Derived from the Hokkien words for “cooking” and “frying,” Zi Char is a Singaporean term used to describe dishes based on home-cooked Chinese food with plenty of Malay, Indian, and Peranakan influences thrown into the mix.
With standout dishes such as chili crabs, cereal prawns, and salted egg chicken, Zi Char is all about variety, bringing together delicious flavor combinations to excite the tongue, fill the belly, and warm the heart.
No stranger to diversity in both his choices of roles as an actor and in his food ventures as a restaurateur, Marvin Agustin is a big fan of Zi Char. While fondly looking back on his trips to Singapore, he puts his own spin on his favorite Zi Char dish, coffee pork, for our Instagram TV series Comfort Kitchen.
Popular either as an appetizer or a meal paired with a generous serving of rice, Singaporeans love coffee pork for its distinct balance of flavors in each bite. The sweet, bitter, and aromatic coffee glazed over juicy pork makes for a gastronomic experience that seems so unlikely but works together so beautifully.
Marvin also shares his secret to unlocking extra layers of flavor: a little marinade and a lot of TLC.
Pork loin chops are added to a marinade of water, baking soda, five-spice powder, salt, oyster sauce, egg whites, peppers, and cornstarch. The pork then gets carefully massaged and left in the refrigerator for at least six hours for the marinade to get fully absorbed. The rest of the preparation, from the making of the coffee sauce to the deep frying of the pork, is a tribute to culinary creativity, artistry, and the pursuit of unique tastes—all the things that make up the Zi Char experience.
For adventurous eaters looking for new flavors to discover, with Zi Char, you can fuel your wanderlust for Singapore at home. Here’s how you can whip up a coffee pork dish of your own and sink your teeth into the unique food traditions of the Lion City.
Check out VisitSingaporePH’s Facebook page and learn more about the delicious world of Zi Char.
Coffee Pork
Ingredients
For the marinade
600g pork loin, sliced
½ cup water
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp five-spice powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
4-6 tbsp cornstarch
White pepper, to taste
Oil for deep frying
For the coffee sauce
200ml water
2-4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp instant coffee powder, or more as desired
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
Preparation
- Place pork slices into a small bowl then massage the marinade into the meat.
- Refrigerate the pork overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- For the coffee sauce, mix all the ingredients into a pan then bring to a simmer until it thickens.
- Fry the pork by heating a wok with oil. Deep fry until golden brown.
- Reheat the coffee sauce and add the pork. Stir until all pieces are coated. Serve hot.