Zi char: ordering shared dishes for groups and families
By the Food Hunter team · Updated October 2026
How zi char stalls work, how much to order per person and which classic dishes to try.
What zi char means
Zi char (literally 'cook and fry') stalls are like small Chinese kitchens inside coffee shops. They cook dishes to order for sharing, eaten with plain rice. They are the go-to choice for family dinners and group meals.
How much to order
A simple rule: order one dish per person plus rice, and include a vegetable, a meat, a seafood or tofu dish, and perhaps a soup. Most dishes come in small, medium and large; small usually serves two to three people.
Classic dishes
Popular choices include sweet and sour pork, cereal prawns, sambal kangkong (water spinach), salted egg chicken, hor fun with egg gravy, claypot tofu and black pepper crab. Ask the stall for its signature dish — most have one.
Prices and seafood
Seafood such as crab or fish is often 'seasonal price' (SP), which means the price depends on weight and market rates. Always ask the price before ordering anything marked SP so there are no surprises.