Long Ji Zi Char

Long Ji Zi Char is a casual Chinese zi char restaurant at 253 Outram Road. Zi char means cooked-to-order dishes that a table shares with rice. Long Ji is best known for one of them: crab bee hoon.

The restaurant was started by chef-owner Mac Kong, who moved to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur. He first sold crab bee hoon from a hawker stall at Bukit Merah View before moving to Outram Road in 2014. Food writers have praised the dish for more than a decade. Many locals still come here for dinner.

What to order

The signature crab bee hoon arrives as a large platter. A whole crab sits on a heap of thin rice vermicelli. The broth is deep and savoury, and the crab gives it a natural sweetness that soaks into the noodles. Reviewers also mention a smoky flavour from the wok, plus fried shallots and small bits of pork lard. Singapore chef Johanne Siy has named it her go-to comfort dish.

Round out the meal with a few other plates. Dishes that reviewers keep coming back to include:

• Har cheong gai: fried chicken marinated in shrimp paste
• Fermented pork belly: a long-time favourite on the menu
• Green dragon vegetables: a simple stir-fried vegetable dish to balance the richer plates
• Stir-fried clams or cockles
• Golden corn and Yangzhou fried rice
• Deep-fried ice cream to finish

The setting

Long Ji is plain and practical, a typical zi char room with tables set close together. There is seating indoors and outdoors, and service is quick, sometimes hurried at peak times.

The outdoor tables at the back sit in a back lane, a style of dining you rarely see in Singapore today. One recent reviewer called the whole place proudly old-school. Come for a relaxed, hands-on meal with friends rather than a formal dinner.

Good to know before you go

• Bring a group if you can. Zi char works best when you share several dishes, and the crab platter is large.
• Crab is usually priced by size or weight. Ask the staff how big a crab you need for your table before you order.
• If zi char is new to you, our Singapore food guide for first-timers explains the local dishes to try.

Nearby

Long Ji is in the Tiong Bahru and Alexandra part of town. By day, you can explore the low-rise flats of Tiong Bahru Estate with our Tiong Bahru heritage walk. Stop for hawker food at Tiong Bahru Market along the way.

For another zi char seafood meal in the area, try Keng Eng Kee Seafood. You can also browse more chilli crab and seafood restaurants or all restaurants in Tiong Bahru and Alexandra.