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Brian Kennett

Amateur Chef and Boozy Traveling Foodie Extraordinaire

Sin Hoi Eating House: Best Zhi Char 2023

Sin Hoi Eating House on The East Coast Road:  family favourite

Simply known as Joe’s to us.. but sadly with Joe leaving, it has now gone back to its original name – Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road. Located at 187 East Coast Road. It is a cracker. One of our all-time favourites and most visited Zhi Char restaurant. We have been here with countless family and friends, it’s seriously so good and amazing value.

Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
Plain and simple, but with such incredible food choices.

There is no doubt of how good this restaurant is, just look at the fact that every table is taken and people are spilling out onto the street. Literally. They have inside and outside seating, but the outside is a must as you get this vibrant experience, of the hustle of the street as well as access to some of the very best food in Singapore in my reckoning.

Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road is ranked in TripAdvisor is No266 out of 6,944 restaurants. Not bad at all for a quasi-hawker AKA Zhi Char.

It’s one of those restaurants that is about 70/30 in terms of locals to Angmo – another great sign to me of food quality. It’s also family, family, family. We ate there recently – 5 adults and 2 kids. The table was filled with the food below.

We drank copious amounts of icy cold Tigers, and the bill reached a staggering $150. Nice job Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road. Works for me in a big way. So what did we eat on this occasion,

Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
The smoky stir-fried rice
. Little shrimp and cubes of char shiew pork finish this off. Job well done to the guys in the kitchen.
Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
Kang Kong in a spicy sambal sauce. You can taste the freshness of the vegetables and then get the kick of the spice. Nice!
Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
Baby Kai Lang stir fried with garlic. Gently done so just cooked, slightly wilted but still crunchy. Nicely garlic, and again because stir-fried you get an amazing smokiness to the dish.
Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
Baby octopus deep-fried. Now I can not tell what this tasted like as I did not eat any of it (bad experiences of baby squids when in Japan). But the plate was cleared completely. No doubts there then from the table.
Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
Winner, Winner flipping chicken dinner. Come on Joe this is a belter. I have had Marmite Chicken before but never Marmite Pork Ribs. Hell yes!!! A blood winner was this!!!
Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
Butter prawns with the uniform off. Took a while for me to grasp this one when Joe stated it. Yep simply means de-shelled so no messy fingers. These were wonderful, buttery but deep-fried so with a crispness but sweet and soft in the middle. Delicious.
Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
My personal favourite is at Joe’s. Simply stated as BBQ‘s pork. What an understatement. Again so smoky. A little salt and pepper perhaps. A squeeze of Calamansi lime. I deliver a challenge to someone who can serve me better. Man oh man this one is good.
Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road
And finally… You have to try these too. Deep fried prawn rolls, actually pork mince and prawn. Deep-fried until crispy, and moist inside and served with a sweet dipping sauce. Woo Hoo folks, yet again another winner at Joe’s.

So my friends if I were you I would make a bee-line to this place, it truly is worth it. Sin Hoi Eating House @ East Coast Road. Say hi to Joe’s family for me when you do go to eat. This is a die-die must-try joint. It’s a must. Likely we’ll see you there, and if you do go you are 100% certain to – ENJOY!!!

Is Life a Recipe YouTube Channel

What is Zhi Char Food?

Zi char, also spelled tze char, is a style of Chinese cuisine found in Singapore. It involves affordable, home-style dishes that are commonly served at local coffee shops and hawkers. Zi Char restaurants offer a diverse menu with dishes like seafood, stir-fries, noodles, and more. Popular zi char places in Singapore include Keng Eng Kee Seafood, Kok Sen Restaurant, and J.B. Ah Meng Restaurant. But, our all-time favourite is Sin Hoi Eating House.

Zi Char holds cultural significance in the local food scene, reflecting a mix of flavors and influences in a casual dining setting.

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