187 East Coast Road, Singapore 428893 | Daily 4pm–3am
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Overview & History
Sin Hoi Sai Eating House is one of Singapore’s most enduring zi char institutions, rooted in a family story that stretches back to 1978. Founded by Madam Yap Sor Khim, the original outlet opened under the HDB flats of Tiong Bahru — a branch that has since earned a Michelin Plate. Three years later, the East Coast Road outpost was born, operated by the second branch of the family and now widely considered the more frequented of the two. The East Coast outlet has attracted celebrity visits — Jackson Wang and Chef Eric Teo among them — yet retains an irreducibly local, unpretentious soul.
The name means “New Sea Mountain” in Hokkien, a nod to the seafood-centric ambitions of its founders. After nearly half a century, the kitchen continues to be driven by the same family lineage, and the menu still reflects the hallmarks of traditional Cantonese-Hokkien home cooking married with the freewheeling innovation of Singapore zi char culture.
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Ambience & Setting
To dine at Sin Hoi Sai is to submit to an experience that has not been aesthetically curated — and is all the better for it. The restaurant occupies a shophouse-adjacent stretch along East Coast Road, directly opposite the Holy Family Church and beside a paint shop, with tables and plastic chairs spilling onto the pavement in a genuinely alfresco arrangement. You are, quite literally, seated beside live traffic.
The furniture is old-school kopitiam through and through: round wooden tables worn smooth by years of communal dinners, plastic chairs in utilitarian hues of red and blue, no tablecloths, no ambient lighting. Overhead, hawker fans hum. The street provides its own soundtrack — the rumble of passing cars, the shout of orders called across the kitchen, the clink of Tiger beer bottles as groups toast the humid Singapore night.
The atmosphere is best described as convivial chaos with warmth at its core. By 8pm on a weekend, every table is taken, and the crowd spills outward. Families with young children occupy the inner tables; groups of regulars command the pavement. Expats mix freely with locals. The kitchen operates at a formidable pace, and the service — brisk, no-nonsense, occasionally brusque — reflects that pace honestly. As one veteran reviewer put it: “the food is fit for a king, even if they don’t treat you like royalty.” One practical note: you can bring your own wine with no corkage charge, and cold Tiger beer is cheap and ubiquitous.
For those who appreciate food over finesse, Sin Hoi Sai’s atmosphere rating of 2/5 on polish and 4/5 on character is precisely the point.
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The Signature Dishes — In-Depth Analysis
1. Stir-Fried Mee Sua (from $6)
Mee sua — thin wheat vermicelli, sometimes called “long life noodles” (面线) — is arguably the most technically demanding of the three dishes to prepare, and the most underappreciated.
Preparation & Technique:
Stir-fried mee sua undergoes a three-stage cooking process that distinguishes it from all other stir-fried noodle dishes. The dried, salted noodle bundles are first deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown, transforming their pliable exterior into a briefly rigid, lightly caramelised shell. They are then plunged into rolling boiling water to soften — a process that must be timed precisely to prevent dissolution — and finally drained, cooled in cold water to arrest cooking, and stir-fried at high wok heat with aromatics and stock. The deep-frying step is the key: it imparts structural integrity, a faint nuttiness, and that characteristic slightly crisp-yet-silky mouthfeel that cannot be achieved by any shortcut.
The Wok Hei Factor:
At Sin Hoi Sai, the woks are fired at restaurant heat — far beyond what domestic stoves can replicate — producing the elusive wok hei, or “breath of the wok”: a smoky, slightly charred, mineral undertone that permeates the noodles and their sauce.
Texture Profile:
The finished dish presents noodles that are silkily slippery at their core yet carry a barely perceptible toothsome resistance at the surface. Unlike rice vermicelli (beehoon), which dissolves into softness, or kway teow, which is flat and yielding, mee sua has a subtle springiness. The noodles clump together in elegant tangles rather than separating into individual strands, creating a textural intimacy with the sauce.
Flavour & Colour:
The sauce — built from oyster sauce, light soy, white pepper, and sesame oil — is glossy and savoury-sweet, coating each strand. The colour palette is golden-amber, deepened by the dark soy and the caramelisation from wok heat, with flashes of crimson from sliced chilli and jade from spring onion or coriander garnish.
Pairings:
At the table, the mee sua functions as the textural anchor of the meal, absorbing the flavours of whatever it accompanies. Against the richness of cereal prawn or the fire of sambal stingray, its quiet umami acts as a counterpoint.
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2. Cereal Prawn (from $20)
Cereal prawn — 麦片虾 (mai pian xia, literally “oatmeal prawn”) — is one of Singapore’s most distinctively modern zi char innovations, with its origins tracing back to the 1980s or early 1990s, when a chef is thought to have emptied a packet of Nestum instant multi-grain cereal into a hot wok of butter and discovered something extraordinary.
The Ingredient Architecture:
The dish rests on four essential pillars:
– Nestum cereal — a fine, multi-grain instant flake (wheat, corn, rice, barley) that crisps magnificently in butter and absorbs flavour without becoming soggy. It cannot be replaced with rolled oats or cornflakes; its specific grain structure is integral.
– Butter — generous and unapologetic. The cereal toasts in it, absorbs it, and turns golden brown with a milky sweetness.
– Curry leaves — fresh, not dried. When they hit hot butter, they crackle, release their citrusy, peppery volatile oils, and impart an irreplaceable Southeast Asian fragrance.
– Bird’s eye chillies (cili padi) — sliced, seeded for moderate heat or whole for fire. They introduce the contrast that keeps the dish from being cloying.
Preparation & Cooking:
At zi char restaurants, prawns are typically left whole — shells, heads, antennae intact — which concentrates flavour and creates a dramatic visual. The prawns are coated in a cornstarch-and-egg batter and deep-fried in very hot oil until the shells turn vibrant deep orange and the batter firms to a light crispness. The oil is discarded. Butter is melted in the wok, curry leaves and chilli are fried until crackling, then sugar, milk powder (in some versions), and the cereal mix are added and stirred over medium-low heat until the cereal turns golden, fragrant, and just toasted. The fried prawns are folded in and tossed rapidly.
Texture & Sensory Profile:
The result is a dish of remarkable textural complexity. The prawn beneath the shell is plump, sweet, and snappy — the sign of fresh, correctly cooked crustacean. The shell itself, when fried, becomes thin and edible, adding a satisfying crunch. The cereal coating that clings to both shell and the gaps between is simultaneously crispy, crumbly, and melt-in-the-mouth, saturated with butter and the aromatic oils of curry leaf. Unlike deep-fried foods where the crust softens minutes after plating, cereal prawns retain their texture for an extended period, as the cereal continues to wick away moisture.
Colour & Hue:
The finished plate is a study in warm golds: the deep amber-orange of the fried prawn shell, the burnished golden-yellow of the toasted cereal, the translucent jade of the crisped curry leaves, and the scarlet accent of sliced chilli. It is a visually exuberant dish that signals abundance before the first bite.
At Sin Hoi Sai:
The East Coast Road version is consistently cited for its buttery richness and correct cereal texture — not over-toasted to bitterness, not under-toasted to softness. The prawns are large and clearly fresh. This is the dish most commonly paired with the mee sua, where the cereal’s crumbs cascade onto the noodles and enrich them.
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3. Barbecue Stingray (from $15)
Sambal stingray — ikan pari bakar in Malay — occupies a foundational position in Singapore’s hawker culinary canon. Its origins trace to Malaysian coastal communities where stingray, once considered a low-value bycatch, was transformed by the application of sambal paste and live fire. Stingray’s value in markets has since risen dramatically, precisely because of the prestige the dish has conferred upon the fish.
The Fish:
Stingray (ray fish) has a distinctive cartilaginous skeleton, which means it contains no sharp bones — instead, a flexible cartilage matrix that becomes gelatinous and unctuously soft during cooking. The flesh itself is white, moderately dense, and mildly sweet, with a fine-grained texture that flakes gently under pressure. The “wing” section — the most prized cut — offers a wide, flat surface area ideal for accepting the sambal paste.
The Sambal:
The sambal paste is the soul of the dish, and its quality distinguishes a great version from a mediocre one. A proper zi char sambal is built from a mortar-pounded or blended base of:
– Dried and fresh red chillies (soaked, drained)
– Shallots and garlic
– Belacan (fermented shrimp paste, dry-toasted first) — the source of deep, funky umami
– Tamarind water — for souring brightness
– Palm sugar — rounding and sweetening the heat
– Lemongrass in some versions
The paste is stir-fried in oil over medium heat for 15 minutes or longer until the colour deepens, the raw sharpness cooks out, and the oil visibly separates from the paste — the signal that the aromatics have fully surrendered their flavour. Tamarind water and palm sugar are then added, and the sauce is simmered to a concentrated, glossy, complex sambal.
The Cooking Technique:
The stingray wing is placed on a banana leaf — not aluminium foil, if authenticity matters. The banana leaf imparts a subtle, grassy, vegetal fragrance as it chars beneath the fish, and its natural tannins interact with the fish’s proteins in ways that foil cannot replicate. The sambal is spread generously over the scored white side of the fish. The whole parcel goes onto a charcoal grill or high oven, where it cooks at intense heat for 8–12 minutes. The sambal side is always up, directly exposed to the heat source, where it bubbles, caramelises, and acquires the characteristic dark freckles of char that define a properly cooked version. The banana leaf below blackens and releases its aroma.
Texture & Flavour:
When served, the stingray flesh beneath the sambal is tender and just-set — it yields to gentle pressure and separates into soft, moist flakes. The cartilage, now fully cooked, is gelatinous at its edges. The sambal crust on top presents a contrast: its surface is slightly sticky where it has caramelised, with darker, crisped patches at the periphery where the heat was most intense. The flavour profile is a rigorous counterpoint of heat (chilli), depth (belacan), tartness (tamarind), and sweetness (palm sugar) — built for white steamed jasmine rice and cold beer.
Colour:
Visually, the dish is dramatic. The deep crimson-scarlet of the sambal, darkening to near-mahogany at the charred edges, sits against the pale white flesh and the black-green char of the banana leaf. A squeeze of calamansi brightens the plate with a pale yellow-green citrus note.
At Sin Hoi Sai:
The BBQ stingray is consistently praised for its smoky char and well-balanced sambal. Portion sizes at the East Coast branch are generous, and the fish is reliably fresh. The dish is best ordered early in the evening before the kitchen is at its most pressured.
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The Recommended Combination
The triumvirate of Stir-Fried Mee Sua + Cereal Prawn + BBQ Stingray is Sin Hoi Sai’s most harmonically complete meal:
– The mee sua provides starchy, umami-rich ballast, absorbing the cereal crumbs and sambal residue.
– The cereal prawn contributes buttery, sweet, aromatic richness and textural exuberance.
– The BBQ stingray introduces spice, smoke, and tartness, cutting through the prawn’s richness.
Supplemented with garlic kang kong (clean, bitter, charred at the edges) and cold Tiger beer, the table reaches the kind of equilibrium that defines a successful zi char dinner.
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Recipes for the Home Kitchen
Stir-Fried Mee Sua
Serves 3–4
Ingredients:
– 160g dried mee sua (wheat vermicelli)
– 2 cups frying oil (for initial deep-fry)
– 3 tbsp sesame oil + 1 tbsp cooking oil
– 1 tsp minced garlic
– 1 tbsp chopped shallots
– 2 dried Chinese mushrooms (soaked, shredded)
– 70g chicken breast (shredded) or small prawns
– 50g carrot (julienned)
– 2 eggs
– 300ml chicken stock
Seasoning (combine):
– 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp white pepper, ½ tsp chicken powder, 2–3 tbsp water
Method:
1. Heat frying oil in a wok until hot. Add dried mee sua bundles and fry, turning quickly, until golden brown (about 2–3 minutes). Remove as soon as sizzling slows.
2. Scald the fried mee sua in boiling water 30–40 seconds until softened. Drain and rinse immediately in cold water. Set aside.
3. In a clean wok, heat sesame and cooking oils. Sauté garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add mushrooms, chicken/prawns, and carrot; stir-fry until cooked. Season with 1 tbsp combined seasoning. Set aside.
4. Scramble eggs separately in a little sesame oil, set aside.
5. Add chicken stock to the wok, bring to a boil. Add remaining seasoning. Add the mee sua and the cooked mixture. Stir-fry at high heat until sauce is nearly dry. Add scrambled eggs and toss briefly.
6. Garnish with sliced red chilli, spring onion, and fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
Tips: Never stir the mee sua in boiling water while it is still brittle — it will shatter. The deep-frying step is non-negotiable for structural integrity.
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Cereal Prawn
Serves 3–4
Ingredients:
– 500g large prawns (whole, with shells and heads; or peeled if preferred)
– Frying oil
Batter:
– 1 egg, 3 tbsp cornstarch, salt and white pepper to taste
Cereal Mix:
– ¾ cup Nestum original multi-grain cereal
– 1½ tsp sugar
– 1½ tbsp milk powder
– ½ tsp salt
For the wok:
– 30g unsalted butter
– 1 stalk fresh curry leaves (stripped from stems)
– 1–2 bird’s eye chillies (sliced; seeds removed for less heat)
Method:
1. Mix batter ingredients. Coat prawns in batter — it should be thick enough to cling but still drip slowly when lifted.
2. Deep-fry or shallow-fry prawns in batches in hot oil until shells turn vivid orange and batter firms (about 30–45 seconds per side). Drain on paper towels.
3. Pour oil from wok. Melt butter over medium heat until just bubbling. Add curry leaves — they should crackle and deepen in colour. Add chilli. Fry 10 seconds.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add cereal mix. Stir constantly, toasting until golden and fragrant — watch carefully to avoid burning. This takes 2–3 minutes.
5. Add fried prawns. Toss rapidly until all surfaces are coated and cereal is fully golden. Taste and adjust with salt and white pepper. Serve immediately.
Tips: Nestum cereal is not interchangeable with rolled oats, cornflakes, or granola. Fresh curry leaves are essential; dried curry leaves will not crackle and will impart no fragrance. Do not over-toast the cereal — it turns bitter quickly past golden.
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BBQ Sambal Stingray
Serves 3–4
Ingredients:
– 400–500g stingray wing (skin on, scored)
– 2 sheets banana leaf
– ½ tsp turmeric, salt to taste
– Butter or margarine for basting
Sambal Paste:
– 8 dried red chillies (soaked until soft), 3 bird’s eye chillies
– 4 shallots, 3 cloves garlic
– 1 tsp belacan (fermented shrimp paste — dry-toast in pan until crumbly and fragrant)
– 2 tbsp tamarind paste dissolved in 3 tbsp water
– 1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
– 2–3 tbsp cooking oil
– Salt to taste
Method:
1. Make the sambal: Blend chillies, shallots, garlic, and belacan into a coarse paste. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry paste, stirring continuously, 12–15 minutes until colour deepens and oil separates. Add tamarind water and palm sugar; simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt. Cool.
2. Prepare the fish: Pat stingray dry. Dust lightly with turmeric and salt. Score the flesh 2–3 times on the thicker end. Rest 5 minutes.
3. Assemble: Soften banana leaf briefly over open flame or hot pan. Place stingray on banana leaf, white flesh-side up. Spread sambal generously (6–8mm thick) over the flesh. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil.
4. Grill: Over charcoal or under a hot oven broiler (220°C), cook sambal-side up for 8–12 minutes until sambal bubbles and develops charred patches. For extra char, finish briefly under broiler. Baste edges with melted butter in the final minute.
5. Rest and serve: Rest 2–3 minutes. Squeeze calamansi lime over the top. Serve on the banana leaf with steamed jasmine rice.
Tips: Toasting the belacan before blending significantly deepens the umami. The sambal can be made 2–3 days ahead and refrigerated — it improves as it matures. The banana leaf is not merely presentation; it is a flavour-delivery mechanism.
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Final Verdict
Sin Hoi Sai Eating House is not trying to be anything it isn’t. It is a zi char restaurant of the old school: family-run, rooted in craft, indifferent to Instagram, and deeply committed to producing food that has justified nearly fifty years of loyal custom. The ambience is kerbside Singapore at its most unvarnished. The food — particularly the triumvirate of mee sua, cereal prawn, and BBQ stingray — is the work of a kitchen that understands flavour, heat, and timing at a level that most restaurants twice its price cannot match.
For those in the East, it is the supper destination. For anyone willing to make the trip: it is simply one of the more honest, satisfying meals Singapore has to offer.
Ratings:
– Food: ★★★★☆
– Value: ★★★★☆
– Service: ★★★☆☆
– Ambience: ★★☆☆☆
– Overall: ★★★★☆
Not halal-certified. Open daily 4pm–3am. 187 East Coast Road, Singapore 428893.