ZI CHAR DISHES EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
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 Popular Zi Char Dishes that you will commonly find in zi char stalls across Singapore:
- BUTTER PORK RIBS
- CEREAL PRAWNS
- CHILLI CRAB
- CRAB BEE HOON
- CURRY FISH HEAD
- DEEP FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN
- FISH HEAD STEAMBOAT
- FRIED SOTONG
- FURONG EGG
- HOTPLATE TOFU
- NGOH HIANG
- HAR CHEONG GAI
- SALTED EGG YOLK PRAWNS
- SAMBAL KANG KONG
- SAMBAL STINGRAY
Best Zi Char in Singapore - Lao Li Da Pai Dang
An awesome zi char experience for the whole family
Welcome to Lao Li Da Pai Dang (老李大排档), the best zi char restaurant in Singapore!
If you're a fan of delicious and authentic tze char, you won't want to miss out on what we have to offer. Located right in the heart of Simpang Bedok, a favourite haunt of local foodies, Lao Li is a beloved destination for those seeking the best zi char in the east.
Our menu is filled with a wide variety of dishes, from classic stir-fried favorites like black pepper crab and salted egg yolk prawns, to hearty claypot dishes like braised beancurd with minced meat. And of course, no zi char meal is complete without a side of crispy fried kang kong or savory chai poh omelette.
There is just something about “Zi Char” (or Tze Char 煮炒) that is very comforting, especially when the dishes come served piping hot with that strong wok-hei (wok-heat).
Zi Char places are great for family and friends gathering, mostly at affordable pricing (except when you order seafood and just anyhow order).
Some of my personal favourite dishes to order include Beef Horfun, Sweet & Sour Pork, Sambal Kang Kong and Har Cheong Chicken, though there are many eateries that come out with their own specialty dishes.
These are some of the 12 Best Zi Char Places in Singapore, which are favourite ‘zhu chao’ places along with stand-out signature dishes:
- Kok Sen Restaurant
- Big Prawn Bee Hoon And Claypot Yong Tau Foo
- Keng Eng Kee Seafood 瓊榮記海鲜
- Moonlight Horfun And Coffee Ribs
- New Ubin Seafood – Tampines
- US Ribeye and Heart Attack Fried Rice
- Por Kee Eating House
- Champagne Pork Ribs and Homemade Beancurd
- Diamond Kitchen
- For Sauna Prawns and Salted Egg Sotong
- Yong Kee Seafood Restaurant
- Chao Tar Bee Hoon
Top Zhi Char Restaurants In Singapore
Zhi Char (aka Zi Char, Cze Char, Tse Char or 煮炒) is basically a Chinese food stall with the capability to whip up a huge variety of a la carte dishes on demand! They usually start small in coffee shops and slowly grow (if they are good) to become the anchor tenant or even command the entire space. Besides the usual atas restaurants and cafes, Singaporeans also love to gather and feast with beer at popular Zhi Char joints. So here’s our list of the Top Zhi Char Restaurants In Singapore, a comprehensive makan options of the Best Zi Char Places put together from Singapore’s foodies & bloggers experiences. I must stress that they are not placed based on ranking:
- Kian Seng Seafood Restaurant
- Tong Ah Eating House
- Two Chefs Eating Place
- Kok Sen Coffee Shop
- Keng Eng Kee Seafood (KEK Seafood)
- Holland Village XO Fish Head
- Sin Hoi Sai Seafood Restaurant
- Por Kee Eating House
- New Ubin Seafood Restaurant
- Joo Hing Restaurant
5 BEST ZI CHAR PLACES IN SINGAPORE FOR THAT COMFORT FOOD
Want to experience old-school Chinese food culture and hospitality in Singapore? Get it at a Zi Char place. Home-style food, a wide variety of dishes, wallet-friendly prices, and humble settings are the best phrases to describe Singaporean Zi Char eatery.
Unlike your typical fine dining restaurants where excellent customer service is given much emphasis, Zi Char eating house is not the place for frills and luxury. Aunties and uncles, as to how the locals call them, wait tables so diners should be used to their noise, fast-paced service, and no-joking-around-kind-of-vibe. Most of the Zi Char places own the same menu with typical dishes like cereal prawns, sweet and sour pork, and beef hor fun. So what is the main thing that differentiates a Zi Char place from others? It is definitely what we call signature dishes. The best Zi Char eating houses are normally those that have a variety of the most sought-after food items on the island.
With our guide to the best Zi Char places in Singapore, you now can start hunting for the most delicious Chinese home-style viands:
- KENG ENG KEE SEAFOOD
- KOK SEN RESTAURANT
- TWO CHEFS EATING PLACE AT COMMONWEALTH
- POR KEE EATING HOUSE
- SIN HOI SAI EATING HOUSE AT EAST COAST ROAD
煮炒 Zhi Char at Buangkok
When it comes to dinner, our kids can have Fried rice everyday, and never get sick of it. Daddy suspect they have inherited his gene, as Daddy can eat Char Siew rice every day too!
Anyway, our regular 煮炒 (Zhi Char) stall is in Buangkok Block 275D, just outside Buangkok MRT. It is hard to find a Zhi Char stall which suits everyone’s tastebud. Set meals are available, and we heard the crabs are famous too. Skip, as it is no fun to peel for the kids.
In our opinion, the prices are reasonable. From the menu, the bigger photos must be the popular dishes right:
- Honey Sauce Pork Knuckle
- Brocoli and Scallop
- Salted egg prawns
- Crispy Chicken with prawn paste
Keng Eng Kee Seafood – Good Zhi Char in Alexandra Village
Keng Eng Kee Seafood 瓊榮記海鲜 is one of the names that sometimes crop up when discussing good places for zhi char in Singapore. A good zhi char place is one that consistently churns out local delights at a reasonable price. A wide menu that caters for the quick meal or a big celebration is also essential. Good service is a bonus
Keng Eng Kee Seafood is located at Bukit Merah Lane 1. There is the cluster of shops in this area which is sometimes referred to as Alexandra Village, at the junction facing Ikea and Queenstown Shopping Centre. The folks looking for places to eat from these commercial areas and the rows of motor workshops nearby contribute to a bustling f & b scene in the area during lunch time. There are two dining areas at Keng Eng Kee Seafood – a small air-conditioned restaurant area and an adjacent large coffee shop area. On a really hot afternoon, I suppose the air-conditioned space would be the preferred choice, but on cloudy days and in the evenings I would rather be in the more spacious coffeeshop space. The same menu is available at both places.
Here are pictures of some pages from the Keng Eng Kee Menu. Some zhi char places do not have a menu. Some have menus that have no prices. It is therefore good to have a zhi char menu that is resembles a menu of a formal restaurant – in two languages (Chinese and English) and complete with big pictures. Overall, we had a simple but ample zhi char lunch at Keng Eng Kee Restaurant in Alexandra. Service was friendly and pleasant. We will certainly be back in the not distant future.
Top Zhi Char Restaurants In Singapore
Zhi Char (aka Zi Char, Cze Char, Tse Char or 煮炒) is basically a Chinese food stall with the capability to whip up a huge variety of a la carte dishes on demand!
They usually start small in coffee shops and slowly grow (if they are good) to become the anchor tenant or even command the entire space. Besides the usual atas restaurants and cafes, Singaporeans also love to gather and feast with beer at popular Zhi Char joints.
So here's our list of the Top Zhi Char Restaurants In Singapore, a comprehensive makan options of the Best Zi Char Places put together from Singapore's foodies & bloggers experiences. I must stress that they are not placed based on ranking.
