Zi Char (also known as Zhi Char/ Cze Char/ Tze Char/ Zhu Chao) refers to comforting Chinese home-style dishes cooked upon order, usually eaten at humble local eateries and coffee shops in Singapore.

Every Zi Char stall has different selections of a la carte dishes, and it is perfect for communal dining. The idea is to order a few dishes (or many), and everyone digs in together.

From butter pork ribs, prawn paste chicken wings to spring onion deer meat, here is our Guide to 21 Popular Zi Char Dishes that you will commonly find in zi char stalls across Singapore.

#1 BUTTER PORK RIBS

Butter Pork Ribs are succulent melt-in-your-mouth pork ribs that have been marinated in spices and cooked with butter powder. It is delightfully rich and has a sweet lingering aftertaste.

#2 CEREAL PRAWNS

Cereal Prawns is one of the bestselling Zi Char dishes. The prawns are deep-fried till golden brown, coated in butter cereal (sometimes spicy) before being seasoned with salt, sugar and pepper. And if you request, some stall owners would be kind enough to deshell the prawns for you before frying.

#3 CHILLI CRAB

The chilli crab is our national dish, and ranks number 35 on World’s 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go in 2011. A mud crab is used in this local delicacy, where the crustacean is stir-fried in chilli and tomato sauce. Best eaten with deep fried mantou buns!

#4 CRAB BEE HOON

Crab Bee Hoon is a claypot dish of springy rice noodles with crabs in a milky and sweet broth. The broth is characterised by its peppery taste and slight smokiness. Depending on the stall, some Crab Bee Hoon is actually served in a dry version. 

#5 CURRY FISH HEAD

Curry fish head is a dish that is largely influenced by both Indian and Nyonya cuisine. Typically, a red snapper’s head is used and stewed in a fragrant curry broth together with a myriad of vegetables such as eggplants, tomatoes and ladies’ fingers.

#6 DEEP FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN

As its name suggest, deep-fried crispy chicken is literally what it is. These tender chunks of meat are fried over high heat and sometimes eaten with salt.

#7 FISH HEAD STEAMBOAT

When ordering fish head steamboat, diners can choose from either a fish head or slices of fish meat dunked in semi-sweet soup. The bubbling hotpot lit by charcoal flame usually comes with assorted vegetables and tofu, and is a great dish for communal dining.

#8 FRIED SOTONG

Fried Sotong is a favourite of many and is a ubiquitous dish on many menus. Depending on the hawker, it is basically a dish of fried calamari rings which are usually battered or served with fragrant sauce.

#9 FURONG EGG

Furong Egg aka Egg Foo Young originated from mainland China. This Chinese delicacy is really an omelette with onions and shrimps, thickened with corn starch and served with gravy on the side. Simple but oh so good.

#10 HOTPLATE TOFU

Hotplate tofu is hands down one of the most satisfying Zi Char dishes. Served on a hotplate (hence its name), egg tofu is served atop sizzling egg, minced pork, assorted vegetables and a mixture consisting oyster sauce, light soy sauce and chilli bean paste. Best eaten with fragrant white rice!

#11 MEE GORENG

Mee Goreng inherently exudes both Chinese and Malay culinary styles, though most Zi Char stalls cook theirs the Chinese way. The tangy moist noodles are simultaneously sweet and spicy, hence packing a punch of flavour with every mouthful.

#12 MOONLIGHT HOR FUN

Moonlight Hor Fun (or what we affectionately know as yue guang he fen) is a plate of stir-fried kway teow (flat noodles) with bean sprouts, a selection of seafood and topped with a raw runny egg yolk. The exact ingredients may vary from vendor to vendor.

#13 NGOH HIANG

Ngoh Hiang, otherwise known as Lor Bak, is a Chinese snack served not just in Singapore’s Zi Char eateries but also across many other Asian regions. A meat filling – consisting of various spices and condiments – is wrapped in a beancurd skin, rolled up and fried, and cut into slices. It is usually eaten with a sweet sauce.

#14 PORK RIBS KING

Pork Ribs King is known as ‘jing du pai gu’ or ‘pai gu wang’ in Mandarin. The aromatic pork ribs are crispy on the outside and unbelievably tender inside – an absolute crowd pleaser this sure is, and is one common dish in a typical Zi Char meal. Caramelised sugar is used to sweeten the dish, and it is sometimes finished off with a sprinkle of white sesame seeds.

#15 PRAWN PASTE CHICKEN WINGS

Prawn Paste Chicken Wings are more affectionately known by its Cantonese name ‘Har Cheong Gai’. As its name suggests, the chicken wings are marinated in fragrant shrimp sauce, and together with the batter, the wings are deep fried into a plump and juicy state.

#16 SALTED EGG YOLK PRAWNS

Salted Egg Yolk Prawns are our all-time favourite and something that we religiously order since we were young. Prawns are dipped into salted duck egg yolk, before being stir-fried into a golden hue alongside curry leaves, chilli padi and minced garlic.

#17 SAMBAL KANG KONG

Sambal Kang Kong is such a simple but wonderful veggie dish. Water spinach is stir-fried with spicy sambal chilli paste, and the kickass spiciness is what Singaporeans are so addicted to.

#18 SAMBAL STINGRAY

Sambal Stingray is alternatively known by its Malay name, Ikan Bakar. The Chinese would call it ‘mo gui yu’, which literally translates to ‘monster fish’. The seafood is charcoal-grilled, then topped with generous amounts of sambal chilli paste and served with cincalok (Malaysian fermented shrimp sauce).

#19 SPRING ONION DEER MEAT

Spring Onion Deer Meat is more often than not prepared with ginger and spring onion and served on a piping hotplate. Venison is wonderfully tender and drenched in a seemingly simple but complex sauce created from soy sauce, white wine and oyster sauce.

#20 SWEET AND SOUR PORK

Sweet and Sour Pork is possibly the most well-known Zi Char dish amongst Westerners abroad. These flavourful meat chunks – usually pork – are stir-fried with bell peppers and diced pineapple. Crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, Sweet and Sour Pork is another of our all-time favourite.

#21 YAM RING

The physique of the scrumptious Yam Ring is shaped like a Buddhist monk’s alms-bowl and is loaded with fresh succulent prawns, chicken chunks, carrot slices, crunchy cashew nuts and mushrooms.

Illustrations for ladyironchef by Chen Xuan.

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.

Big Eater

Much has been said about Big Eater’s KL-style hokkien mee and crabs. If you are looking for a place to eat in the Jurong West area, make a trip to Big Eater.

Blk 964 Jurong West St 91 #01-342
Tel: +65 6397 0480
Daily: 4pm – 2am

Chin Huat Live Seafood

Chin Huat Live Seafood at Sunset Way serves competent food at reasonable prices. Besides the usual zi char offerings, they also have other unique dishes like Wagyu Beef on the menu.

For people who are staying in the west, Chin Huat is a great place to have live seafood. And you can enjoy your zi char meal in the comfort of an air-conditioned restaurant.

105 Clementi Street 12
#01-30 Sunset Way Singapore
Tel: +65 6775 7348
Daily: 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30pm–11pm

Fortune Seafood Restaurant

Another Zhi Char restaurant that we frequent is Fortune Seafood Steamboat restaurant along Bukit Timah Road. The no-frills restaurant is air-conditioned but we usually prefer to dine outside.

887 Bukit Timah Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6469 5957
Opening hours: 11am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5pm – 11.30pm Daily

Ga Hock Seafood Restaurant

Despite its inaccessible location, Ga Hock Seafood Restaurant has a huge following; regulars will go all the way there for a good and satisfying meal. The cze char eatery is tucked at the back of a run-down coffee shop.

794 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Hup Choon Eating House
Tel: +65 6314 5725
Daily: 4pm – 11pm

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon is famous for its namesake dish, but not everyone knows that they do an excellent har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken). We are going out on a limb to say that this is one of the best har cheong gai in Singapore.

Jumbo Coffee Hub at Blk 19A
Dover Crescent
Tel: +65 6778 3691
Daily: 11.30am–2pm, 5pm–11pm

Keng Eng Kee Seafood Restaurant

Located in a coffee shop at Alexandra Village, Keng Eng Kee Seafood Restaurant is one of the most popular zi char restaurants in the neighbourhood. Prices have increased quite a bit over the years, but the food in general is still pretty good. Even though it is crowded during dinner every night, the kitchen is extremely efficient and you don’t have to wait long for the food.

Blk 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-136 Alexandra Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6272 1038
Daily: 11.30am –2pm, 5pm–11pm

Kimly Seafood

Kimly Seafood Restaurant is a tze char chain with many outlets around the island. It is one of the zi char places that we go to when we feel like having a simple and fuss-free meal.

Blk 346 Jurong East Street 31
Daily: 2pm – 1am

Master Crab Seafood Restaurant

Crab-lovers must go to Master Crab Seafood Restaurant which serves a fantastic salted egg yolk crab. Besides the branch at Ghim Moh Road, Master Crab also has several branches in Singapore.

Blk 19 Ghim Moh Road #01-229
Tel: +65 6314 1868
Daily: 5pm – 10.30pm

Two Chefs Eating House

Two Chefs Eating Place is a familiar name for most as it is well-publicised in the media. Most of the dishes are decent, but nothing to shout home about. However, we will return just for the awesome Butter Pork Ribs.

Blk 116 Commonwealth Cresent #01-129
Tel: 6472 5361
Mon: 5pm – 11.30pm
Tue to Sun: 11.45am–2.30pm, 5pm–11.30pm

When I was younger, the de facto meeting place for gatherings was definitely at least a cafe, or a nicer restaurant for a special occasion. While I enjoy going out to fancy restaurants, I also like having a simple dinner at a Zhu Chao stall with my friends.

For one of our gatherings, we decided to meet at Tiong Bahru as everyone is working nearby. Since I’ve been to Sin Hoi San Seafood Restaurant, I asked my friend to recommend another eating place in the area, and she immediately suggested Por Kee Eating House – a very popular Zhu Chao Stall at Seng Poh road opposite Tiong Bahru Market.

Like what I’ve mentioned in my Singapore Must-Eats post, Zi Char (also known as Zhi Char/Cze Char/Tze Char/Zhu Chao) is a Chinese stall (in a coffee shop) that serves a variety of ala carte dishes at affordable prices.

The signature Home-made tofu braised with mushrooms is also highly recommended, and this is coming from a guy who only likes hotplate tofu. We also had the famous Champagne Pork Ribs ($16 for small), and it was really good.

As you all know, I’m on a quest to find the best sweet and sour pork in Singapore. Even though I have been disappointed each time, I still continued to try them. Unfortunately, Por Kee’s Sweet and Sour Pork ($12) was only mediocre. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing either.

The food at Por Kee Eating House is good, but not great. Furthermore, the prices at Por Kee are slightly higher than the typical Zhu Chao stalls; vegetable dishes start from $9 (small), and the meat dishes are around $12-16 (small).

I wouldn’t go all the way to Tiong Bahru just to eat this, and even if I am in the area, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Where do you usually eat in Tiong Bahru?

Singapore Food Blog Review
Por Kee Eating House
69 Seng Poh Lane #01-02
Tel: +65 6221 0582