Zi Char (also known as Zhi Char/Cze Char/Tze Char/Zhu Chao) is a term used to describe a wallet-friendly, home-style cuisine from a Chinese stall, which serves a variety of ala-carte dishes and leaves you spoiled for choice. Most zi char stalls are located in a non-restaurant setting like a coffee shop or a hawker centre. There are also some local seafood restaurants which have air-conditioned dining area.
Here are some of the best zi char restaurants located in the west of Singapore.
Si Chuan Dou Hua is one of the most well-known restaurants in Singapore for Sichuan and Cantonese Cuisine. When I heard that the chefs at Si Chuan Dou Hua have created a pretty affordable set menu with suckling pig as the highlight, I knew I had to make a trip down.
The Roast Suckling Pig Feast is priced at $258++ and $428++ for 6 persons and 10 persons respectively. Which makes it at just $50/pax for the 8 course meal after tax and service charge. I think it’s a really good deal, and you should go to Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant at Parkroyal on Kitchener Road before the promotion ends on 30 April.
I’m really excited that Chinese New Year is just less than two weeks away. It is the time where we get to catch up with our relatives and friends. And of course, the part that I’m looking forward to is eating lots of yummy food.
In recent years, more and more families are choosing to eat out because of convenience and ambience. There are also some that order Chinese New Year Takeaways from restaurants and hotels, to eat at the comfort of their homes. No matter where you are having your reunion dinner, I hope you will have a good time with your loved ones!
If you are still looking for a restaurant to celebrate the occasion, let me help you with some suggestions for Chinese New Year Dinner 2012.
To most people, soup is comfort food. And lucky for me, I am fortunate to have home-cooked soup prepared lovingly by my mom all the time. This probably explains why it has never crossed my mind to step into the hugely popular Soup Restaurant. Until today.
Soup Restaurant probably needs no further introduction; it is a household name for double-boiled soup and homely Chinese fare.
It’s no secret that I love dim sum. I’ve been on a quest to find the best dim sum in Singapore and I’m happy to introduce you to my new favourite dim sum restaurant – Paradise Pavilion at Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC).
If Taste Paradise is a gorgeous fine dining Chinese restaurant with oriental decorations, Paradise Pavilion would be its westernised sibling, with a stunning French-inspired neoclassical ambience.
I’ll be honest. The only reason why I went to Old Hong Kong Legend at Raffles City Shopping Mall was because Royal China was fully booked that day. Surprisingly, they have pretty good dim sum at reasonable prices.
Like many others, I love to find nice restaurants that serve good food at affordable prices. Paradise Inn is a casual dining concept by the Paradise Group, with 11 branches in Singapore.
Tucked at the back of a run-down coffee shop along Upper Bukit Timah Road, Ga Hock Seafood Restaurant is a popular zhi char stall in the west of Singapore.
Despite its hidden location, Ga Hock has a huge following; many people flock here for a good and satisfying dinner. I only knew about Ga Hock when I asked on twitter for recommendations of the best zi char places in Singapore.