Yang Ming Seafood (Bishan)

Yang Ming Seafood (Bishan) is a zi char restaurant inside a coffee shop in the Bishan housing estate. Zi char is Chinese-style home cooking, ordered from a long menu and shared at the table. Yang Ming started here in 2019 and is known for live seafood, especially lobster and crab.

The brand has since opened more outlets, including one at Ubi. This Bishan shop is the original, and it still draws big groups of locals for dinner.

What to order

The dish most people come for is the Andrew Lobster. Lobster is served over silky chee cheong fun, which are steamed rice rolls, in a savoury sauce of soy and garlic. The dish is named after a regular customer. You can usually choose between Boston and Australian lobster.

Other dishes that reviewers often mention:

• Pig stomach chicken soup: a chicken cooked inside a pig's stomach and served as a rich soup. One food blogger could not get it without a booking, so ask for it when you reserve.
• Steamed bamboo clams: long-shelled clams that make a good shared starter.
• Crab: live crab is cooked several ways, including salt baked, black pepper and crab bee hoon.
• Steamed turbot: cooked Cantonese style with a light soy sauce.
• White pepper pork trotter: a peppery, warming dish.

The menu goes well beyond seafood. It has sections for fish head, prawns, squid and clams, chicken, venison and beef, pork, bean curd, egg dishes, vegetables, noodles, rice and soups. Reviewers also mention the egg hor fun and fried rice. Add a plate of greens to balance the richer dishes.

The setting

Do not expect a smart dining room. Yang Ming sits inside a neighbourhood coffee shop with simple tables and chairs, and some of the seating is outdoors. The mood is casual and lively, with families and friends sharing large spreads. It works best with a group, so you can try more dishes.

Eating here is a good look at daily life away from the city centre. If you are new to these local shops, our guide to what a kopitiam is will help. Our piece on the Singapore heartlands explains more about towns like Bishan.

Good to know before you go

• Book ahead: call to reserve a table, especially for weekend meals.
• Pre-order the lobster: The Infatuation suggests asking for the Andrew Lobster when you call.
• Check seafood prices: ask the staff about the size and price of live seafood before you order.
• Takeaway: its online store offers islandwide delivery and pick-up.
• Dress light: the outdoor tables can feel warm in the evening.

Nearby

Bishan is a residential town in central Singapore. Before dinner, take a walk in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, a large riverside park. For another crab dinner nearby, Mellben Seafood in Ang Mo Kio is known for claypot crab bee hoon soup. Sin Ming Roti Prata is a local choice for breakfast. You can also browse more chilli crab and seafood restaurants or all restaurants in Ang Mo Kio and Bishan.