As much as we love cafe food, it’s hard to convince ah gong and ah ma to appreciate eggs benedict and ricotta pancakes. Bringing them for good or unique zi char, on the other hand, is a much simpler task. For my Jurong kakis, your duty is made even easier with these awesome zi char spots littered around the neighbourhood. And don’t just bring ah gong and ah ma, remember to jio your mother, father, sister, brother too!
A favourite among Westies, this Teochew stall serves sumptuous lunches that satisfy. A visit here is not complete without their famed Steamed Fish (seasonal price). For those who want more flavour and spice, opt for Curry Fish Head (seasonal price) or have your fish cooked with fermented beans. Zai Shun offers a variety of fishes in different sizes, so rest assured you’ll find something to feed the entire fam. They only open in the day, so try convincing your folks to gather for lunch instead!
Address: Blk 253 Jurong East Street 42, #01-205, First Cooked Food Point, Singapore 600253
Opening hours: Thur-Tue & PH 7am to 3pm
Tel: 6560 8594
Crab lovers, head to Big Eater Seafood Restaurant for a variety of your favourite crustacean. From salted egg yolk to chilli crab and black pepper, this seafood spot whips up large and fresh crabs with finesse. Aside from other usual zi char suspects, they also offer German Pig Trotter ($30) drenched in nacho cheese sauce. If you’re a self-declared nocturnal animal, Big Eater opens until 2am on most days so you can have late-night supper here too.
Address: Blk 964 Jurong West Street 91, #01-34, Singapore 640964
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 4pm to 2am, Sun 4pm to 12am
Tel: 6397 0480
Find out where else to go for late-night suppers in Singapore.
Tucked at a more ulu part of Jurong West, Yi Jia Le Seafood is a hidden gem in the West. Seafood and crab lovers should indulge in XO Crab Bee Hoon (seasonal price) while those looking for a simple dinner can rely on a huge selection of familiar dishes such as Butter Pork Ribs ($12/$16/$22), Claypot Aubergine with Fish Head ($24) and Prawn Paste Chicken ($12/$16/$20).
Address: Blk 546 Jurong West Street 42, #01-113, Singapore 640546
Opening hours: Daily 2pm to 11:45pm
Tel: 9662 3055
Website
Menu
It might be easy to overlook this nondescript zi char stall on first sight, but a taste of their hearty dishes will leave you begging for more. Crowd favourites include the crispy, juicy and succulent Prawn Paste Chicken ($10 onwards) as well as Curry Fish Head (seasonal price). They just introduced set menus for Chinese New Year, so be sure to check it out if you’re hunting for a place to have reunion dinner!
Address: Blk 318 Jurong East Street 31, #01-40, Singapore 600318
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 11pm
Tel: 6896 1167
Website
Claypot Assam Curry Fish Head (seasonal price) is bound to impress even the pickiest of taste buds. The owner is often heard telling his customers in Mandarin, “If there’s no good fish head, we will not open today!” On top of their signature dish, another crowd-pleaser at Hong Guan is Sweet and Sour Pork ($12 onwards) that makes a perfect accompaniment to the curry fish head!
Address: 3 Yung Sheng Road, #03-139/140, Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre, Singapore 618499
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 11am to 1:30pm, 4:30pm to 9pm
Tel: 6265 8860
For those who are willing to spend a little more for air-con, head to Uncle Leong Seafood. Try crab dishes like Shimmering Sand Crab Delight (seasonal price) and Claypot Crab Bee Hoon (seasonal price). Other must-tries include Golden Pumpkin Prawn ($20/$25/$30) and Guinness Pork Ribs ($15/$20/$25). If you wanna skip the queue, make a reservation via Chope or get them to deliver to your door!
Address: 262 Jurong East Street 24, #01-485, Singapore 600262
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 10.30pm
Tel: 6897 2881
Menu
Website
One dish that cannot be missed at Kai Xiang is Oyster Omelette ($10). Each plate comes with huge, juicy and fresh oysters that’ll have you salivating before you even touch your chopsticks. Kai Xiang also serves lesser-known seafood dishes like Sea Cucumber with Duck (seasonal price) and Bitter Gourd Fish Head (seasonal price). Don’t worry, zi char favourites like Sweet and Sour Pork ($8 onwards) and Sambal Kang Kong ($6 onwards) are available too.
Address: Blk 349 Jurong East Avenue 1, #01-1215, Kai Xiang Food Centre, Singapore 600349
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 11pm
Tel: 6563 7798
Qi Lin Xuan excels at classic zi char plates such as Yam Ring ($16), Coffee Pork Ribs ($12) and Steamed Fish (seasonal price). For something more special, try signature items like Kong Pau Frog ($16) or Honey Ginger Fried Chicken ($10). If you and the sibs can’t agree on what to order, pick from a list of individually portioned dishes so you guys don’t start dinner with a fight.
Address: Blk 442 Jurong West Avenue 1, #01-758, Singapore 640442
Opening hours: Sun-Thur 3pm to 11:30pm, Fri-Sat 3pm to 12am
Tel: 6569 2540
Website
Besides the usual Salted Egg Pork Ribs ($10 onwards) and Prawn Paste Chicken ($10 onwards), this kopitiam also offers BBQ seafood. Expect to see dishes like BBQ Flower Crab (seasonal price), Sambal Red Snapper (seasonal price), Sambal La La ($8) and Sambal Stingray ($10 onwards) on the menu. With the lure of both zi char and BBQ food, it won’t be difficult to persuade your fam to come to Zhen Wei for dinner!
Address: Blk 526 Jurong West Street 52, Singapore 640526
Opening hours: Daily 2:30pm to 11:30pm
Kopitiam by day and zi char stall by night, Third Place is one of those places with a double identity. For big family dinners, try Five Blessings Platter ($80 for 10pax) that includes various sides such as fried enoki mushrooms and papaya salad. If you’re addicted to salted egg yolk, go for their signature Salted Egg Yolk Cheese Crab (seasonal price). And yes, it’s a crab slathered with salted egg yolk AND cheese sauce.
Address: JTC Medtech One, 2 Lorong Tukang Satu, #01-01, JTC Medtech One, Singapore 618878
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 6am to 10pm, zi char starts at 5pm.
Check out other double-identity places here.
Westies, you know what to say when your folks ask for dinner suggestions this weekend. Let us know if we missed out your favourite zi char spot in Jurong!
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