# Zi Char in Sengkang

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: 26
- Median years in business: 12

## 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 26)
- [A One Claypot House](https://lookup.sg/biz/a-one-claypot-house-sengkang), Sengkang · The Seletar Mall, 33 Sengkang West Av · 1 min walk from Fernvale LRT
- [Canton Paradise](https://lookup.sg/biz/canton-paradise-sengkang), Sengkang · Compass Point, 1 Sengkang Sq · 1 min walk from Sengkang MRT · registered 2010
- [Dong Dong Hainanese Chicken Rice](https://lookup.sg/biz/dong-dong-hainanese-chicken-rice), Sengkang · Anchorvale Parkview, 338 Anchorvale Cres · 2 min walk from Farmway LRT · registered 2014
- [Haidilao](https://lookup.sg/biz/haidilao), Sengkang · 33 Sengkang W Ave, #03-36 to 37 The Seletar Mall · 1 min walk from Fernvale LRT
- [Paradise Hotpot (Compass One)](https://lookup.sg/biz/paradise-hotpot-compass-one), Sengkang · 1 Sengkang Square, #B1-34 Compass One · 1 min walk from Sengkang MRT
- [Din Tai Fung @ Compass One](https://lookup.sg/biz/din-tai-fung-compass-one), Sengkang · 1 Sengkang Square, #02 - 11/12/13 · 1 min walk from Sengkang MRT
- [Song Fa Bak Kut Teh at Seletar Mall](https://lookup.sg/biz/song-fa-bak-kut-teh-at-seletar-mall), Sengkang · 33 Sengkang W Ave, #01-39/40/41 The Seletar Mall · 1 min walk from Fernvale LRT
- [Lao Huo Tang](https://lookup.sg/biz/lao-huo-tang-sengkang), Sengkang · 33 Sengkang West Avenue The Seletar Mall 002F29 Seletar Mall · 1 min walk from Fernvale LRT
- [Teck Ee Seafood Fish Head Steamboat](https://lookup.sg/biz/teck-ee-seafood-fish-head-steamboat), Sengkang · Multi Storey Car Park-Aspella, 277 Compassvale Link · 1 min walk from Buangkok MRT
- [Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/xiang-xiang-hunan-cuisine-sengkang), Sengkang · 70 Compassvale Bow, #01-32 Sengkang Grand Mall · 2 min walk from Buangkok MRT
- [Subway (The Seletar Mall)](https://lookup.sg/biz/subway-the-seletar-mall), Sengkang · 33 Sengkang W Ave, #B1-08 The Seletar Mall · 1 min walk from Fernvale LRT
- [Koufu](https://lookup.sg/biz/koufu-sengkang), Sengkang · 110 Sengkang E Wy, #01 21 Sengkang General Hospital · 2 min walk from Cheng Lim LRT
- [Kimly Zi Char](https://lookup.sg/biz/kimly-zi-char-sengkang), Sengkang · Blk 266 Compassvale Bow #01-01 Mutli-Storey Carpark · 3 min walk from Ranggung LRT
- [山城正宗怡保河粉](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-545078), Sengkang · Compass One, 1 Sengkang Sq · 1 min walk from Sengkang MRT
- [L&M Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/l-and-m-seafood), Sengkang · 455 Sengkang W Ave, #01-01 · 8 min walk from Fernvale LRT
- [Fu Qi Grilled Fish](https://lookup.sg/biz/fu-qi-grilled-fish), Sengkang · 1 Sengkang Square, #02-31 Compass One · 1 min walk from Sengkang MRT
- [蔬方斋](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-799488), Sengkang · 259 Jalan Kayu · 4 min walk from Thanggam LRT
- [Fu Kee Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/fu-kee-seafood-restaurant), Sengkang · Singapore Pools, Blk 263 Compassvale St, 263 Compassvale St · 3 min walk from Cheng Lim LRT
- [Xiong Bbq Seafood Stir Fried](https://lookup.sg/biz/xiong-bbq-seafood-stir-fried), Sengkang · Compassvale Helm, 274A Compassvale Bow · 3 min walk from Buangkok MRT
- [Powerflow Electrical Singapore](https://lookup.sg/biz/powerflow-electrical-singapore), Sengkang · Aspella, 277C Compassvale Link · 1 min walk from Buangkok MRT
- [富俐海鲜](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-790417), Sengkang · Fernvale Riverwalk, 417 Fernvale Link · 1 min walk from Layar LRT
- [Cafeela Roti Prata and Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/cafeela-roti-prata-and-seafood-restaurant), Sengkang · 254 Jln Kayu · 3 min walk from Thanggam LRT
- [Bee Cheng Hiang](https://lookup.sg/biz/bee-cheng-hiang-sengkang), Sengkang · 1 Sengkang Square, #B1-26 · 1 min walk from Sengkang MRT
- [Chang Cheng Chinese Mixed Vegetables Rice](https://lookup.sg/biz/chang-cheng-chinese-mixed-vegetables-rice-sengkang), Sengkang · Blk 10 Sengkang Sq, Kopitiam Sq · 3 min walk from Sengkang MRT
- [小馆子](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-544829), Sengkang · 10 Sengkang Square · 3 min walk from Sengkang MRT
- [牛一嘴 Núodle](https://lookup.sg/biz/nuodle-sengkang), Sengkang · Yoshinoya, 1 Sengkang Sq · 1 min walk from Sengkang 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.