# Zi Char in Somerset

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: 68
- Matched to a government licence/register: 11
- 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 30)
- [Fish and Co](https://lookup.sg/biz/fish-and-co), Somerset · 290 Orchard Rd #B1-35 / 36 · 4 min walk from Orchard MRT · SFA licensed
- [Crystal Jade Palace (Takashimaya Lvl 4)](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-jade-palace-takashimaya-lvl-4), Somerset · 391 Orchard Rd #04-19 Takashimaya Shopping Centre · 3 min walk from Orchard MRT · SFA licensed
- [Dancing Crab](https://lookup.sg/biz/dancing-crab-somerset), Somerset · 181 Orchard Rd, #07-14/15 · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT · registered 2014
- [Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-jade-la-mian-xiao-long-bao), Somerset · 391 Orchard Rd · 3 min walk from Orchard MRT · SFA licensed
- [Empire Fine Chinese Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/empire-fine-chinese-cuisine), Somerset · 391 Orchard Rd #05-13/14 Ngee Ann City · 4 min walk from Orchard MRT · registered 2019
- [Imperial Treasure Steamboat Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/imperial-treasure-steamboat-restaurant), Somerset · 111 Somerset Rd #02-14 TripleOne Somerset · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT
- [Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck](https://lookup.sg/biz/imperial-treasure-super-peking-duck), Somerset · 290 Orchard Rd #05 - 42 / 45 · 4 min walk from Orchard MRT
- [Crystal Cafe](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-cafe), Somerset · 131 Killiney Rd · 4 min walk from Somerset MRT
- [小肥羊 Orchard Gateway](https://lookup.sg/biz/orchard-gateway), Somerset · 277 Orchard Rd #02-18 Orchard · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT
- [Song Fa Signatures](https://lookup.sg/biz/song-fa-signatures), Somerset · 290 Orchard Rd, B1-06 Paragon · 4 min walk from Orchard MRT
- [Din Tai Fung](https://lookup.sg/biz/din-tai-fung-somerset), Somerset · 313 Somerset, 313 Orchard Rd · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT
- [Tung Lok Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/tung-lok-seafood), Somerset · 181 Orchard Rd · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2000
- [East Ocean Teochew Restaurant 東海潮洲酒家](https://lookup.sg/biz/east-ocean-teochew-restaurant), Somerset · #05-08/09 Ngee Ann City, Podium Block · 3 min walk from Orchard MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1992
- [Formosa Delights](https://lookup.sg/biz/formosa-delights), Somerset · 435 Orchard Rd · 1 min walk from Orchard MRT · SFA licensed · registered 1988
- [Rabbit Brand Seafood Delicacies](https://lookup.sg/biz/rabbit-brand-seafood-delicacies), Somerset · 304 Orchard Rd, #02-114 Lucky Plaza · 2 min walk from Orchard MRT · registered 2000
- [Shisen Hanten](https://lookup.sg/biz/shisen-hanten), Somerset · 333 Orchard Rd, Level 35 Hilton Singapore Orchard · 4 min walk from Somerset MRT · registered 1988
- [Tamaya Dining](https://lookup.sg/biz/tamaya-dining), Somerset · 45 Cuppage Rd, Cuppage Terrace · 3 min walk from Somerset MRT · registered 2009
- [Crystal Jade Golden Palace (Paragon)](https://lookup.sg/biz/crystal-jade-golden-palace-paragon), Somerset · 290 Orchard Rd, #05 - 22 · 4 min walk from Orchard MRT · SFA licensed
- [Nakajima Suisan Grilled Fish](https://lookup.sg/biz/nakajima-suisan-grilled-fish), Somerset · 391 Orchard Rd, B2-01/02 Ngee Ann City · 4 min walk from Somerset MRT · SFA licensed
- [Hai Di Lao Hot Pot](https://lookup.sg/biz/hai-di-lao-hot-pot), Somerset · 313 Orchard Rd, #04-23 to 24 · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT · SFA licensed
- [Bao Today](https://lookup.sg/biz/bao-today), Somerset · 313 Somerset · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT · SFA licensed
- [Jiang Hu Xia Ke](https://lookup.sg/biz/jiang-hu-xia-ke), Somerset · Orchard Rd · 3 min walk from Somerset MRT · registered 2017
- [Paradise Inn](https://lookup.sg/biz/paradise-inn), Somerset · 313 Orchard Rd · 1 min walk from Somerset MRT · SFA licensed
- [Kai Duck](https://lookup.sg/biz/kai-duck), Somerset · 391 Orchard Rd, #05-10/11 Ngee Ann City · 3 min walk from Orchard MRT · registered 2019
- [Fortune Court](https://lookup.sg/biz/fortune-court), Somerset · 111 Somerset Rd, #02-18/19 · 2 min walk from Somerset MRT · registered 2020
- [Seabaeho Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/seabaeho-seafood), Somerset · Beer@Orchard, 150 Orchard Rd · 3 min walk from Somerset MRT · registered 2023
- [So Good Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/so-good-seafood-restaurant), Somerset · 391 Orchard Road #05-13/14 Ngee ann city, podium block · 3 min walk from Orchard MRT · registered 2024
- [Beauty in The Pot](https://lookup.sg/biz/beauty-in-the-pot-somerset), Somerset · 176 Orchard Rd, #05-16 The Centrepoint · 2 min walk from Somerset MRT
- [Treasures Yi Dian Xin](https://lookup.sg/biz/treasures-yi-dian-xin-somerset), Somerset · Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd, B1-08 · 3 min walk from Orchard MRT
- [Little Sheep Hot Pot](https://lookup.sg/biz/little-sheep-hot-pot), Somerset · 277 Orchard Rd · 1 min walk from Somerset 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.