-cuisine), Raffles Place · 60 Robinson Rd, #01-00, #02-00 BEA Building · 2 min walk from Telok Ayer MRT
- [Chao Ting Teow Chew Pao Fan](https://lookup.sg/biz/chao-ting-teow-chew-pao-fan), Raffles Place · Far East Square · 1 min walk from Dt18 MRT
- [Din Tai Fung](https://lookup.sg/biz/din-tai-fung-raffles-place), Raffles Place · 1 min walk from Raffles Place MRT
- [Tian Tian Fisherman's Pier Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/tian-tian-fishermans-pier-seafood-restaurant), Raffles Place · 73 Boat Quay · 4 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1995
- [Harvest Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/harvest-seafood-restaurant), Raffles Place · 37 Boat Quay · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2000
- [Chao Shan Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/chao-shan-cuisine), Raffles Place · 17 Phillip St, #01-01/02 Grand Building · 2 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2010
- [The Asian Kitchen](https://lookup.sg/biz/the-asian-kitchen), Raffles Place · Raffles Place 9 · 1 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · registered 2005
- [Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/beng-thin-hoon-kee-restaurant), Raffles Place · 65 Chulia St, #05-02 OCBC Centre · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed
- [Forum Seafood Village Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/forum-seafood-village-restaurant), Raffles Place · 42 Boat Quay · 4 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · registered 2016
- [Boon Tat Street Bbq Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/boon-tat-street-bbq-seafood), Raffles Place · Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, 18 Raffles Quay · 3 min walk from Downtown MRT · SFA licensed
- [Imperial Treasure Bakery](https://lookup.sg/biz/imperial-treasure-bakery), Raffles Place · Asia Square Tower 1 · 2 min walk from Shenton Way MRT · SFA licensed
- [Aiman BBQ Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/aiman-bbq-seafood), Raffles Place · 18 Raffles Quay, #01 - 94 · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed
- [Yong Kee Bbq Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/yong-kee-bbq-seafood), Raffles Place · 05 Lau Pa Sat Festival Market 18 Raffles Quay · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · SFA licensed
- [Mala Xiang Guo](https://lookup.sg/biz/mala-xiang-guo), Raffles Place · Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, 18 Raffles Quay · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · registered 2018
- [Kuan Zhai Alley](https://lookup.sg/biz/kuan-zhai-alley), Raffles Place · 23 Church St, #01-02 to 08 Capital Square · 1 min walk from Telok Ayer MRT · registered 2022
- [Seafood by the River 滨海湾渔村](https://lookup.sg/biz/seafood-by-the-river), Raffles Place · 45 Boat Quay · 4 min walk from Raffles Place MRT · registered 2025
- [Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck](https://lookup.sg/biz/imperial-treasure-super-peking-duck-raffles-place), Raffles Place · Marina Vw, #02-08 Asia Square Tower 1 · 1 min walk from Shenton Way MRT
- [Empress](https://lookup.sg/biz/empress), Raffles Place · 1 Empress Pl, #01-03 Asian Civilisations Museum · 3 min walk from Raffles Place MRT
- [The Herbal Bar](https://lookup.sg/biz/the-herbal-bar), Raffles Place · 1 Raffles Link · 1 min walk from Raffles Place 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.