Dictionary

zi char en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /- ˈtʃɑɹ/ (US)
• /tsə ˈtʃɑ/ (US)
• [ˌt͡s˭z̩˨˦ ˈt͡sʰa˦˨] (Singapore)
• [ˌt͡s˭ɨ˨˦ ˈt͡ʃʰa˦˨] (Singapore)

Etymology

Borrowed from Singaporean Hokkien 煮炒 (chír-chhá, literally “cook and fry”), with Pinyin-influenced spelling.

Meanings

1. (Malaysia, Singapore, uncountable) Affordable homestyle or restaurant-style Chinese dishes, from stalls commonly found in hawker centres and coffee shops.
   • Once synonymous with comfort, home-style food, zi char (cooked food in Hokkien) eateries are becoming the hot bed of innovative, if not haute Singaporean cuisine. 2008 November 23, Huang Lijie, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page 24:
   • Just three shops away, there’s another zhi char (restaurant-style coffee shop) place. 2006 December 31, Teo Pau Lin, quoting Benjamin Seck, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page L28:
   • The places I raved about weren’t the posh, fine-dining restaurants, but the declasse zhi cha joints, preferably with seating in an alleyway next to a longkang. 2008 October 5, Colin Goh, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page 13:

Forms