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

Perhaps one of the most versatile sauces to go onto—and sometimes even into—our food is salted egg yolk. A simple yet quintessential component that can turn something that, by itself is pretty average, into something insanely addictive, salted egg yolk is something we all go mad for.

Sweet, creamy, savoury and normally brimming with nuanced aromas of curry leaves and chilli, salted egg yolk dishes remain at the helm of Singapore’s ever-evolving food scene. A popular zi char comfort food and something we often gravitate towards whenever we’re in need of a hearty tummy filler is salted egg yolk chicken rice.

Here, we suss out our favourite spots to get salted egg yolk chicken rice, ensuring that you will always have a place to turn to whenever the craving for this decadent dish kicks in—regardless of the time of day. Here is our list of 6 best salted egg yolk chicken rice in Singapore.

CUI XIANG YUAN

Cui Xiang Yuan Restaurant has under its belt a rather impressive repertoire of traditional zi char dishes. Their standout dish among the lot is no doubt their Salted Egg Chicken Rice.

Possessing all the qualities of a decent salted egg yolk chicken—from the crispy chicken to the sweet, savoury and subtly spicy sauce—we must admit that this hit the spot. We will admit that it was not the best we’ve tried but it sure did not disappoint either way.

47 Tanglin Halt Rd, Block 47, Singapore 141047
Tel: +65 9866 5128

GLC RESTAURANT

Boasting an impressive array of zi char delights that taste really good and are priced pretty affordably, GLC Restaurant is definitely one to consider should you find yourself hankering after proper zi char that’s also Muslim-friendly for your Muslim friends.

Their famous Salted Egg Chicken Dice Rice (S$5.50) came with a generous portion of diced chicken coated in a copious amount of savoury, spicy salted egg sauce as well as a fried egg that was perched atop a bed of warm white rice. The salted egg sauce truly had us in awe. We’ve tried many different kinds of salted egg dishes and this is no doubt one of our favourites. The sauce here is a tad bit spicier here than most places. However, we preferred that and we liked how it gave the dish an extra fiery kick.

GLC Restaurant
121 Upper Paya Lebar Road
Singapore 534836

JIA YUEN EATING HOUSE

Coming from humble beginnings, this hidden gem located within Jia Yuen Eating House started out as nothing more than a food delivery business but now has a fully operational stall along Crane Road.

A glorious sight to behold, Salted Egg & Buttermilk Chicken Rice is something salted egg fanatics are sure to swoon over. this one-dish-wonder features generous portions of bite-sized chicken pieces, rice and a fried egg with a runny yolk. The chicken pieces are first deep-fried before they are coated with a luscious and rich salted egg and buttermilk sauce.

13 Crane Road,
Singapore 429359
Daily: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar / Eunos

NEW STATION SNACK BAR

New Station Snack Bar nestled in Far East Plaza is where you can find affordable Chinese food in town. This small eatery has been highly raved about for serving delectable pork ribs, chicken wings and other side dishes but the dish that you absolutely must-try is their Salted Egg Yolk Pork Rice—our favourite Salted Egg Pork Rice in Singapore.

Crispy and succulent, the pork ribs are drenched in a tasty salted egg yolk sauce; we love that the sauce is rich and extremely flavourful with a hint of curry from the curry leaves—a great and cheap option should you wish not to overspend when you’re in town.

14 Scotts Road
#05-95 Far East Plaza
Singapore 228213
Tel: +65 6734 2862
Mon, Wed to Fri, Sun: 11.30am – 9pm
Sat: 11.30am – 9.30pm
(Closed on Tuesday)
Nearest Station: Orchard

TASTE GOOD

One of our favourite places in Singapore to satisfy our cravings for Salted Egg Chicken/ Pork Ribs rice is at Taste Good, a hidden gem nestled on the second floor of Sim Lim Square that serves up stellar economical mixed rice dishes, and most importantly, the extremely popular Salted Egg Chicken with rice.

Served in a mini wok, a generous portion of salted egg chicken is layered atop cabbage and also comes with a sunny side up egg (with a top-up of S$0.50) and white rice. We appreciated that Taste Good kept the presentation simple, as the beauty of its simplicity allowed us to focus on the true flavours of the dish—The smooth, creamy salted egg yolk sauce was the bomb.

1 Rochor Canal Road,
#02-04 Sim Lim Square,
Singapore 188504
Tel: +65 6336 6298
Daily: 9.30am – 7.45pm
Nearest Station: Bugis

YONG TAI SEAFOOD

Serving up a surprisingly wide variety of dishes from humble rice and noodle one-dish-wonders to other seafood and meat dishes, what you can expect from Yong Tai Seafood is local zi char comfort food done right and at a reasonable price point—it’s also good that they close at 4am on most days, meaning that you can get quality zi char in the wee hours of the morning.

Famous for their Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Rice, we made it a point to order one up for ourselves. We were not disappointed, in fact, given its price point—and how fast it took from the wok to our table—we were rather impressed.

130 Sims Avenue
Singapore 387453
Tel: +65 9612 1912
Mon: 5pm – 12am
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 4pm, 5pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Aljunied

If you were only allowed to order one dish from any zi char stall for the rest of your life, we can bet that most Singaporeans would opt for a plate of perfectly fried har cheong gai.

Har cheong gai is Cantonese for prawn paste chicken, which is literally what it is; tender, succulent pieces of chicken that are coated with a batter comprising of flour and fragrant fermented shrimp paste before being deep-fried to perfection.

There are hundreds of places in Singapore that sell delicious, satisfying har cheong gai, but we have here is a list of the 16 best har cheong gai in Singapore that undeniably outshines the rest.

7TH MILE SEAFOOD

7th Mile Seafood may have closed down due to Covid-19 but you can still get its famous Har Cheong Gai (S$12) from its sister restaurant, Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant.

Fried to perfection, the chicken wings are so crispy and juicy that you can easily finish half a dozen of them on your own.

18 Toh Yi Dr, #01-97
Singapore 590018

21 SEAFOOD 

The har cheong gai from 21 seafood is succulent and fried to crispy perfection. We also like how the chicken is not too oily and the aroma that the chicken brims with is seriously unbeatable.

212 Hougang Street 21
Singapore 530212
Tel: +65 6343 0771
Daily: 12pm – 3.30pm, 5pm – 11.30pm
Nearest Station: Kovan

AH TAN WINGS 

The owner of Ah Tan Wings is surprisingly a 26-year old man who has had no prior experience in the culinary arts. He’s driven by his childhood passion for har cheong gai alone, which is evident from the fragrant, crispy plates of har cheong gai that he pushes out daily.

51 Yishun Avenue 11
#01-40 Yishun Park Hawker Centre
Singapore 768867
Mon to Fri: 11am – 9pm
Sat and Sun: 11.30am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Yishun

1 Kadayanallur Street
#01-03 Maxwell Food Centre
Singapore 069184
Mon to Fri: 11am – 9pm
Sat: 11.30am – 9pm
(Closed on Sunday)
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

BAN LEONG WAH HOE

We are going out on a limb to declare that Ban Leong Wah Hoe has one of the best, if not the best, har cheong gai in Singapore.

The juicy pieces of har cheong gai served here at Ban Leong Wah Hoe are absolute flavour bombs. They are well-marinated and perfectly fried to a golden crisp and we love the satisfying crunch it makes when we bite into it!

122 Casuarina Road
Singapore 579510
Tel: +65 6452 2824
Sat to Thu: 11am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 11pm
Fri: 11am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Yio Chu Kang

FUMAN SEAFOOD ZICHAR

Fuman Seafood Zichar sells a plethora of amazing dishes. However, one of our favourites here definitely has to be the har cheong gai. These wings were chunky and juicy, and we like how they are always deep-fried perfectly to a nice, golden crisp.

703 Hougang Ave 2
Singapore 530703
Tel: +65 6913 7087
Daily: 12pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Hougang/Kovan

HOLLAND VILLAGE XO FISH HEAD 

This place is not just famous for its XO fish head! Their har cheong gai has that unmistakably crunchy skin that we all love and underneath that crispy goodness is incredibly tender, succulent chicken meat that we just cannot get enough of.

19A Dover Rise
#01-05 Dover Coffee Hub
Singapore 131019
Tel: +65 6778 3691/9833 1003
Daily: 11.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Buona Vista

KA-SOH 

The har cheong gai here is a tad bit pricier than the ones you can usually find at other places. However, we feel that it is definitely worth the steep price as it is undeniably one of the best har cheong gais we’ve ever eaten in Singapore. Juicy, crispy and fragrant, you will definitely find yourself reaching for another piece in no time.

2 College Road
Singapore 169850
Tel: +65 6473 6686
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Outram Park

Photo Credit: deuxavenue

MING CHUNG 

This no-frills restaurant serves up some solid har cheong gai that is a crowd favourite. The chicken is coated generously in prawn paste and fried to a perfect golden crisp. We love the satisfying crunch sound it makes when we bite into it!

67 Maude Road
Singapore 208348
Tel: +65 6296 3428
Tue to Sun: 3pm – 11.30pm
(Closed on Monday)
Nearest Station: Farrer Park/Jalan Besar

NO. 5 EMERALD HILL 

A cocktail bar in its own right, who would’ve thought that you could find one of Singapore’s best prawn paste chicken here? This is one of our favourite places in Singapore to get har cheong gai, and many people dub is it as the best har cheong gai in Singapore.

While the chicken here is extremely crispy, it is not too oily and dry and goes amazingly well with a beer or martini.

5 Emerald Hill Road
Singapore 229289
Tel: +65 6732 0818
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 2am
Fri and Sat: 12pm – 3am
Sun: 5pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Somerset

ORIOLE COFFEE AND BAR 

Oriole is the perfect place to grab some har cheong gai if you’re in town and you’re craving some of this fragrant goodness. The har cheong gai here is fried to a lovely golden crisp and comes in really generous portions making it ideal for sharing!

96 Somerset Road
#01-01 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites
Singapore 238163
Tel: +65 6238 8348
Sun to Thu: 8am – 11pm
Fri and Sat: 8am – 12am
Nearest Station: Somerset

POR KEE EATING HOUSE 1996

Their signature har cheong gai is a generously coated in fragrant, umami-rich prawn paste that permeates the surrounding air upon being served. The meat of the chicken is also delightfully succulent and incredibly satisfying to bite into.

69 Seng Poh Lane #01-02
Singapore 160069
Tel: +65 6221 0582
Tue to Sun: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11.30pm
(Closed on Monday)
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru

SENG KEE BLACK CHICKEN HERBAL SOUP

Aside from their famous Black Chicken Herbal Soup, Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup serves up some solid har cheong gai that never fails to leave us wanting more. We like how the chicken here is not heavy on the batter, but even so, retains a mouthwatering prawn taste.

467 Changi Road
Singapore 419893
Tel: +65 6746 4089
Daily: 11am – 4am
Nearest Station: Kembangan

SIN HO

Sin Ho’s har cheong gai is almost always sold out every day by 8pm, which speaks volumes of how much everyone loves it! The chicken is perfectly marinated in fragrant, mouthwatering prawn paste which fills our mouths with every bite. We also love how a plate of this goodness is so affordable—no wonder it is always sold out!

216 Bedok North Street 1
#01-75 Bedok North Hawker Centre
Singapore 460216
Wed to Sun: 8.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm
(Closed on Monday and Tuesday)
Nearest Station: Bedok

SINPOPO BRAND

The har cheong gai here is a pile of crispy goodness that we cannot get enough of. We love ordering it with their popular Nasi Lemak Set For 2 and we feel that the chicken goes really well with the rest of the other dishes in the set.

458 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427671
Tel: +65 6345 5034
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 10pm
Fri and Sat: 12pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Dakota

TIAN WAI TIAN 

At Tian Wai Tian, they serve up freshly fried har cheong gai at very affordable prices. The chicken here is delightfully plump and we love how nice and crisp the skin is. This is one of our go-to places for good and crispy har cheong gai in Singapore.

1383 Serangoon Road
Singapore 328254
Tel: +65 8183 4856
Daily: 5pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Potong Pasir

TWO CHEFS 

Two chefs har cheong gai has a milder prawn paste flavour which we actually prefer to many other places as it is not too overpowering. We like how the prawn paste taste did not drown out the taste of the freshly fried chicken, making for a well-balanced dish that we thoroughly enjoyed.

410A Sin Ming Avenue #01-01
Singapore 571410
Tel: +65 6451 3812
Daily: 11am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Bishan

YONG TAI SEAFOOD 

The har cheong gai takes on a subtle umami prawn aroma and the chicken was delightfully crispy and succulent. What we loved about it was that it was not coated too heavily in batter, which made it easier for us to chow down on more pieces of this goodness.

130 Sims Avenue
Singapore 387453
Tel: +65 9612 1912
Mon: 5pm – 12am
Tue to Sun: 12am – 4pm, 5pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Aljunied

Read: 22 Best Fried Chicken in Singapore that you have to try at least once in your life.

The Upper Thomson enclave is regarded by many as a foodie’s haven; you’d never go hungry there.

With so many food options to choose from and quite a number of eateries that open late into the night, you will never be short of options at any time of the day. From local delights to slightly more posh nosh and a smorgasbord of cafes and ice cream parlours, Upper Thomson is easily one of our favourite neighbourhoods to stuff ourselves silly at.

The food scene here is rather dynamic with eateries opening and closing as the months go by. If you are unsure of where to start, here is our comprehensive guide to 29 food places in Upper Thomson.

ALL THE BATTER

Weekends just got “all the batter” (all the better) with their exclusive Avocado Dessert Menu featuring highlights such as avocado cakes, smoothies and Avocado Milk Balls! Before you rush down to All The Batter at Jasmine Road—off Upper Thomson road—do note that it is open only during the weekends.

17 Jasmine Road
Adelphi Park
Singapore 576585
Tel: +65 8510 6313
Sat & Sun: 11am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

AUNTIE KIM’S KOREAN RESTAURANT

One of the longest standing Korean restaurants in the neighbourhood, Auntie Kim’s sees a relatively large pool of regular clientele who constantly return for its delicious Korean fare.

Although a tad pricey, what you can expect from this humble establishment is a wide array of comforting stews, soups and even barbecue options that are just perfect for cold, rainy days.

265 Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 574392
Tel: +65 6452 2112
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

BAKER’S BREW STUDIO

Baker’s Brew Studio is a sanctuary for the baking enthusiasts in Singapore. Looking for a birthday cake? Look no further! Baker’s Brew is Singapore’s leading cake specialist.

Choose from their wide selection of artisanal bakes and if you are feeling adventurous enough, sign up for one of their baking classes too!

246H Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574370
Tel: +65 6493 2246
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue to Sun: 11am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

BAN LEONG WAH HOE SEAFOOD

Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood is packed with hungry diners daily and its slight inaccessibility is clearly not a deterrent as foodies would travel all the way there just to satisfy their seafood and zi char cravings.

Besides their famous chilli crabs and black pepper crabs, Ban Leong Wah Hoe is also renowned for their mouthwatering zi char. They have the best Har Cheong Gai (prawn paste chicken wings) in Singapore.

122/124 Casuarina Road
Singapore 579510
Tel: +65 6455 2824
Mon to Thu: 11am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 11pm
Fri to Sun: 11am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Yio Chu Kang

BROWNICE ITALIAN VEGAN ICE CREAM & KITCHEN

Brownice is a restaurant and ice cream parlour that promises 100% vegan food, making it quite a rare find in Singapore.

As much as sceptics will go on about how vegan ice cream is not an ‘authentic’ dessert, we beg to differ. Their ice cream still packs the rich and creamy qualities of any typical ice cream.

8 Sin Ming Road, #01-03
Sin Ming Centre,
Singapore 575628
Tel: +65 6456 6431
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

CASUARINA CURRY

Casuarina Curry is hugely popular among the morning breakfast crowd for several good reasons. For one, they manage to nail the basics every time, whipping up crispy roti prata accompanied with a hearty fish or mutton curry.

Their ability to keep prices relatively low—considering how large their portion sizes are—is another reason why this humble prata shop has managed to retain a loyal customer base after all this time.

136 & 138 Casuarina Road
Tel: +65 6455 9093
Daily: 7am – 12am
Nearest Station: Yio Chu Kang

COLUMBUS COFFEE CO.

Situated amidst the hustle and bustle of Upper Thomson Road is a brand new addition to Singapore’s cafe scene—Columbus Coffee Co.

Managed by the same people behind Atlas Coffeehouse and Lunar Coffee Brewers, Columbus Coffee Co. is a stylish new brunch concept that delivers a straightforward menu with exceptional yet not overly-pretentious dishes and a curated selection of coffee brews. Coffee aficionados may be interested to know that the coffee beans are roasted by Two Degrees North Coffee Co.

220 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574352
Tel: +65 6253 6024
Daily: 9am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

DAAWAT TANDOORI

If you ever find yourself craving for a solid tandoori or even some North Indian sweets, Daawat Tandoori is the place you go to. Their kitchen is formed by a team of professional chefs from India so you can bet that their food is as authentic as it can get.

Some of the must-haves include their butter chicken as well as their assorted naan and tandoori meat offerings. For dessert, consider the gulab jamun, a milk-based dessert that swims in a rose flavoured sugar syrup.

207 Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 574346
Tel: +65 6822 3716
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

EDWIN & COOKS

Run by a team of experienced chefs from a multitude of culinary backgrounds, Edwin & Cooks started off as a kitchen and storage space for private chef services for parties and events and has since opened up their own bistro.

Some must-try items include the Sloppy Joes Dog (S$12) as well as the oh-so-sinful Chicken Burger (S$16) that features a crispy fried chicken thigh, generously slathered with their homemade buffalo wing and cheddar cheese sauce.

11 Sin Ming Road, #01-13
Thomson V Two
Singapore 575629
(Closed on Mondays)
Sun to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri: 11am – 12am
Nearest Station: Marymount

FATBOY’S THE BURGER BAR

At Fat Boy’s, it’s either go fat or go home.

The massiveness of their burgers is what makes this burger joint most attractive. Indulge in the sinful Fat Bastard (S$19.80); double beef patties, extra thick bacon, cheesy cheddar and a fried egg in between the fluffy sesame buns, or challenge the chef’s creation with the ‘Build Your Own Burger’ option.

187 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6252 8780
Mon to Thu: 4pm – 12am
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Marymount

HABITAT COFFEE

Habitat Coffee needs no further introduction. It is easily the most popular cafe along the Upper Thomson stretch. While Habitat’s food remains subjective to those with discerning palates, it certainly serves one of the better coffees in Singapore. They are passionate about bringing different coffee blends of varying origins and each dine-in coffee is complemented with a caramel biscuit.

223 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6456 2567
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue to Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

LITTLE PART 1 CAFÉ

Little Part 1 Café is an indie cafe tucked away on the obscure Jasmine Road, situated among big bungalows off the main road. In a nutshell, they serve up comfort food from chicken and waffles to buffalo wings and decent coffee.

Beer aficionados get excited because they also house some rare Trappist beers from Belgium.

15 Jasmine Rd
Singapore 576584
Tel: +65 6451 7553
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue to Thu: 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Fri: 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 12am
Sat: 12pm – 12am
Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

MANEKO JAPANESE RESTAURANT

New to the bustling food enclave, taking over what used to be Nunsongyee Koran Dessert Cafe, Maneko Japanese Restaurant is a cosy, 30-seater eatery that serves quick, fuss-free Japanese delights ranging from sashimi, sushi, donburi, soba, udon and a huge selection of sides.

227 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574359
Tel: +65 6909 5401
Daily: 11am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

MENG’S KITCHEN

Meng’s Kitchen is opened till 4.30am daily and 99% of its customers are there for their heavenly bak chor mee (minced pork noodles).

Despite the abundance of bak chor mee options all over Singapore, our love for Meng’s Bak Chor Mee remains loyal and sturdy.

246B Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 574370
Tel: +65 6455 4890
Mon to Sat: 9.30am – 4.30am
Sun: 9.30am – 12am
Nearest Station: Marymount

ONE MAN COFFEE

One Man Coffee is a speciality coffee concept that focuses on the art of the espresso. They share the premise with French eatery, Garçons, which operates in the evening once the humble coffee shop closes. As stunning as their humble brews and latte art are, we absolutely love their food as well.

Their Gashaus Eggs and Berries French Toast is a crowd favourite and just what you’d need for that weekend brunch.

215R Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574349
Tel: +65 9658 1685
Daily: 9am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Marymount 

PACAMARA BOUTIQUE COFFEE ROASTERS

This coffee shop that sits on the edge of the Upper Thomson stretch has a menu of salads and brunch items, wonderful coffee and a variety of hipster bottled drinks as well.

Their truffle fries are by far one of the best we have ever had and makes an excellent side item. Other stellar dishes to consider include their Chicken Mushroom Mac & Cheese (S$17.50), Slow Cooked Ox Cheek (S$24) as well as their Blueberry Pancakes (S$17.50).

185 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574333
Daily: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

PARKER KOREAN RESTAURANT

Parker boasts a homey, no-frills vibe that is great for family dinners. Compared to Auntie Kim’s, this Korean eatery is more affordable. While it looks unassuming, do not let its dodgy exterior intimidate you.

They serve up a massive variety of yummy Korean dishes and stews that ooze comfort especially during cold days.

209 Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 574347
Tel: +65 6251 2606
Daily: 11am – 3.30pm, 5pm – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

PASTA J

What initially began as a hawker stall that used to focus on a small variety of dishes and their signature bottled pesto is now a full-service restaurant where you can find excellent pasta and unconventional dishes such as Ultimate Kaya Toast and Western-inspired dumplings.

Dogs are allowed on the premises in the restaurant (although they do not have a menu for your furballs) so feel free to bring your four-legged pals along as well.

205 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574345
Tel: +65 9004 1800
Daily: 12pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Marymount

PEPERONI PIZZERIA @ THOMSON

At Peperoni Pizzeria, all their pies are cooked traditionally in a wood-fired oven and topped generously with fresh ingredients and this is no different at their Upper Thomson outlet.

From the classic pancetta that features cured bacon, sliced tomatoes and an egg to their newer chilli crab pizza, there is bound to be something fit for your palate.

267 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574394
Tel: +65 6509 1575
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Sun: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

PHO VIET

A relatively new addition to the slew of cafes and eateries in Upper Thomson, this humble Vietnamese eatery—situated along the same stretch where Maneko Japanese Restaurant and One Man Coffee are located at—serves up hearty bowls of pho as well as a variety of rice dishes. Though not the best we’ve tasted, they are the only Vietnamese joint in the whole of Upper Thomson.

215M Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 8518 0090
Daily: 11am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

SCISSOR CUT CURRY RICE

For rustic and affordable grub that spells hearty but isn’t something fit for the ‘gram’, Scissor-Cut Curry Rice is the place to go.

Choose from their wide selection of ingredients and watch as the cook cuts them up into all sorts of odd shapes and sizes. The finale comes when the thick curry is ladled over to give you what is probably the most soul-satisfying meal you will ever have.

244p Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 574369
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

OMOTÉ

Popular chirashi don eatery in Thomson Plaza, the humble Japanese joint had recently moved into a much bigger space on level 2, adopting its new name, Omoté. Their awesome value-for-money Bara Chirashi Don is a must-try. But do not be fooled by its unbelievably affordable price tag because what you get are insanely thick cubes of fish and a generous amount of Japanese rice.

No doubt the queues might be off-putting, but we assure you it is definitely worth the wait!

#01-22/30, 301 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574408
Tel: +65 9450 1020
(Closed on Tuesdays)
Mon to Sun: 11.45am – 2.15pm, 5.45pm – 9.15pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

THRIVE

New to Upper Thomson Road’s cluster of vibrant cafes and eateries is Thrive, a new boho-themed cafe that specialises in artisanal coffee, loaded healthy toasts and acai bowls—or should we say cups. They are a joint collaboration between Boxgreen and An Acai Affair and the very first one to set up shop.

215B Upper Thomson Road,
Singapore 574349
Tel: +65 9688 9211
Sun to Thu: 11.30am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11.30am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

THE ROTI PRATA HOUSE

One of the best crispy roti prata according can be found right in The Roti Prata House. The pratas here strike a perfect balance between crispy and fluffy which we absolutely adore.

Sweet pratas such as kaya pratas and strawberry pratas are also available. Other mains include nasi briyani and mee goreng in endless variations. The Roti Prata house opens till as late as 4am on Fridays and Saturday,s which makes it an ideal supper place.

246 Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 574370
Sun to Thu: 7am – 2am
Fri & Sat: 7am – 4am
Nearest Station: Marymount

THUS COFFEE

Nestled in the Sembawang Hills Estate neighbourhood is Thus Coffee, a chic cafe that offers stellar grain bowls, pasta, brunch, hearty stews and coffee.

Not only that, coffee aficionados can take pleasure in knowing that their coffee beans are freshly roasted in-house—something often overlooked at many cafes in Singapore.

Thus Coffee
4 Jalan Kuras
Singapore 577723
Tel: +65 8411 7565
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue to Sun: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Ang Mo Kio

TOMOE JAPANESE CUISINE

From their early beginnings in 1990, Tomoe Japanese Cuisine is a cosy eatery that has a menu of bento sets, udon and sashimi.

They may not possess anything unique but what you can definitely bank on is decent Japanese food when you do not want to be part of the queues for Japanese restaurants in town.

263 Upper Thomson Road, #01-01
Singapore 574390
Tel: +65 6732 7522
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

TUK WAN KITCHEN

Known for dishing out tasty Thai dishes with a slight local twist, it didn’t take long for Tuk Wan Kitchen to gain immense popularity among the residents of Upper Thomson.

Evenings often see a full house and just looking at their stellar line-up of tasty dishes from their deep-fried barramundi with a Thai-style sambal to their pimped up mango sticky rice, we can see why.

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10 Jalan Leban
Singapore 577551
Tel: +65 6748 9909
Daily: 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Yio Chu Kang

WILDER MANN GERMAN RESTAURANT BAR

Set in a quaint stretch of old shophouses along Upper Thomson Road, Wilder Mann has been decorated to reproduce a unique German atmosphere, where you and your friends can have a solid time over beers and good old German food.

Fridays and Saturdays are pork knuckle days so be sure to snag those bad boys quick before they run out.

906 Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 787110
Tel: +65 9879 9544
Mon to Fri: 6pm – 11.45pm
Sat: 6pm – 1am
Sun: 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Yio Chu Kang

WORD CAFE

Word Cafe is a Muslim-owned cafe that exudes hipster-esque vibes. They are also very popular for their rainbow bagels.

But aside from being pretty to look at, they are also used in a variety of tasty burgers. Their Handsome Burg (S$20) is an absolute show stopper.

906 Upper Thomson Rd
Singapore 787110
Tel: +65 9742 9224
(Closed on Mondays)
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Yio Chu Kang

WONG CHIEW EATING HOUSE

Despite being around for over a decade now, this humble corner coffee shop hasn’t gotten much limelight, but trust us when we say that these folks are worth a visit. Opened 24-hours a day, they dish out anything from roast meat, various rice and noodle dishes, dim sum as well as their signature Kampung Chicken.

19 Sembawang Road
Singapore 779075
Tel: +65  6456 6838
Nearest Station: Khatib/ Yio Chu Kang

While Yishun is known for making strange news headlines regularly, some good does exist in this bizarre neighbourhood.

Nestled amongst HDB flats in Yishun, Heng Hua Restaurant is a hidden gem which serves authentic Heng Hwa delights and a wide variety of zi char dishes at pocket-friendly prices. You can expect to find mouth-watering Chinese food that is perfect for your family.

A stone’s throw away from Yishun MRT Station, this eatery is one great destination you must visit if you are ever in the vicinity.

The Stir-Fried Yam Slices (S$10) is a classic Heng Hwa dish that we hardly see in Singapore. These bite-sized delights are coated in a sweet-savoury sauce and then deep-fried to a slightly golden colour. The yam was extremely soft and it would simply melt away in your mouth in a matter of seconds.

The one dish that you must order is the Heng Hua-Style Fried Bee Hoon (S$4.50). This popular dish features vermicelli stir-fried with clams, topped with beancurd puffs, peanuts and dried seaweed. Not only did the vermicelli had hints of the seafood flavour from the clams, the crunchy peanuts and seaweed made the dish even more addictive.

If you prefer a dish with more ‘soup’ or gravy, try the Heng Hua-Style Lor Mee (S$4.50) instead. Served in a rich pork broth, this dish was packed full of umami flavour that had us slurping down everything. Pair this with some Stir-Fried Yam Slices to balance out the savoury flavour with some sweetness.

Another must-order item is the Deep-Fried Tenggui Fish (S$10). Deep fried to perfection, the fish is moist on the inside and golden brown on the outside.

Dip your fish with some of their special homemade soy-based sauce and chopped garlic to highlight that sweet fish flavour.

The eatery gets pretty packed during the weekends and we highly recommend calling in for reservations. Nevertheless, service here is very efficient so you will never have to wait that long for a table.

Heng Hua Restaurant
748 Yishun Street 72
#01-212 Singapore 760748
Tel: +65 6756 1762
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Nearest station: Yishun MRT

Putian Flavor Food—not to be confused with the Putien chain of restaurants—is a small, humble restaurant hidden in Lorong Ah Soo which serves authentic and delicious Heng Hwa food from the Fuzhou province in China at a fraction of restaurant prices.

In a nutshell, what you can expect to find in this hidden gem is comforting, light and tasty food at its best. The one dish that you surely must order is the Fried ‘Hing Wa’ Bee Hoon, an umami-packed noodle dish that brilliantly encapsulates the qualities of Heng Hwa cuisine—light, healthy but packs serious flavour.

The eatery itself is rather small and can probably only seat 20 people on the inside and 10 to 15 people outside at a time. Nevertheless, service here is pretty efficient so, despite a crowd, you will never have to wait that long for a table.

Boasting an extensive menu of authentic dishes from Fuzhou—from cold and warm starters to comforting mains—this is the perfect spot for a casual family dinner.

A simple dry noodle dish, the Fried ‘Hing Wa’ Bee Hoon (S$5 for small) is a common staple in many restaurants dedicated to Putian-style cooking. The strands of bee hoon were springy and soaked up the briny flavours of the clams and prawns well. The addition of dried seaweed and peanuts added nice umami and textural quality to the dish as well.

For those who find this noodle dish a tad bland or dry, we highly recommend that you add in a dollop of their homemade chilli sauce that you can find in the condiment tray—it really heightens the dish tenfold!

The ‘Putian’ Lor Mee (S$5 for small) was an absolute showstopper. Served in a rich and creamy broth, the noodles were cooked till soft and the aroma of the soup alone was enough to get us salivating. Besides the noodles, this dish comes chock full of other ingredients such as clams, prawns, mushrooms, pork belly and vegetables.

For a real treat, stir in some of their chilli sauce.

For a decent tummy filler, consider the Fried Oyster Egg (S$10). The oysters are plump and fresh and the egg is expertly fried without being oily.

When it comes to pig innards, it is either you adore it or regard it with disgust. For us, we absolutely love it to bits and the Halogen Large Intestine (S$8) served here did not disappoint. Braised in a sweet and lightly spiced gravy, the pig intestines were tender and oozing with delicious porky flavours.

Putian Flavor Food
121 Hougang Avenue 1
#01-1350
Singapore 530121
Tel: +65 9225 9418
(Closed on Wednesdays)
Mon to Sun: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Kovan

We are seeing a rapid growth in F&B establishments that are experimenting with mod-sin cuisine. Known as ‘Modern Singaporean’ cuisine, this cooking style takes on an innovative approach with local dishes and it requires plenty of time for research and development in order to get the recipes right.

Jiakpalang Eating House is an up-and-coming casual restaurant along Alexandra Road that offers local Zi Char dishes with a twist. Driven by his passion for food and cooking, the restaurant’s executive chef Nixon Low gained some experience assisting in the kitchen before starting his own business.

Some of the interesting dishes you can expect at Jiakpalang Eating House are Charcoal Katarosu Pork Collar slathered with Kopi “C” sauce, Cereal Pan Seared Foie Gras and “Assam” Pulau Ubin Sea Bass. If you are getting tired of the usual Zi Char dishes, why not give this place a try?

Jiakpalang Easting House is a great lunch spot for executives who are working nearby. During lunch, the restaurant serves up delicious rice bowls set at affordable prices that would not burn a hole in your wallet.

Some of the flavours you can look forward to indulging include Sesame Soy Chicken Rice Bowl (S$6.90) and Cereal Prawn Rice Bowl (S$13.90).

Photos Credit: Jiakpalang Easting House

If not, pop by for dinner with your family—the restaurant’s dinner menu features an unconventional take on Singaporean delicacies such as Yuzu Lala Clams (S$12), “Ang Ji Kao” Stout-Braised Beef Cheek ($17) and Har Cheong ($13).

Jiakpalang Easting House
456 Alexandra Road
#01-04/06, Fragrance Empire Building
Singapore 119962
Tel: +65 6266 8511
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 10pm
Sat: 6pm – 10pm
Sun: Closed
Nearest Station: Labrador Park

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.

Hainanese chicken rice is Singapore’s national dish, it is a must-eat food when you are here. When you ask locals for recommendations, it is impossible to agree on which is the best chicken rice in Singapore as everyone has their own favourites.

However, no one will deny that Tian Tian Chicken Rice is one of the most famous chicken rice stalls. It even gained the approval of Anthony Bourdain when he was in Singapore.

Tian Tian has expanded from a humble hawker stall in Maxwell Road into a restaurant at Joo Chiat Road. Instead of eating at the hawker centre, you can now choose to dine in comfort, and it also offers a relatively big menu that includes zi char dishes such as Sambal Kangkong ($6), Hainanese Pork Chop ($8), and Assam Fish Slices ($10).

We all have our favourite joints and the truth about which one reigns supreme varies. For me, Tian Tian is one of my favourite chicken rice in Singapore, and I always bring my overseas guests here to try this famous local dish.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
443 Joo Chiat Road
Tel: +65 6345 9443
Daily: 10.30am – 10.30pm

Maxwell Road
#01-10/11 Maxwell Food Centre
Tel: +65 9691 4852
Tue to Sun: 11am – 8pm

Le Chasseur has been widely raved about in numerous reviews by newspapers, magazines and food blogs. A few of my friends are also huge fans of the food there. They are always talking about this hidden gem of a restaurant that serves good zi char. So when a friend was in town visiting, I decided to bring her there for dinner. And from the first dish, we could not stop singing its praises.

The menu is extensive, and you will find that you want to order everything. Perennial favourites include coffee pork ribs ($16), salted fish eggplant ($8.5), fish bee hoon with bittergourd ($7), pork knuckle ($32) and claypot chicken rice ($11)

We started off with the oyster omelette ($9) and stir-fried kailan ($5.3).

Next, we had butter oatmeal prawns ($6/100g). They were very good, but I was told that their BBQ live prawns ($9.6) are even better. Apparently, you need to make an advance reservation for it as they only sell a limited quantity of it everyday.

Everyone was also won over by the claypot rice ($20 for L/$11 for S) – one of the signature items on the menu. You know it is something special when the girls asked for second helpings of carbs during dinner. Definitely a must-order if you are eating at Le Chasseur.

The herbal chicken ($16), on the other hand, was only decent. It is something that I will order once, but not again.

The pièce de résistance was the pork knuckle ($32). Deep-fried three times to ensure the crispiness, it was blow-my-socks-off good. It came with a special sauce made of cucumber, onion, starfruit, and light soya sauce. While the pork knuckle was good enough on its own, the sauce added a slightly different dimension to it.

All in all, Le Chasseur is an air-conditioned zi char restaurant that serves excellent food at very affordable prices. I will definitely bring my friends back to try the other signature dishes.

Le Chasseur
Blk 27 Eunos Road 2
Tel: +65 6337 7677
Nearest Station: Eunos

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

One of the best food in Singapore is definitely Chicken Rice. For the uninitiated, chicken rice is basically steamed/roasted chicken and white rice, served with chilli sauce, ginger, and dark soy sauce.

Every time I have chicken rice, I wonder why I don’t eat it more often. Especially when there are so many good ones around. Everyone has their favourites, Singaporeans always like to debate on where is the best chicken rice in Singapore.

Of course, I have my own favourite chicken rice stalls, but I’m always on the lookout for new places to try. Chin Chin Eating House at Purvis Street has always been known for their chicken rice, so when I happened to be in the area, I suggested going there for lunch.

For some reason, I was craving for Hainanese Pork Chop, and as soon as I saw it on their menu, I ordered a portion.

I liked Chin Chin Chicken Rice well enough to go back again, although I don’t think they are the best chicken rice I’ve had. Don’t get me wrong, though. The chicken, the rice, the chilli, they are all good. But it just didn’t wow me. The Pork Chop too, was decent, but not life-changing.

If you are thinking of where to eat in the City Hall/Bugis area, Chin Chin Eating House at Purvis Street might just be the place to go.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Chin Chin Eating House
19 Purvis Street
Beach Road Conservation Area
Tel: +65 6337 4640
Daily: 7am – 9pm

You know a marketing campaign is successful when people still remember the slogan after a long time. When you mention Chin Huat Live Seafood, chances are, people will think of the slogan “lobster bigger than little girl” used in their television advertisement years ago.

Chin Huat Live Seafood at Sunset Way, is of course, more than just lobsters. Besides the typical Sri Lanka crabs, they offer a huge variety of seafood and popular zichar dishes.

The restaurant was pretty full when we went on a weekday for dinner. As it was just a casual family dinner, we decided to play safe and order the usual stuff like chilli crabs, deep-fried chicken, and sambal kangkong.

Everyone knows that Chilli Crab is one of the must-eats in Singapore. But to be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with it.

On one hand, I really love dipping the deep-fried mantou into the savoury-sweet chilli gravy. On the other, the amount of work – from cracking a shell that’s as hard as a bulletproof tank; to trying to coax the meat out from the deep end of the shell – doesn’t justify all the work for so little flesh.

More than anything, I am a lazy person who doesn’t like to dirty his hands just for crabs. But fine, I did it anyway. Who can resist the temptation of Chilli crab with deep-fried mantou?

As much as I’d love to try Chin Huat’s signature Golden Sauce Crab, we only had room for another crab and we went for the Salted Egg Yolk Crab ($43 per kg). It was okay. I felt that the salted egg yolk crab would be better if there was more gravy.

I was trying very hard to concentrate when the Dong Po Rou ($16) arrived. They were magnificent – just look at the picture above!

The others commented that the sauce was a little too sweet, but I thought that it was just nice. Then again, I have a really sweet tooth, so don’t take my word for it.

The Deep-fried Crispy Chicken ($12 for half) was equally good-looking. It’s really difficult to breathe when you have Chilli Crab, Salted Egg Yolk Crab, Dong Po Meat, and Crispy Chicken on the table. I felt as though I was in a room surrounded by gorgeous babes.

Chin Huat Live Seafood at Sunset Way serves competent food at reasonable prices. Besides the usual zi char, they also have other unique dishes like Wagyu Beef on the menu. It is a great place to have live seafood if you are staying in the west of Singapore.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Chin Huat Live Seafood
105 Clementi Street 12
#01-30 Sunset Way Singapore
Tel: +65 6775 7348

For more recommendations, read my Guide to Sunset Way Restaurants

“Where can you find the cheapest crabs in Singapore?”

Irvin’s Seafood Cze Char at River Valley road is probably the place to go. Most of the crabs on the menu – like black pepper crab, chilli crab, butter crab – are available for just $19.9. There’s a catch of course. The crabs are much smaller, around 500g each.

Personally, I thought that it was a good tactic to attract customers. But taste-wise, the crabs that we had were nothing special. Irvin’s Seafood is only worth a try if you a) are on a budget b) want to try a variety of crabs.

The sauce of the Chilli Crab ($19.9 for 500g/$29.9 for 800g/$39.9 for 1kg) was a little too starchy and there was a rather strong vinegar taste to it.

The Salted Egg Yolk Crab ($23.9 for 500g/$33.9 for 800g/$42 for 1kg) was supposed to be Irvin’s seafood signature crab. But again, we didn’t really enjoy it as we felt that the sauce was too buttery and lacked the fragrance of the salted egg yolk.

The Shrimp Paste Chicken ($12.8 for small) was just fine – I mean, deep-fried food always taste good. It’s slightly pricier than normal cze char places, though.

Hot plate black pepper deer meat ($18.8)

Perhaps Irvin’s was having a slightly bad day. Perhaps the crabs were cooked exactly as they were supposed to, and it was because we didn’t know how to appreciate them.

Would I go back to Irvin’s Seafood restaurant again? I don’t think so. While the prices of the crabs are fairly attractive, we didn’t really like them. If I were in the River Valley area, I’d probably head to Spize, Five Star Chicken Rice or Boon Tong Kee for supper.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Irvin’s Seafood Restaurant
397 River Valley Road
Tel: +65 6836 5020
Daily: 11am – 1am

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

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.

We dived straight into the chilli crabs – which is one of the things you must eat in Singapore.

Ga Hock’s Chilli Crab ($42/kg) was decent, but the gravy was too watery for my liking. That said, it would be a shame to waste the spicy-sweet sauce. The deep-fried buns were the perfect vehicle to soak up the chilli gravy, and we finished everything.

When we eat at zi char stalls, we will always order Har Cheong Kai (prawn paste chicken). I know it is a little boring to order it all the time, but who can resist the gorgeous deep-fried chicken wings?

The Pork Ribs ($10) was equally good. With a lethal combination of the sweet sauce and the irresistibly-tender pork ribs, this is a must-order dish at Ga Hock.

Another popular zi char dish that we would always order is the Hotplate Beancurd ($8). There are no fanciful ingredients; just eggs, mushrooms, beans, carrots, minced meat, and shrimp on a sizzling hotplate. This is simplicity at its best.

Ga Hock Seafood Restaurant is opposite Mindef along Upper Bukit Timah road (near the Shell petrol station).

Singapore Food Blog Review
Ga-Hock Seafood Restaurant
794 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Hup Choon Eating House
Tel: +65 6314 5725
Daily: 4pm – 11pm

Singapore is a foodie paradise. It is not exaggerating to say that eating is part of the Singapore Spirit. Since we will be celebrating National day in a month’s time, I thought it would be nice to write about some of the must-eats in Singapore.

Here’s my list of 10 Things to Eat in Singapore.

For first time visitors, it is a must to try all the popular hawker food from places like Chomp Chomp Hawker Centre and Old Airport Road Market. If you are willing to spend more on food, Singapore has many excellent fine dining restaurants, like Les Amis and Iggy’s. And of course, we mustn’t forget about the Celebrity Chefs Restaurants like Waku Ghin, Santi, CUT at the swanky Marina Bay Sands; Osia and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at Resorts World Sentosa.

However, I’ll not be including Singapore’s best restaurants in this post. Instead, I want to share about some of the food that I miss whenever I am out of town. For non-food recommendations, please read my list of 10 Things to do in Singapore.

Chicken Rice

If you ask around which is the most famous Singapore food, chances are, people will reply with either chilli crab or chicken rice.

Amongst the many good chicken rice stalls in Singapore, I’d suggest going to either Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice or Boon Tong Kee. I like Tian Tian’s chicken rice, but I hate the queue. If you are lazy to queue like me, go to Maxwell market before or after lunch hour. Tian Tian is definitely one of the best chicken rice in Singapore.

Boon Tong Kee, on the other hand, is a tricky one. Many people would argue that it is a commercialised restaurant, and there are probably lots of places that have better chicken rice. Let me explain. With six branches around the island, Boon Tong Kee is much more accessible, and you can have your chicken rice in a clean environment (not everyone is willing to brave the heat in hawker centre). It is a relatively safe option to bring your overseas visitors there for their first taste of our famous Singapore chicken rice.

Boon Tong Kee
425 River Valley Road
Tel: +65 6736 3213

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Maxwell Road #01-10 Maxwell Food Centre

Chilli Crab

As mentioned, Chilli Crab is probably the most famous Singapore food. It is the face of Singapore Cuisine, the must-try food for tourists. You cannot visit Singapore without having Chili Crab. There are many Chinese seafood restaurants in Singapore serving this popular dish, but my favourite is No Signboard at Geylang.

Fresh meaty crabs in a spicy-sweet chili sauce with deep-fried mantou – this is one of the most satisfying experiences in life.

No Signboard Seafood
414 Geylang Road
Tel: +65 6842 3415

Kaya Toast

Kaya is a coconut jam made from coconut milk, eggs which are flavoured by pandan leaf and sweetened with sugar. It is easily one of the best jam spread ever created.

Spread the kaya on the toast with a generous slab of butter – this is a very delicious thing for breakfast, tea, or supper. All you need is kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and a cup of coffee. This is the best local breakfast.

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery
204 East Coast Road Singapore

Ya Kun Kaya Toast Singapore
18 China Street #01-01
Far East Square Singapore
Tel: +65 6438 3638

Tropical Fruits

There are plenty of tropical fruits to eat in Singapore, so it is a good idea to head to the markets if you are not from the region. Some of the must-try fruits are: rambutans, mangosteen, longan, lychee, durian, and mango.

Even though I hate durian, I think it’s a pretty cool experience to visit Geylang and sit by the roadside to try the king of fruits.

Fish Head Curry

Fish Head Curry is a dish created by Singapore’s Malayalee. Cooked in a hot and spicy Indian curry, the large fish head is usually eaten with white rice or bread. Try the one from Muthu’s Curry at Race Course road.

Muthu’s Curry
138 Race Course Road #01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6392 1722

Laksa

Laksa has a rich coconut-based curry soup with rice noodles alongside ingredients like cockles, shrimp, tau pok and fish cake.

The first time I had a bowl of laksa (many years ago) was a total revelation. It was like taking a plane for the first time; the first sip of champagne, or having the first ever taste of foie gras. It was something very special.

Without a doubt, Laksa is one of the Singapore’s must-eats.

328 Katong Laksa
51 East Coast Road Singapore
Tel: +65 9732 8163

Zi Char

Zi Char (also known as Zhi Char/Cze Char/Tze Char) is a Chinese stall (in a coffee shop) that serves a variety of ala carte dishes at affordable prices. Different ‘restaurants’ have their own unique signature dishes, but a typical zi char place will usually has the following: meat items – pork ribs, har cheong gai ($8 – $20); vegetables – sambal kangkong, kailan ($6 – $12), side dishes – beancurd, noodles, rice ($4 – $20) ; and seafood – prawn, fish, crabs ($15 upwards).

There are many good zi char places in Singapore, but I’d recommend Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon (for har cheong gai), Keng Eng Kee Seafood and for a slightly more upmarket option, Ming Kee Live Seafood.

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon
Jumbo Coffee Hub
Blk 19A Dover Crescent

Keng Eng Kee Seafood
Blk 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-136 Alexandra Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6272 1038

Ming kee Live Seafood
556 Macpherson Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6747 4075

Peranakan Cuisine

Peranakan Cuisine, also known as Nyonya food, is the result of blending Chinese ingredients and wok cooking techniques with spices used by the Malay/Indonesian community. There are plenty of Peranakan restaurants in Singapore serving fantastic nyonya food, you can check out the fairly new Candlenut Kitchen by Malcolm lee – one of the up and coming chefs in Singapore; and Ivin’s – a popular and no frills place for families to have dinner.

Candlenut Kitchen
25 Neil Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6226 2506

Ivin’s
19 Binjai Park Singapore
Tel: +65 6468 3060

Dim Sum

Hong Kong might be the land of dim sum, but I feel that some restaurants in Singapore serve very good dim sum too. I’m sure everyone knows by now: my favourite dim sum restaurants in Singapore are Royal China at Raffles Hotel, Yanting Restaurant at St Regis, and Taste Paradise at Ion Orchard.

Royal China
1 Beach Road
#03-09 Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6338 3363

Taste Paradise Ion Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#04-07 ION Orchard
Tel: +65 6509 9660

Yan Ting Restaurant
29 Tanglin Road
The St Regis
Tel: +65 6506 6888

Char Kway Teow

“What food do you miss the most when you are away from Singapore?”

This is a simple question. My answer is definitely Char Kway Teow. The stir-fried noodle is artery clogging, but it is very, very tasty! For me, the best char kway teow in Singapore will be the one from Zion Road. You MUST EAT it!

No 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow
Zion Road Riverside Food Centre

I wrote this list of 10 Things to eat in Singapore for the NDP 2011 Official Website, but this is not a sponsored blog post and I have not received any monetary benefits in return. That said, I got two tickets to the NDP preview and I’ll be writing a second post to share more about the Singapore spirit during the parade.

Besides all the good food, what do you think defines the Singapore spirit? Share your thoughts at the NDP website and NDPeeps Facebook page!

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a reader, telling me about Master Crab Seafood Restaurant, a cze char place in Ghim Moh near De Burg burgers. The title of her email was: “best crabs in Singapore“. I think that pretty much sums it up.

Anyway, I could not stop thinking about the yummy crabs, so a few days later, I brought my family to Master Crab for dinner. Apparently, Master Crab Seafood Restaurant also has branches in Choa Chu Kang (Sunshine Place), Compassvale, and Punggol.

I was a little alarmed when my family wanted to have the Black Pepper Crabs as we had Chilli crabs recently. Luckily, I managed to convince them that it is a must to try the famous Singapore Chilli Crab since it was our first time at this crab restaurant.

Sad to say, Master Crab’s Chilli Crab ($48/kg nett) was lackluster – I could not quite put a finger to it, but the chilli gravy was kind of weird.

If you go to Master Crab Seafood Restaurant, order their Salted Egg Yolk Crab instead. Covered with a golden-yellow sauce, the Salted Egg Yolk Crab was magnificent. The sauce, in particular, was rich and very tasty. I am certainly not the first person, nor the last, to sing its praises.

It’s been said before, and I shall say it again: crab prices are getting ridiculous in zi char restaurants. I understand why seafood restaurants like Seafood Paradise and NoSignBoard need to charge $40ish/kg as they are paying higher rentals. But it does not make sense to me why Zi Char places are charging the same amount.

Master Crab’s har cheong kai ($8) was not too bad. It had a thicker coat of flour which gave it a nice crispy skin.

We wanted to order something different from what we usually have, so we went for the Deep-fried Youtiao Fritter ($8), which was run-of-the-mill.

The Scallop Asparagus ($15) was nothing like the menu’s photo, it only had a few tiny scallops. For that kind of price, I would rather order two different vegetable dishes.

Master Crab Seafood Restaurant, like the name suggests, is a good cze char place to go for their crabs. The other dishes are pretty standard, nothing outstanding. The other signature crabs on the menu are: crab bee hoon and stewed crab with vermicelli.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Master Crab Seafood Restaurant
Blk 19 Ghim Moh Road #01-229
Tel: +65 6314 1868

Master Crab Compassvale
Blk 277 Compassvale Link #01-13
Tel: +65 6555 6515

Master Crab Choa Chu Kang
Blk 475 Choa Chu Kang Ave 3 #01-31
Tel: +65 6764 9487

Master Crab Punggol Field
Blk 108 Punggol Field #01-01
Tel: +65 6425 8079

Master Crab Punggol Drive
Blk 639 Punggol Drive #01-07
Tel: +65 6425 9435

Sin Hoi Sai (also known as Sin Hoi San) Eating House has been around for ages and they hold a special place in my heart. When I was a kid, my uncle used to bring me there for dinner every month.

As the years went by, we stopped going there for zi char, but I am really happy to see that Sin Hoi Sai has been doing well. Ask any foodie where you can find a popular Zi Char Restaurant for supper and invariably, the name Sin Hoi Sai at Tiong Bahru will prop up.

Back in the days, we used to eat in the alley under the open sky. They have since expanded to the shop house opposite, increasing their seating capacity.

Even though the standard of the food is still decent, the prices have gone up by quite a bit. It really depends on your perspective though. If you see Sin Hoi San as a Chinese Seafood Restaurant, then their prices are probably quite acceptable.

But for me, Sin Hoi San will always be that place where I had my steamed fish at the “al fresco” area. I feel that their current prices are rather steep for a Zi Char Stall.

Considering the fact that Sin Hoi Sai used to be a no-frills Zi Char place and it now provides air-conditioning in the shop house, I can understand the increase in price. We are also paying more as they are operating throughout the night.

Will I go back to Sin Hoi San Seafood Restaurant? Yes, but only if I am looking for a late night supper place. Given that there are plenty of good cze char places that I have yet to explore, I am not in a hurry to come back.

I am sorry Sin Hoi Sai, you’ve changed. It’s not me, it’s you.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Sin Hoi Sai Eating House
55 Tiong Bahru Road (Opposite Link Hotel)
#01-59 Singapore
Tel: +65 6223 0810
Daily: 5pm – 5am

187 East Coast Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6440 6956
Daily: 5pm – 4am

Keng Eng Kee Seafood restaurant at Alexandra Village used to be my family’s favourite Cze Char place. It has been a while since our last visit here so we decided to drop by for dinner last week.

Besides the good food, some of the regulars probably go to Keng Eng Kee Seafood because the Zi Char Stall has an air-conditioned dining area just opposite the coffee shop.

It was a tough call between the Chilli Crab and Salted Egg Yolk Crab, but eventually we went for the latter as it was apparently a signature dish of Keng Eng Kee restaurant.

The sauce of the Salted Egg Yolk Crab ($39/kg) was very thick, and had a subtle spicy taste. I probably had better salted egg yolk crabs elsewhere before, but this was pretty decent.

We wanted to have Hot Plate Beancurd but it was not available on Keng Eng Kee’s menu. But it was not so bad since the Claypot Beancurd was a good replacement.

The Sambal Kangkong was well done. It was spicy but not to the extent of being tongue-numbing. The small portion comes at $6.

I was quite disappointed that Sweet and Sour Pork is also not available under the Pork section. But there are interesting options like Golden Pork Ribs, Coffee Pork Ribs and Claypot Pork Liver to choose from. We were intriguied by the Claypot Pork Liver as not many cze char restaurants serve it.

Just look at all the oil used to cook the liver! The Claypot Pork Liver ($8) is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But it sure was tasty.

Prawn Paste Chicken is a very popular zi char dish and there are different variations for it. I’ve had very good Har Cheong Kai before, so I was actually looking forward to the ones at Keng Eng Kee. Unfortunately, the Har Cheong Kai ($8) here was quite disappointing: the chicken was very small, and I felt that the shrimp paste marination was rather weak. I’d probably go for the Crispy Roasted Chicken or the Marmite Chicken next time.

I was quite impressed with the waiting time at Keng Eng Kee Seafood. The Cze Char restaurant was almost packed when we were there for dinner, yet they managed to serve most of the dishes within 10 minutes.

The food at Keng Eng Kee Seafood was pretty good and it was a bonus that everything came quickly. Prices are what you’d expect from a typical zhi char place, but the portions served were slightly smaller.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Keng Eng Kee Seafood
Blk 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-136 Alexandra Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6272 1038

Operating Hours:
Daily: 11.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 11pm