# Zi Char in Woodlands

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: 50
- Matched to a government licence/register: 1
- 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)
- [Lam's Culinary Enterprise](https://lookup.sg/biz/lams-culinary-enterprise), Woodlands · No. 1 Woodlands Sq · 1 min walk from Woodlands MRT · SFA licensed · registered 2009
- [Dian Xiao Er](https://lookup.sg/biz/dian-xiao-er), Woodlands · 1 Woodlands Square #05-11 Causeway Point · 1 min walk from Woodlands MRT · registered 2016
- [A-One Claypot House](https://lookup.sg/biz/a-one-claypot-house-woodlands), Woodlands · #03-31, Causeway Point · 1 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Sarah's Dumplings](https://lookup.sg/biz/sarahs-dumplings), Woodlands · 835 Woodlands St 83 · 9 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [The Eastern Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/the-eastern-seafood-restaurant), Woodlands · #01-329 Marsiling Ln · 13 min walk from Woodlands North MRT · registered 2008
- [Xing Hua Lou 《兴化楼》](https://lookup.sg/biz/xing-hua-lou), Woodlands · Causeway Point, 1 Woodlands Sq · 2 min walk from Woodlands MRT · registered 2018
- [Penang Roasted Delights](https://lookup.sg/biz/penang-roasted-delights), Woodlands · 806 Woodlands Street 81, Singapore806 · 6 min walk from Woodlands MRT · registered 2021
- [Joyful Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/joyful-seafood-woodlands), Woodlands · Chang Cheng Mee Wah · 10 min walk from Marsiling MRT · registered 2022
- [East Treasure Chinese Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/east-treasure-chinese-restaurant), Woodlands · 6 Woodlands Sq, #01-07/08/09/10 Woods Square · 3 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Hong Ji Claypot Bak Kut Teh](https://lookup.sg/biz/hong-ji-claypot-bak-kut-teh), Woodlands · 19 Marsiling Lane · 12 min walk from Woodlands North MRT
- [Long John Silver's](https://lookup.sg/biz/long-john-silvers-737737), Woodlands · 6 Woodlands Square, Mall, B2-19 Woods Square · 2 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Ah Keat Pig's Organ Soup and Kway Chap](https://lookup.sg/biz/ah-keat-pigs-organ-soup-and-kway-chap), Woodlands · 214 Marsiling Ln · 16 min walk from Woodlands North MRT
- [FuLee Group](https://lookup.sg/biz/fulee-group-woodlands), Woodlands · 39 Woodlands Cl, #01-65 MEGA@Woodlands · 9 min walk from Admiralty MRT
- [翡翠小厨](https://lookup.sg/biz/business-737735), Woodlands · 3 Woodlands Sq · 2 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Songhua River Dragon Banquet House Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/songhua-river-dragon-banquet-house-restaurant), Woodlands · #01-17, 306 Woodlands Street 31 · 4 min walk from Marsiling MRT
- [Lee Ji Bak Kut Teh (李记巴生肉骨茶）](https://lookup.sg/biz/lee-ji-bak-kut-teh), Woodlands · Blk 806 Woodlands Street 81, 806 Cafe · 6 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [FuLee Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/fulee-seafood-woodlands), Woodlands · 570A Woodlands Ave 1 · 5 min walk from Woodlands South MRT
- [Ming Kitchen Seafood Restaurant](https://lookup.sg/biz/ming-kitchen-seafood-restaurant-woodlands), Woodlands · 166 Woodlands St 13 · 2 min walk from Marsiling MRT
- [Muhammad Yassin K.Kampung Muslim Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/muhammad-yassin-k-kampung-muslim-seafood), Woodlands · Woodlands Street 12 Hawker Centre, 4 Woodlands St 12 · 7 min walk from Marsiling MRT
- [Lam's Noodle and Salt Baked Chicken](https://lookup.sg/biz/lams-noodle-and-salt-baked-chicken), Woodlands · 1 Woodlands Sq, #04-01 · 1 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Buey Tahan See-Food 瘦不了海鮮](https://lookup.sg/biz/buey-tahan-see-food-woodlands), Woodlands · Admiralty Grove, 693 Woodlands Ave 6 · 1 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Yeh Ting Hainan Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/yeh-ting-hainan-cuisine), Woodlands · 900 South Woodlands Dr · 2 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Hwa Heng Beef Noodle](https://lookup.sg/biz/hwa-heng-beef-noodle), Woodlands · Causeway Point, 1 Woodlands Sq · 1 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Li Yuan Seafood](https://lookup.sg/biz/li-yuan-seafood), Woodlands · Primz Bizhub, 21 Woodlands Clos · 9 min walk from Admiralty MRT
- [Xis Ke Noodles](https://lookup.sg/biz/xis-ke-noodles), Woodlands · 326 woodland street 32 #01-103 · 7 min walk from Marsiling MRT
- [CHOY KEE'S Seafood Kitchen](https://lookup.sg/biz/choy-kees-seafood-kitchen), Woodlands · 371 Woodlands Ave 1 · 3 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Buey Tahan See-Food 瘦不了海鮮](https://lookup.sg/biz/buey-tahan-see-food), Woodlands · 693 Woodlands Avenue 6. #01-10. · 5 min walk from Admiralty MRT
- [DUDU Cantonese Cuisine 嘟嘟粤菜](https://lookup.sg/biz/dudu-cantonese-cuisine), Woodlands · Marsiling Industrial Estate, 10 Marsiling Ind Estate Rd 1 · 9 min walk from Woodlands MRT
- [Ah Yi Handmade Noodle and Fish Soup](https://lookup.sg/biz/ah-yi-handmade-noodle-and-fish-soup), Woodlands · 4 Woodlands Street 12, #01-66 · 8 min walk from Marsiling MRT
- [Sichuan Cuisine](https://lookup.sg/biz/sichuan-cuisine-woodlands), Woodlands · Marsiling Greenview, 182 Woodlands St 13 · 4 min walk from Marsiling 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.