The best zi char in Hougang clusters around Kovan's Hougang Street 21, home to Hai Zhen Fang, 21 Seafood, Curry & Curry and Hong Kong Street Cheng Ji, with Teochew stalwart Peng's Restaurant in nearby Realty Park. Beyond Kovan, coffeeshop and hawker stalls in Hougang Central, Ave 3–10 and Ci Yuan serve prawn paste chicken, curry fish head, hor fun and crab, with most shared meals from around $10–20 per person. Peng's and crab orders at 21 Seafood cost more, from around $20–30 per person. For supper, 21 Seafood cooks until 1am and Cheng Ji until 11:30pm; note that Peng's closes on Thursdays and Curry & Curry on Mondays.
Last verified: October 2026. Hours and prices can change — we re-check our guides regularly, but do confirm before a special trip.
- Peng's Restaurant Catering Services
- Kimly Zi Char 金味海鲜 (Hougang Ave 5)
- Curry & Curry
- 21 Seafood
- Hai Zhen Fang Seafood 海珍坊
- Hong Kong Chef's Kitchen
- Hong Kong Street Cheng Ji Zi Char 香港街成记
- L H 4 Seafood
- Yong Xiang Lai Seafood Zi Char
- Fulee Seafood 富俐海鲜
- Hai Wai Hai Seafood Zi Char 海外海
- Man Li Seafood (805 Hougang Central)
The list
Peng's Restaurant Catering Services Teochew Zi Char · $$$
Old-school family-run Teochew zi char in Realty Park, long championed by food writers and suited to celebrations and group bookings.
- Cuisine: Teochew Zi Char
- Price: $$$ · From around $20 per person; seafood priced by weight
- Must-try: Steamed fish, Cold crab, Orh nee (yam paste)
- Where: 30 Lorong 1 Realty Park, Singapore 536953
- Area: Realty Park (Upper Paya Lebar)
- Nearest MRT: Kovan (NE13) / Hougang (NE14), then bus
- Hours: 11am–2pm & 5:30–10pm; closed Thu (call 6289 6975 to confirm)
- Halal: No
Kimly Zi Char 金味海鲜 (Hougang Ave 5) Zi Char / Seafood · $$
Hougang outlet of the Kimly zi char chain inside Kimly Coffeeshop, a dependable neighbourhood option for crowd-pleasing classics (tel 6286 6322).
- Cuisine: Zi Char / Seafood
- Price: $$ · From around $10 per person
- Must-try: Curry pork ribs, Herbal chicken, Cereal prawns
- Where: Blk 327 Hougang Ave 5, #01-156, Singapore 530327
- Area: Hougang Ave 5
- Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE14)
- Hours: Daily 11am–10:30pm
- Halal: No
Curry & Curry Zi Char / Curry fish head · $$
Kovan zi char known for its thick, tangy fish head curry and a wide, reasonably priced spread.
- Cuisine: Zi Char / Curry fish head
- Price: $$ · From around $10 per person; fish head curry from around $26
- Must-try: Fish head curry, Zi char classics
- Where: 203 Hougang Street 21, Singapore 530203
- Area: Kovan
- Nearest MRT: Kovan (NE13)
- Hours: Tue–Sun 11:30am–9pm; closed Mon
- Halal: No
21 Seafood Zi Char / Seafood (crab) · $$
Kovan coffeeshop zi char best known for affordable crab and late hours, with the kitchen open until 1am.
- Cuisine: Zi Char / Seafood (crab)
- Price: $$ · From around $30 per person with crab
- Must-try: Chilli crab, Creamy butter crab, Prawn paste chicken
- Where: 212 Hougang Street 21, Singapore 530212
- Area: Kovan
- Nearest MRT: Kovan (NE13)
- Hours: Daily 12pm–1am
- Halal: No
Hai Zhen Fang Seafood 海珍坊 Teochew / Cantonese Seafood Zi Char · $$
Family-run seafood zi char in the Hougang Street 21 cluster with a 4.5 Google rating, noted for its ingredient-packed seafood soup.
- Cuisine: Teochew / Cantonese Seafood Zi Char
- Price: $$ · From around $20 per person
- Must-try: Seafood soup, Steamed fish, Seafood set meals
- Where: 212 Hougang Street 21, #01-341, Singapore 530212
- Area: Kovan
- Nearest MRT: Kovan (NE13)
- Hours: Daily 11:30am–3pm & 5:30–10pm
- Halal: No
Hong Kong Chef's Kitchen Hong Kong-style Zi Char · $
Ci Yuan Hawker Centre stall with a Hong Kong slant, a budget option for wok dishes at the Buangkok end of Hougang.
- Cuisine: Hong Kong-style Zi Char
- Price: $ · From around $10 per person
- Must-try: Ee fu mee, HK-style stir-fries
- Where: 51 Hougang Ave 9, #01-23/24, Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, Singapore 538776
- Area: Hougang Ave 9 (Ci Yuan)
- Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE14) / Buangkok (NE15)
- Hours: 11am–9pm; closed Wed
- Halal: No
Hong Kong Street Cheng Ji Zi Char 香港街成记 Zi Char · $
Kovan hawker zi char stall that keeps late hours, a handy supper option near Kovan MRT.
- Cuisine: Zi Char
- Price: $ · From around $10 per person
- Must-try: Hot plate beancurd, Prawn paste chicken, Beef hor fun
- Where: 210 Hougang Street 21, #01-261, Singapore 530210
- Area: Kovan
- Nearest MRT: Kovan (NE13)
- Hours: Daily 11:30am–11:30pm
- Halal: No
L H 4 Seafood Zi Char / Seafood · $
Zi char stall in a food court in the Defu Lane industrial estate on the edge of Hougang, serving tofu, prawn paste chicken and wok-fried classics.
- Cuisine: Zi Char / Seafood
- Price: $ · From around $10 per person
- Must-try: Prawn paste chicken, Tofu, Sweet and sour pork
- Where: 4 Defu Lane 10, Singapore 539185
- Area: Defu Industrial Park
- Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE14) / Kovan (NE13), then bus
- Hours: Daily 11am–10pm
- Halal: No
Yong Xiang Lai Seafood Zi Char Zi Char · $
Coffeeshop zi char stall at Blk 23 Hougang Ave 3 serving both shared dishes and one-plate rice meals.
- Cuisine: Zi Char
- Price: $ · From around $5 per person (one-dish rice meals)
- Must-try: Tofu dishes, Sweet and sour pork rice
- Where: Blk 23 Hougang Ave 3, #01-277, Singapore 530023
- Area: Hougang Ave 3
- Nearest MRT: Kovan (NE13)
- Hours: Daily 11:30am–10:30pm (Google Maps)
- Halal: No
Fulee Seafood 富俐海鲜 Zi Char / Seafood · $
Hawker-style zi char in Hougang Ave 6 with a fish head focus.
- Cuisine: Zi Char / Seafood
- Price: $ · From around $10 per person
- Must-try: Assam curry fish head, Prawn paste chicken, Egg tofu
- Where: 524 Hougang Ave 6, #01-125/129, Singapore 530524
- Area: Hougang Ave 6
- Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE14)
- Hours: Daily 11:30am–10:30pm (Google Maps)
Hai Wai Hai Seafood Zi Char 海外海 Zi Char · $
Zi char counter in the Kang Kar food court at Blk 100 Hougang Ave 10, a budget option near Hougang MRT.
- Cuisine: Zi Char
- Price: $ · From around $10 per person
- Must-try: Prawn paste chicken, Hor fun, Sambal kang kong
- Where: 100 Hougang Ave 10, #01-02, Singapore 538767 (Kang Kar food court)
- Area: Hougang Ave 10 (Kangkar)
- Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE14)
- Hours: Daily 10:30am–9:45pm
Man Li Seafood (805 Hougang Central) Zi Char · $
Hawker zi char stall at the 805 Hougang Central food centre, a short walk from Hougang MRT and bus interchange.
- Cuisine: Zi Char
- Price: $ · From around $5 per person
- Must-try: Crab sets, Zi char rice plates
- Where: 805 Hougang Central, #01-116, Singapore 530805
- Area: Hougang Central
- Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE14)
- Hours: Daily 11:30am–10:30pm
- Halal: No
At a glance: compare every spot
| Spot | Cuisine | Price | Area | Halal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peng's Restaurant Catering Services | Teochew Zi Char | $$$ | Realty Park (Upper Paya Lebar) | No |
| Kimly Zi Char 金味海鲜 (Hougang Ave 5) | Zi Char / Seafood | $$ | Hougang Ave 5 | No |
| Curry & Curry | Zi Char / Curry fish head | $$ | Kovan | No |
| 21 Seafood | Zi Char / Seafood (crab) | $$ | Kovan | No |
| Hai Zhen Fang Seafood 海珍坊 | Teochew / Cantonese Seafood Zi Char | $$ | Kovan | No |
| Hong Kong Chef's Kitchen | Hong Kong-style Zi Char | $ | Hougang Ave 9 (Ci Yuan) | No |
| Hong Kong Street Cheng Ji Zi Char 香港街成记 | Zi Char | $ | Kovan | No |
| L H 4 Seafood | Zi Char / Seafood | $ | Defu Industrial Park | No |
| Yong Xiang Lai Seafood Zi Char | Zi Char | $ | Hougang Ave 3 | No |
| Fulee Seafood 富俐海鲜 | Zi Char / Seafood | $ | Hougang Ave 6 | — |
| Hai Wai Hai Seafood Zi Char 海外海 | Zi Char | $ | Hougang Ave 10 (Kangkar) | — |
| Man Li Seafood (805 Hougang Central) | Zi Char | $ | Hougang Central | No |
Your questions answered
Where is the best zi char in Hougang?
The Kovan stretch of Hougang Street 21 has the densest cluster: Hai Zhen Fang (212 Hougang St 21, #01-341), 21 Seafood, Curry & Curry and Hong Kong Street Cheng Ji. For a Teochew sit-down meal, Peng's Restaurant at 30 Lorong 1 Realty Park is a long-time favourite.
How much does zi char in Hougang cost?
Hawker and coffeeshop stalls such as Man Li, Yong Xiang Lai, Cheng Ji and Kimly usually come to around $10–20 per person for a shared meal, and one-plate rice dishes start from around $5. Seafood-heavy meals at Peng's or crab at 21 Seafood are from around $20–30 per person.
Is there halal zi char in Hougang?
None of the venues in this guide is halal-certified, and most serve pork. If you need halal food, check the MUIS halal establishment directory for certified options before you go.
Where can I get late-night zi char in Hougang?
21 Seafood at 212 Hougang Street 21 is open daily until 1am, and Hong Kong Street Cheng Ji at 210 Hougang Street 21 until 11:30pm. Both are a short walk from Kovan MRT.
Do Hougang zi char places take reservations?
Most coffeeshop and hawker stalls are walk-in. Peng's Restaurant takes phone bookings (6289 6975) and is worth reserving for weekend dinners or celebrations.
Which MRT is best for zi char in Hougang?
Kovan (NE13) is closest to the Hougang Street 21 cluster and Hougang Ave 3. Hougang (NE14) serves Hougang Central, Ave 5, 6 and 10, while Ci Yuan Hawker Centre on Hougang Ave 9 is between Hougang and Buangkok (NE15).
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