Long Ji Zi Char - Wet-Style Crab Bee Hoon, No MSG Added

Tucked along Outram Road, Long Ji Zi Char has built its name on a single dish that anchors an otherwise sprawling menu: a wet-style crab bee hoon cooked without MSG or chicken powder, where the depth of flavour comes directly from the crab and its broth rather than any added seasoning. The restaurant traces its roots back to a hawker stall at Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre under chef Mac Kong, before the business moved to Eng Hoon Road in Tiong Bahru and later to its current home on Outram Road.

The dining room today still leans unapologetically old-school, with tables packed close together, a brisk pace at service, and seating that spills from the indoor space into a back alley setting rarely found in modern Singapore. Beyond the crab, the kitchen turns out a full range of wok-fried zi char dishes, each built around a specific technique or ingredient choice worth knowing before ordering.

Crab Bee Hoon — Seasonal price

Long Ji’s signature dish departs from the lighter, milkier crab bee hoon served at many other zi char stalls in favour of a richer, more savoury broth built on oyster sauce and a peppery base. The stock is made without MSG or chicken powder, so the depth comes directly from the crab itself, cooked together with cabbage until the shell releases its sweetness into the liquid. The bee hoon is added wet rather than dry and left to absorb the broth fully, so each strand carries the same intensity as the crab. Because pricing follows the live weight of the crab selected, the dish is sold at seasonal or market rate rather than a fixed figure, with heavier crabs commanding a higher price.

Shrimp Paste Chicken — From $26

Known locally as har cheong gai, this dish relies on a prawn paste marinade worked into the chicken before it is deep-fried to a crisp, golden exterior. The marinade is balanced to avoid excessive saltiness, allowing the natural umami of the fermented prawn paste to come through without overwhelming the meat. The chicken is fried to order, which keeps the exterior crackling while the inside stays moist.

Fermented Pork Belly — From $19

A dish increasingly rare on modern zi char menus, this version uses pork belly marinated in fermented red rice before being sliced thin and pan-fried. The fermentation lends the meat a faint tang and a deep red hue, and the slices are served alongside a chilli dip that cuts through the richness of the pork fat.

Garlic Cockles — From $17

The cockles are served lightly blanched in their half shells, dressed in a light soya and garlic sauce with a touch of chilli for heat. Removing the top shell beforehand keeps the dish easy to eat by hand, and the dressing is kept thin enough that the natural brininess of the shellfish still comes through.

Fragrant Stir-Fried Clams — From $17

The clams are wok-fried quickly over high heat with aromatics, a technique meant to lock in their juices while building a layer of charred fragrance from the wok itself. The dish leans on the natural sweetness of the clams rather than a thick sauce, letting the shellfish flavour carry through.

Golden Corn — From $18

Sweet corn kernels are coated in a light batter and deep-fried until golden, then finished with a savoury-sweet seasoning that plays against the corn’s natural sugars. It functions as a textural counterpoint to the heavier wok-fried mains, with a crunch that holds up even as the dish cools.

Green Dragon Vegetables — From $20

This leafy green vegetable dish is stir-fried quickly to preserve its crunch, finished with the same smoky wok hei that defines the kitchen’s other cooked dishes. It is kept simple by design, intended as a palate reset between the richer crab, pork, and shellfish dishes on the table.

Three Egg Vegetable — From $17

Local spinach is stir-fried with a combination of salted egg, century egg, and fresh egg, a classic pairing that builds a rich, savoury coating over the leaves rather than a plain garlic finish. The salted and century eggs lend a deeper, slightly mineral flavour, while the fresh egg ties the sauce together into a smoother, glossier texture across the greens.

Long Ji Zi Char continues to draw a steady crowd of regulars for a reason: its menu stays anchored in zi char fundamentals such as wok hei, fresh seafood, and a broth-based crab dish that few other kitchens replicate at the same scale. For diners looking for a no-frills, communal meal built around bold, savoury cooking, it remains one of the more dependable stops along Outram Road.

Address: 253 Outram Road, Singapore 169049
Opening Hours: Daily, 5:00pm – 10:30pm
Tel: +65 9790 5682
Online ordering: longjizichar.getz.co