Yang Ming Seafood is a popular zi char eatery which offers an amazing menu, specializing premium live seafood at very reasonable prices. Tucked away in an unassuming Bishan neighbournood, this fuss-free, nondescript place is bustling with life with diners.

It is not difficult to understand why it is so popular. With a huge selection of premium live seafood including Australian & Boston lobsters, Sri Lankan crabs, bamboo clams, geoduck, Canadian clams, turbot and other fishes, being “spoilt for choice” is an understatement. It is impressive to see a local Zi Char eatery stocking such a huge variety of premium seafood, to say the least.

Yang Ming Seafood may not be a prestigious Chinese restaurant, but we dare say the food quality is good and definitely one that has earned our loyalty. We will go out on a limb to say that Yang Ming Seafood is one of the best Zi Char restaurants in Singapore.

Don’t expect any good service or fantastic ambience. It is a typical zi char place with old-school tables and chairs – you know, the usuals. But you’re in for a good meal, really. Plus, Yang Ming Seafood offers free corkage; you can bring along a bottle (or two) and they will provide the wine glasses at no additional charges.

There are several signatures dishes that require preorder and they include Lobster Chee Cheong Fun, Pig’s Stomach Chicken Soup, Ginger Chicken, Scallop & Lobster Porridge.

Perhaps the most famous dish at Yang Ming Seafood, the Lobster Chee Cheong Fun featured a whole lobster with silky smooth Chee Cheong Fun, fried shallot, fried garlic and premium soya sauce. What a treat!

You can choose between Australian Lobster (S$138/kg) or the smaller Boston Lobster (S$98 for 2 pcs/S$147 for 3 pcs). We had a 1.3kg Australian Lobster and the bill came up to S$180 for this dish.

Their signature pig’s stomach chicken soup (S$68) is definitely a crowd favourite! A whole kampong chicken was stuffed in a pig’s stomach and cooked for hours with white pepper and other herbs. The result? The soup was peppery and rich, while the chicken and pig’s stomach were tender and so tasty.

Another signature soup that requires preorder is the Japanese scallop chicken soup. We’ve heard good things about this too, and can’t wait to try it on our next visit!

The steamed bamboo clam (S$12 each) with garlic, vermicelli and chilli was bursting with flavours. The flesh was plump and juicy, too. Their rendition of this seemingly common dish actually puts many good Chinese restaurants to shame.

There are plenty of fish options available, alongside different cooking styles. We went with a Soon Hock cooked in Hong Kong Cantonese style (S$108). The result was a simple yet beautifully steamed fish; every flake was accompanied with a subtle taste of premium soya sauce and the fragrance of the ginger and coriander.

Another dish worth mentioning is the Har Cheong Gai. Yes, it’s a ubiquitous zi char dish but their version was so delicious, we couldn’t get enough. Well marinated, deep-fried to the perfect level of crisp while retaining the moisture of the meat – superb!

Another dish on the preorder menu is the Ginger Kampong Chicken (S$20 for half chicken). You can enjoy the smooth and tender Kampong Chicken with the ginger dip on the side.

Looking for some crabs? Prices are pretty reasonable, too. We had the Black Pepper Crab (S$102), and it was fresh as much as it was flavoursome.

We also had the Crab Bee Hoon (S$94) on a separate visit and it came with moist and flavourful fried bee hoon.

On the carbs side, we went with the Pig trotters’s Bee Hoon that was a comforting yet delicious dish – both young & old loved it. The wok hei was pronounced and they didn’t sting on the ingredients.

There are still so many dishes from Yang Ming Seafood that we’ve heard about and are highly raved, and we cannot wait for our next visit back. For those of you who are afraid of the heat, they have another outlet in Ubi which has air conditioning. Reservations are highly recommended especially for weekends.

Yang Ming Seafood Bishan
150 Bishan Street 11, Singapore 570150
Tel: +65 8028 9940

Yang Ming Seafood Ubi
1 Ubi Cres, #01-05 Excalibur Centre, Singapore 408571
Tel: +65 8028 2230

To put it simply, the direct Hokkien translation of ‘zi char’ is “cook and fry” and zi char stalls in Singapore offer a wide range of dishes that are much like home-cooked meals.

Zi char is a perennial favourite dining style when we plan big gatherings. The idea of sharing plates of Chinese food in a boisterous setting is really quintessentially Singapore! It is relatively simple and cheap as opposed to a posh restaurant and the loud chatter and bursts of laughter over the eating make up the ambience.

We’ve gathered a list of the more popular spots for zi char in the far West of Singapore. Here are 9 zi char eateries in Jurong to take your gatherings to.

Photo Credit: teosheewee

BIG EATER SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Gather around the crabs at Big Eater Seafood Restaurant and you’ll do good to choose between salted egg yolk and black pepper. Otherwise, opt for the easy way out and order both. Get their KL Hokkien Mee for sharing too along with a Crispy Fried Tofu.

964 Jurong West Street 91, #01-342
Singapore 640964
Tel: +65 6397 0480
Daily: 4pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Pioneer

Photo Credit: noobwifethecook

HONG GUAN COOKED FOOD

Hong Guan Cooked Food opened its first stall in 1986 and has been serving zi char with a signature Claypot Assam Curry Fish Head for three decades since. Though sweet and sour meat is usually prepped with pork, Hong Guan uses chicken thigh meat. Order it with their Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves.

3 Yung Sheng Road, #03-139/140
Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre
Singapore 618499
Tel: +65 6265 8860
Tue to Sat: 11am – 2am, 4:30pm – 9pm
(Closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Nearest Station: Lakeside

Photo Credit: Kelvin Tham

HUALONG FISHHEAD STEAMBOAT

Hualong Fishhead Steamboat was, for a long time, deeply rooted in Ang Moh Kio before they expanded out with their ever popular Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat as their reigning dish. The newest outlet was only just launched in late March in Jurong East but it’s unique because its dishes are a combo of zi char and mala (spicy numbing stir-fry).

Blk 526 Jurong West St 52
Zhen Wei Coffee Shop
Singapore 640526
Nearest Station: Lakeside

Photo Credit: jt6263

KAI XIANG SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Head to Kai Xiang Seafood Restaurant with a group of four and more to gather around their Fish Steamboat. Their signature Fried Eggs With Oysters is an absolute must. Though it’s pricier than the average, it impresses with generous portions of plump and briny oysters over crisp eggs that are fried without starch.

349 Jurong East Ave 1
Singapore 600349
Tel: +65 6563 7798
Daily: 8am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Chinese Garden

Photo Credit: starstuddedx

LEGACY SEAFOOD

Legacy Seafood might sound more familiar if you knew it was previously called Uncle Leong Seafood. Despite the name change, their recommendations remain the same with Chilli Crab or Shimmering Sand Crab Delight as their top crustacean dishes and Guinness Pork Ribs as their must-have main.

10 Science Centre Rd, #01-23
Singapore 609079
Tel: +65 6897 2881
Daily: 11am – 10:30pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

Photo Credit: wild_biao_catch

QI LIN XUAN KITCHEN

The signatures at Qi Lin Xuan Kitchen are their Teo Chew Style Steamed Red Groupa, Curry Fish Head, Ginger Onion Deer Meat, and for greens, H.K. Kai Lan with Silver Fish. For crustaceans, their popular crabs are Chilli Crab and Salted Egg Yolk Crab. Qi Lin Xuan has a number of outlets so besides Jurong West, you can find another branch near Jurong East MRT Station.

442 Jurong West Ave 1, #01-758
Singapore 640442
Tel: +65 6569 2540
Daily: 3pm – 11:30pm
Nearest Station: Lakeside

Photo Credit: ahungrywes

SINGFOOD STALL

Help yourselves to halal zi char dishes at SingFood Stall when you take your group gatherings to Jurong. Besides Curry Fish Head, try their creamy Cheese Prawn Bee Hoon that comes in a claypot. Their Hot Plate Chilli Snapper that’s not too spicy and has a sweet aftertaste.

504 Jurong West Street 51
Singapore 640504
Tel: +65 9815 2768
Daily: 12pm – 10:30pm
Nearest Station: Lakeside

Photo Credit: winnie_photography_

SUM KEE FOOD

Opposite Superbowl Jurong is where the second outlet of Sum Kee Food sits. You might find fish eggs in their signature Curry Fish Head that is meaty with smooth and tender flesh. Order their Ultraman Chicken which is popcorn chicken coated in salted egg yolk sauce.

19 Yung Ho Rd
Singapore 618592
Tel: +65 6873 3069
Daily: 11am – 2:30pm, 5pm – 10:30pm
Nearest Station: Lakeside

Photo Credit: michelin guide

ZAI SHUN CURRY FISH HEAD

For a hugely popular spot amongst West-siders that also received a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award in 2017, Zai Shun Curry Fish Head is the spot for steamed fish and Teochew porridge. You’ll want to bring your family down early for Zai Shun closes by the early afternoon and you don’t want to miss them just because you couldn’t beat the lunch crowd.

253 Jurong East Street 24, #01-205
Singapore 600253
Tel: +65 6560 8594
Thu to Tue: 7am – 3pm
(Closed on Wednesdays)
Nearest Station: Jurong East