HK Zi Char Diner, Where Jay Chou Spent Thousands On Takeaway, Opens S’pore Outlet

The 47-year-old opened Ju Xing Home in 2011, and holds the Michelin Bib Gourmand accolade for the past six years. His restaurant started as a hole-in-the-wall, but has expanded by taking over several neighbouring units.

He points out pragmatically: “Compared to hotel restaurants the presentation of our dishes is not so nice, but the flavour is there. The ingredients are fresh and we put in a lot of effort to cook.”

He serves unpretentious Cantonese and Sichuan dishes in a squeezy setting, where you might be bumping elbows with Cantopop singer Alan Tam, who is known for dropping by for stir-fried beef and a bowl of white rice after playing football nearby. 

“Alan Tam hardly dines out, so I was initially nervous cooking for him, also because I've been a fan of his music since young. He came here because he knew some of the other chefs who come here, and he likes to order our lobster vermicelli and stir-fried beef,” shares chef Ng, who runs his eatery with his Vietnamese-Chinese wife. 

As Ju Xing Home (ju xing means ‘happy gathering’ in Chinese) opens till 1am daily, it also became a popular supper spot for famed chefs after a long dinner service, like two-Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant Lung King Heen’s exec chef Chan Yan-tak, Chinese restaurant Mott 32’s exec chef Lee Man Sing, and Tim Ho Wan’s chef-founder Mak Kwai Pui.

It was chef Mak who later introduced former TVB producer Robert Chua and his wife, Peggy, to the restaurant. Robert, who brought Tim Ho Wan to Singapore, is now also the global master franchisor of Ju Xing Home.

First Singapore outlet

The restaurant will open its first Singapore outlet tomorrow (Dec 1) at Takashimaya’s basement. Homegrown F&B investment firm Gourmet Food Holdings, run by Robert’s nephew Brian Chua, is Ju Xing Home’s Singapore master franchisee.

Don't expect heartland zi char prices, though. Most of chef Ng’s most popular dishes in Hong Kong are available here, like Sweet and Sour Pork Rib ($18.80 for Regular/ $29.80 for Large), Sichuan Mala Sliced Beef ($32.80), Australian Live Lobster with Crispy Vermicelli ($22.80/100g), Poached Fish in Sichuan Chilli Oil (from $9.80/100g for Live Tiger Garoupa, $11.80/100g for Marble Goby, or from $45.80 for Regular/ $68.80 for Large), and Double-Boiled Clam Soup with Mountain Pepper ($25.80 for Regular/ $48.80 for Large).

The extensive menu also offers a selection of meat, seafood, beancurd and veggie dishes, as well as rice and noodle options for sharing and a simple Almond Paste with Egg White dessert ($6.80). 

Chef Ng is mainly based in Hong Kong and will make occasional trips to Singapore to oversee his outlet here. In his absence, the cooking is done by a kitchen team he says he has trained well. “I don’t even need to supervise them,” he laughs.

The vibe of the 100-seat restaurant sits somewhere between casual and chi-chi; there are starched white tablecloths for larger tables and two private dining rooms, but also booths for smaller groups. Several tanks, tucked away at the back, hold live fish and lobsters similar to Ju Xing Home’s Hong Kong setup.

A photowall at the restaurant entrance shows off chef Ng’s famous guests over the years. We spotted screen legends like Simon Yam, Nancy Sit and Law Lan, as well as Raymond Lam, Bosco Wong, Ron Ng and Charlene Choi. “Most of the TVB artistes have been [to my restaurant]. When they discover somewhere nice to eat, they will tell all their friends,” says chef Ng.

Which could explain why Jay Chou spent several thousands in Hong Kong dollars to tapow food for his crew during his Hong Kong concert stop. Chef Ng recalls: “Jay Chou, Raymond Lam, they love eating. They would toast the chef and ask us to have a drink with them, even if their bottle of wine costs a few thousand dollars.”

What to order

Sichuan Mala Sliced Beef, $26.80 (8 Days Pick!)

Alan Tam’s go-to order at Ju Xing Home is this stir-fried beef. “But he prefers it non-spicy,” says chef Ng. Even for people who don’t fancy mala, like us, the expertly velveted, succulent beef is darn good soaked in a punchy chilli-and-peppercorn broth. Order white rice to mop up the sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pork Rib, $16.80 for Regular/ $26.80 for Large (8 Days Pick!)

The humble cai png mainstay kolo yuk is also excellent here. Instead of rubbery chunks that could dislocate a jaw, tender deboned pork ribs (you can ask for bone-in ribs) are fried to a crispy finish and luxuriously draped in a sticky, tangy hawthorn glaze.  

Australian Live Lobster with Crispy Vermicelli, $22.80/100g

Another celeb fave is this vermicelli dish, which has lobster chunks nestling on a bed of crispy, savoury bee hoon, deep-fried till they form a delicate lattice with an incredible crunch and paired with a light-tasting seafood sauce.

Unfortunately, our plate of live lobster during a preview tasting came overcooked, but we say give the chefs a chance to settle down in their new kitchen. There’s a more wallet-friendly Tiger Prawn with Crispy Vermicelli ($29.80 for Regular, $49.80 for Large) to try in the meantime.

Steamed Marble Goby with Green Peppercorn, $45.80 for Regular, $68.80 for Large

We find the meat dishes here better than the seafood, for some reason. Our steamed butterflied marble goby lacked springiness in its flesh, which is a pity ’cos it’s competently prepared with a moreish, piquant peppercorn-and-chilli dressing.

Salt-Baked Chicken, $20.80 for Regular/ $28.80 for Large

While technically a Hakka specialty, Ju Xing Home does a decent salt-baked chicken here. The tender poached chook is baked in salt and sand ginger powder, which retains the juiciness of its meat and gives it a nice fragrance. A ginger and scallion dip adds extra oomph.

Stir-Fried Kai Lan in Claypot, $16.80 (8 Days Pick!)  

The home-style menu also offers veggie and beancurd dishes to go with all the meat and seafood. The garlicky kai lan here is especially good, stir-fried with big chillies and served piping hot in a claypot to retain heat, the way our relatives who are formidable cooks do it for big Chinese New Year meals.

Ju Xing Home opens Dec 1 at #B2-36A Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Rd, S238872. Open daily 11am-10pm (1pm-10pm on Dec 1). Facebook, Instagram

Photos: Aik Chen

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