Fried carrot cake, or more commonly known as chai tow kway to the Chinese, is a dish that screams “Singapore!”.
Coming in both black and white versions, there are certain criteria for a plate of fried carrot cake to be deemed shiok. Moist and laced with a wok hei aroma for the black, sweet version, and a crispy exterior with soft interior for the white version. And of course, the serving and balance of the eggs and chye poh have a part to play too. Here are 10 carrot cake stalls I believe are well worth travelling around our Little Red Dot for!
Image credit: @tame_bunny
If I had to choose my favourite carrot cake stall of all time, it would be Fu Ming Cooked Food. Both their Black and White Carrot Cake (from $3) are equally outstanding. The size of the radish cakes in the white version is inconsistent; the bigger pieces are mushy, while the smaller pieces are fried till crispy and slightly charred. The stall owner adds dark sweet sauce twice to the black version, giving the dish a shiny glaze and honeyed tang.
Address: 85 Redhill Lane, #01-49, Redhill Food Centre, Singapore 150085
Opening hours: Wed-Sat 12pm to 8pm, Sun 6:30am to 3am
Image credit: @pprisyapp
Chey Sua Carrot Cake was listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand back in 2016 and 2017. This won’t be a surprise once you have a taste of their White Carrot Cake ($2). They only sell the white version, where the outer layer of egg fully covers the smooth radish cubes, and is fried until brown and crisp.
The carrot cake from Chey Sua looks slightly different from other stalls with its flat and rectangular-block-like appearance. Don’t be deceived by its small serving, as one plate is enough to fill up your tummy.
Address: 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310127
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 6:30am to 1pm
Image credit: @fuudum
Just like Chey Sua, He Zhong Carrot Cake only sells White Carrot Cake ($2.50). The combination of radish cakes, eggs, chye poh, and fish sauce strike a good balance. On the first bite, you’ll first be met with a nice crunch from the egg and chye poh, followed by the radish cakes melting in your mouth. The incorporation of fish sauce gives it a pleasant umami finish. Chilli is also smeared on the top to give the dish a boost in flavour, but does not really turn up the heat.
Address: 51 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #02-185, Bukit Timah Food Centre, Singapore 588172
Opening hours: Mon 6am to 1pm, Tue-Sun 6am to 8:30pm
Image credit: @leeqirong
Once located at ABC Brickworks, Ghim Moh Carrot Cake relocated back to Ghim Moh Food Centre after its renovation. As I was not hungry enough for both the Black and White Carrot Cakes ($2.50 each), I decided to only order the former. It was glistening with dark sweet sauce and had an abundance of chye poh, delivering a good balance of sweet and salty nuances. As the stall owner is generous with the dark sweet sauce, his black carrot cake is more treacly as compared to other stalls’.
Address: 20 Ghim Moh Rd, #01-16, Ghim Moh Food Centre, Singapore 270020
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 6:30am to 1pm
Image credit: @missychernie
The carrot cakes sold at Fried Carrot Cake is simple, like its name, yet pleasing to the taste buds. Both the White and Black carrot cakes are sold at $3each, and have its radish cakes chopped up into tiny pieces. The former is savoury, and you can taste the chye poh that was stir-fried with it. The latter has a squidgy texture from the dark sweet sauce added into it. It is pretty difficult to taste the charred aroma from the wok though, as the dark sweet sauce was a little overpowering.
Address: Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3, #01-45, Clementi 448 Food Centre, Singapore 120448
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 6am to 6pm
Image credit: @mandasuat
Good Spice Carrot Cake is so popular, their carrot cake is usually sold out by lunch hour. Selling both Black and White Carrot Cake, the stall owner fires up each plate upon order, ensuring your carrot cake is served piping hot. At just $2 per plate, there is no reason for you to hesitate getting your hands on these fragrant plates of black and white goodness.
Address: 41 Cambridge Rd, #01-20, Pek Kio Food Centre, Singapore 210041
Opening hours: Thurs-Mon 6am to 1pm
Image credit: @tame_bunny
Stall 36 is must-try stall in Chomp Chomp Food Centre. Both their Black and White Carrot Cake ($3 each) are the epitome of wok hei! The white version may not have made much of an impact on me, but the black one was definitely memorable. It was slightly wet from the dark sweet sauce it was mixed with, but not to the point that causes the egg and radish cakes to turn soggy.
Find out what else there is to eat at Chomp Chomp Food Centre!
Address: 20 Kensington Park Rd, #01-36, Chomp Chomp Food Centre, Singapore 557269
Opening hours: Daily 5:30pm to 12am
Blk 133 Ang Mo Kio is home to a hidden gem that has been selling $2 carrot cake for over two decades. Prices are low here to meet the needs of the elderly living in the area. Patrons get to choose between white or black, both fried simply, but deliciously, with egg and cai poh. The stall also sells popiah for $1.30, which some fans dub as the best popiah they have tried. However, popiah only appears to be made for sale over the weekend.
Address: 133 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, Singapore 560133
Opening hours: Varies due to COVID-19
Image credit: @huitingsfoodtrails
Lagoon Carrot Cake sells both the Black and White Carrot Cake in one plate together – great for those who can’t decide which colour to order. From $6 onwards, you can expect a generous serving of fried carrot cakes along with crunchy prawns! Big, even, and firm, the radish cakes of the white carrot cake are enveloped in a generous amount of fried eggs. On the other hand, the black carrot cake is not too sweet, and doesn’t overpower its savoury white counterpart.
Address: 1220 East Coast Parkway, #01-40, East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Singapore 468960
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 12pm to 10pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am to 10pm
Image credit: @gayle.t
Hock Soon Carrot Cake sells both black and white carrot cake too. Their Black Carrot Cake ($2.50) is moist and fried, with a precise amount of sweet soya sauce to create a flavourful yet not overly salty dish. On the other hand, their White Carrot Cake ($2.50) is not too oily. Hock Soon Carrot Cake is exceptionally generous with their eggs and chye poh when it comes to whipping up a plate of White Carrot Cake for their customers.
Address: 20 Ghim Moh Rd, #01-29, Ghim Moh Food Centre, Singapore 270020
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 9am to 12pm
Address: 270 Queen Street, #01-59, Singapore 180270
Opening hours: Mon 4pm to 9pm, Tue-Sat 7am to 2pm, 4pm to 9pm, Sun 7am to 2pm
Address: Block 115 Bukit Merah View, #01-30, Singapore 115115
Opening hours: Daily 6am to 2pm
Arguably one of the highest-rated chai tow kway in Singapore is 618 SIM Carrot Cake. Tucked away in a small Yishun coffee shop, this Northside gem sees fans flock to them regularly for their white carrot cake, priced from $3. They only serve white carrot cake, which you can choose to add prawns to for an extra $1-$3. Queues are often 30 minutes to an hour, but it’s worth staying in line because you’ll be greeted with a plate of crispy, pillowy carrot cake cut by salty chai po at the end.
Address: 618 Yishun Ring Road, Singapore 760618
Opening hours: Thurs-Mon 6:30am to 1:30pm
Song Han brings something unusual to the table as they serve up chai tow kway where the radish cakes are infused with curry spices before frying. Yes, curry spices. This sets them apart from the other carrot cake stalls in the same hawker centre, as there really is an earthy, moreish punch to the dish that keeps you going back for more. Plus, for only $3, you get a generous amount of prawns and salty preserved veggie, which can’t be beaten.
Address: 137 Tampines St. 11, #01-07, Singapore 522137
Opening hours: Tue-Wed, Sat-Sun 6am to 12pm
Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake was, up until recently, one of the only stalls that mills rice to make carrot cake. While this 70-year-old stall no longer does that, it orders its kway from a factory that mills the rice themselves, so the texture of their Carrot Cake ($3) remains top-notch. We recommend the black version, as it is remarkably well-balanced, with the right amount of sweetness and spiciness.
Address: 115 Bukit Merah View, #01-37, Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre, Singapore 151115
Opening hours: Daily 6am to 2pm, 4pm to 8pm (hours may vary)
Website
Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake is not a halal-certified eatery.
With all these fried carrot cake stalls selling exceptional chai tow kway, travelling is definitely not a hassle at all. For all you fried carrot cake lovers out there, feel free to let us know if your favourite fried carrot cake stall had been missed out.
For more food that screams Singapore, check out our list of lor mee stalls and places that sell har cheong gai!
Feature image adapted from Instagram user @leeqirong‘s post.
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