Zi Char in the North-East: 5 Spots Near Hougang, Punggol and Sengkang

Zi char is how Singapore families eat out on a weeknight: a long menu of dishes cooked to order in a roaring wok, shared across the table with bowls of rice. Almost every coffee shop under an HDB block has a zi char stall, but a few kitchens in the North-East are worth planning a dinner around. This guide covers five, from a crab restaurant by the sea in Punggol to wok stalls in Hougang, Kovan and Sengkang.

Each was checked in September 2026 against its own pages, reservation listings or reviews posted this year. If you are thinking about living at LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), two of them are within walking distance or one MRT stop of Hougang Central.

Five zi char spots at a glance

Place	Area	Known for	From Hougang Central
Uncle Leong Signatures	Hougang Avenue 5	Crab and family dishes	About 650 m walk
21 Seafood	Kovan	Sri Lankan crab, many styles	1 MRT stop
Teck Ee Seafood	Compassvale, Sengkang	Fish head steamboat, curry fish head	2 MRT stops, then LRT or bus
Keng Eng Kee Seafood	SAFRA Punggol	Moonlight hor fun, coffee pork ribs	3 MRT stops, then LRT
House of Seafood	The Punggol Settlement	Chilli and black pepper crab	3 MRT stops, then bus

Hougang and Kovan

1. Uncle Leong Signatures (Hougang)

309 Hougang Avenue 5, #01-285. Part of a local zi char group best known for its crab dishes, this outlet moved into its current coffee-shop unit a few years ago with a wider, more everyday menu. Expect zi char classics for the table alongside the crab. The block is roughly 650 m from Hougang MRT, about a ten-minute walk, which makes it the easiest zi char dinner from Hougang Central in this guide. Arrive early at weekends, when family tables fill up.

2. 21 Seafood (Kovan)

212 Hougang Street 21, #01-347. A no-frills Kovan zi char stall built around Sri Lankan crab, cooked in a long list of styles such as chilli, black pepper and salted egg. Regulars also order the fish bee hoon soup. Reviews through 2026 show it still busy, and it keeps late hours for a neighbourhood stall, so it doubles as a supper option. It is a short walk from Kovan MRT (NE13), one stop from Hougang. Our Kovan food guide covers the rest of the area, and the late-night supper guide lists what else stays open.

Sengkang

3. Teck Ee Seafood

277C Compassvale Link, #01-13. A Sengkang coffee-shop kitchen best known for fish head steamboat and curry fish head, with a full zi char menu of cereal prawns, prawn paste chicken, tofu dishes and one-plate rice and noodle meals. It is a good choice when you want a big shared pot on a cooler evening. From Hougang, ride two stops to Sengkang (NE16), then take the LRT or a short bus ride. Our Sengkang food guide covers the town’s hawker centres.

Punggol

4. Keng Eng Kee Seafood (SAFRA Punggol)

9 Sentul Crescent, #02-01, SAFRA Punggol. KEK started as a hawker stall and grew into one of Singapore’s best-known zi char names. Its Punggol outlet opened in January 2024 with retro décor inspired by old Singapore landmarks. Regulars order the moonlight hor fun (flat rice noodles with a raw egg to stir through), coffee pork ribs, claypot pig’s liver and butter cereal prawns. It takes reservations online and posted about the Punggol outlet as recently as September 2026. SAFRA Punggol is opposite Sam Kee LRT station and about a six-minute walk from Punggol MRT (NE17).

5. House of Seafood (The Punggol Settlement)

500 New Punggol Road, #01-01/02, The Punggol Settlement. A family seafood restaurant facing the water near Punggol Point, known for chilli crab, black pepper crab and a menu of more unusual crab flavours. There is indoor air-conditioned seating as well as tables outside. Crab is sold by weight, so confirm the price first. Take a bus from Punggol Bus Interchange, or a taxi for a group. Our Punggol Settlement guide covers the dining cluster.

If you remember Ponggol Seafood at the same cluster, it closed on 2 May 2024 after more than five decades.

How to order zi char

• How much: roughly one dish per person, plus rice. Most dishes come in small, medium and large.
• Balance the table: a green vegetable, a meat such as sweet and sour pork or prawn paste chicken, a seafood dish, and a tofu or egg dish.
• Swap the rice: hor fun, fried rice or crispy noodles work well for a bigger group.
• Seasonal price: crab, lobster and live fish are usually marked this way. Ask before ordering.
• Halal: most zi char kitchens are not halal. Check the MUIS directory for certified options; our Punggol and Sengkang halal food guide lists some.

What this means from Hougang Central

LinkTown Residences is planned directly above Hougang MRT (NE14) and a new bus interchange, so a walk to Hougang Avenue 5 or one stop to Kovan covers a spontaneous dinner, and the Punggol and Sengkang kitchens make easy weekend outings on the North East Line. The integrated development will also add a mall of about 300,000 sq ft; food tenants have not been announced. For simpler one-plate meals, see our chicken rice guide and bak kut teh guide.

See the location page for how the site connects to the MRT, and the site plan page for what is known so far about the Hougang Central Residences layout.

Register to get LinkTown Residences prices, floor plans and preview dates as soon as they’re released.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I eat zi char near Hougang MRT?

Uncle Leong Signatures at 309 Hougang Avenue 5 is about 650 m from Hougang MRT. Kovan, one MRT stop away, has 21 Seafood at 212 Hougang Street 21, known for Sri Lankan crab cooked in many styles.

Is Ponggol Seafood still open?

No. Ponggol Seafood closed at The Punggol Settlement on 2 May 2024. House of Seafood is the crab restaurant that still trades at The Punggol Settlement.

How many zi char dishes should I order?

A common rule is about one dish per person plus rice, balancing a vegetable, a meat, a seafood dish and a tofu or egg dish. Most dishes come in small, medium and large.

Where is Keng Eng Kee Seafood in Punggol?

Keng Eng Kee (KEK) Seafood is at SAFRA Punggol, 9 Sentul Crescent, #02-01, opposite Sam Kee LRT station and a short walk from Punggol MRT.