Best Zi Char in North-East, Singapore
Zi char is the neighbourhood dinner-table fallback across North-East Singapore — big shared plates of curry fish head, sambal kang kong and cereal prawns, usually with a beer in hand. Here are verified, currently-operating zi char spots across Hougang, Punggol and Sengkang worth booking a table at.
Quick answer
For a proper seafood-restaurant zi char night out, Uncle Leong Seafood at Punggol East is the pick — known for its "Shimmering Sand Crab" and chilli crab. For a more low-key, coffee-shop style zi char with a standout curry fish head, head to B Billion Zi Char & Seafood in Compassvale.
How we picked
We verified stalls against food-media coverage, Burpple and Google listings, and cross-referenced current addresses. We prioritised places with a track record over one-off social mentions, and skipped several frequently name-dropped spots we could not independently confirm are still trading. We did not visit or taste-test in person for this roundup.
Ranked picks
01
Uncle Leong Seafood
Punggol East
A full seafood-restaurant zi char, best known for its "Shimmering Sand Crab" — a whole crab in a special sauce topped with crispy oats — plus chilli crab and Guinness pork ribs. Good for group dinners along the Punggol waterfront.
Mains from ~$25 · reservations recommended for groups · open evenings
02
B Billion Zi Char & Seafood
Compassvale
A Malaysian-rooted zi char stall now settled into a Compassvale coffee shop, best known for its curry fish head with a robust, well-spiced gravy. A no-frills, sit-down neighbourhood option rather than a full restaurant.
Curry fish head from $24 · open 12pm–11pm daily · no independent website found — Google listing only
03
Curry & Curry
Kovan, Hougang
A casual Kovan zi char eatery best known for its curry red snapper — order the curry version over the steamed one. Menu isn't the widest, but hits the essentials: prawn paste chicken, hot plate tofu, a decent vegetable spread.
Signature curry fish, wide range of standard zi char dishes · no independent website found — Google listing only
Note to editor: several other zi char spots in Sengkang and Hougang came up repeatedly in local round-ups (e.g. near Hougang Ave 7, Anchorvale) but we could not verify a current, precise street address for them from available sources — we've kept the list to three fully verified picks rather than pad it out.
Compare at a Glance
| Restaurant | Neighbourhood | Known For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncle Leong Seafood | Punggol East | Shimmering Sand Crab, chilli crab | Mains from ~$25 |
B Billion Zi Char & Seafood | Compassvale | Curry fish head | From $24 |
Curry & Curry | Kovan, Hougang | Curry red snapper | Standard zi char pricing |