# Zi Char in Tiong Bahru

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: 36
- Matched to a government licence/register: 2
- Median years in business: 13

## 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)
- [Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh](https://lookup.sg/biz/ya-hua-bak-kut-teh), Tiong Bahru · 593 Havelock Rd, #01-01/02 · 2 min walk from Havelock MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2011
- [Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/xin-cuisine-chinese-restaurant), Tiong Bahru · Outram Rd, Level 4 · 1 min walk from Havelock MRT · registered 1990
- [Por Kee Eating House](https://lookup.sg/biz/por-kee-eating-house), Tiong Bahru · 69 Seng Poh Ln #01-02 · 4 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [波记海鲜酒楼@Tiong Bahru](https://lookup.sg/biz/tiong-bahru), Tiong Bahru · 30 Seng Poh Rd #02-58 Food Centre · 4 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [No. 3 Crab Delicacy Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/no-3-crab-delicacy-seafood), Tiong Bahru · 265 Outram Rd · 2 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Sin Hoi Sai Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/sin-hoi-sai-seafood-restaurant), Tiong Bahru · 55 Tiong Bahru Rd, #01-59 · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2007
- [Tian Tian Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/tian-tian-seafood-restaurant), Tiong Bahru · 239 Outram Rd · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT · registered 1996
- [Lao Beijing](https://lookup.sg/biz/lao-beijing), Tiong Bahru · 302 Tiong Bahru Rd · 1 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT · registered 2002
- [Hua Bee Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/hua-bee-restaurant), Tiong Bahru · 78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-19 Block 78 · 5 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT · registered 2013
- [Jia Wang Cafe](https://lookup.sg/biz/jia-wang-cafe), Tiong Bahru · Blk 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee #01-164 · 4 min walk from Havelock MRT · registered 2015
- [Long Ji Zi Char](https://lookup.sg/biz/long-ji-zi-char), Tiong Bahru · 253 outram road · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT · registered 2016
- [Joyful Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/joyful-seafood), Tiong Bahru · 11b Boon Tiong Rd · 3 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT · registered 2022
- [Nana Curry](https://lookup.sg/biz/nana-curry), Tiong Bahru · #02-111 Tiong Bahru Plaza · 1 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT · registered 2024
- [De Classic Golden Spoon](https://lookup.sg/biz/de-classic-golden-spoon), Tiong Bahru · 62 Seng Poh Lane · 4 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Old Shifu Charcoal Porridge](https://lookup.sg/biz/old-shifu-charcoal-porridge), Tiong Bahru · 58 Seng Poh Rd, #01-17 · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [A-One Signature](https://lookup.sg/biz/a-one-signature-tiong-bahru), Tiong Bahru · Tiong Bahru Plaza, 302 Tiong Bahru Rd · 1 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT
- [Ting Heng Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/ting-heng-seafood), Tiong Bahru · 82 Tiong Poh Rd · 4 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Lao Si Chuan Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/lao-si-chuan-restaurant), Tiong Bahru · 249 Outram Rd · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [老友记鱼头炉](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-160057), Tiong Bahru · Tiong Bahru Estate, 57 Eng Hoon St · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Chinatown Zhong Zhong Fine Spice](https://lookup.sg/biz/chinatown-zhong-zhong-fine-spice), Tiong Bahru · 30 Seng Poh Rd, #02-22 · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Covent Garden Kway Chap](https://lookup.sg/biz/covent-garden-kway-chap), Tiong Bahru · 22A Havelock Rd, #01-05 Cooked Food Centre · 4 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT
- [Tiong Bahru Lee Hong Kee Cantonese Roasted](https://lookup.sg/biz/tiong-bahru-lee-hong-kee-cantonese-roasted), Tiong Bahru · 30 Seng Poh Rd, #02-60 Market · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Kong Wai Cantonese Cuisines](https://lookup.sg/biz/kong-wai-cantonese-cuisines), Tiong Bahru · 30 Seng Poh Rd · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [鼎興美味魚頭爐](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-160082), Tiong Bahru · Tiong Bahru Estate, 82 Tiong Poh Rd · 4 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [New Hong Kong Congee 新港粥品](https://lookup.sg/biz/new-hong-kong-congee), Tiong Bahru · Amoy Street Food Centre, MND Complex (Annexe B), 7 Maxwell Rd · 2 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT
- [Taste of the Bay](https://lookup.sg/biz/taste-of-the-bay), Tiong Bahru · 30 Seng Poh Rd, #01-123 Market · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Chengdu Sichuan Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/chengdu-sichuan-restaurant), Tiong Bahru · 243 Outram Rd · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [V Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/v-seafood), Tiong Bahru · Market Valley, 222 River Valley Rd · 3 min walk from Havelock MRT
- [Lead General](https://lookup.sg/biz/lead-general), Tiong Bahru · Tiong Bahru Plaza, 302 Tiong Bahru Rd · 1 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT
- [Heng Heng Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/heng-heng-seafood), Tiong Bahru · 22 Havelock Rd · 4 min walk from Tiong Bahru 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

---
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.