Top 10 Best Carrot Cake in Singapore
Do not confuse this with the dessert carrot cake, a moist cake made with carrot and spices; covered with cream cheese frosting. This savoury carrot cake has no carrot, at least not of the orange variety. Instead, the core ingredients of the cake are rice flour and white radish, which some call white carrot. The mixture is steamed, then cut into cubes and fried with garlic, eggs and preserved radish called ‘chai poh‘. Commonly referred to as ‘chai tow kway‘ in the Teochew dialect, these smooth and soft fried rice cakes can be found in almost every hawker centre. It is served black (fried with sweet dark soya sauce) or white (original) [source]. Tropika Club aggregated rankings or “ranking of rankings” compare d from the following sources to further ascertain the final rankings. This is further refined using the TripAdvisor rankings to decide between the position in case there is a tie. Read on to find out where are the Top 10 Best Carrot Cake in Singapore.
Table of Contents
- No Time to Read? Here’s a Snappy Summary of This Article
- 1. Fu Ming Cooked Food at Redhill Food Centre
- 2. Chey Sua Carrot Cake
- 3. Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake
- 4. He Zhong Carrot Cake
- 5. Ghim Moh Carrot Cake
- 6. Fried Carrot Cake, Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre
- 7. Song Zhou Carrot Cake
- 8. Lau Goh Teochew Chye Thow Kway
- 9. 618 Sim Carrot Cake
- 10. Guan Kee Carrot Cake
- 11. CHOMP CHOMP STALL 36
- 12. Heng Carrot Cake
- 13. Yuan Cheng Carrot Cake
- 14. ANG MOH KIO 107 CARROT CAKE
- 15. Lin Hai Sheng Carrot Cake
No Time to Read? Here’s a Snappy Summary of This Article
- Discover the best carrot cake in Singapore, a savoury dish made of rice flour and white radish, fried with eggs and preserved radish.
- Fu Ming Cooked Food tops the list with its homemade belachan chilli sauce and crispy edges. Try their half and half plates for both black and white versions.
- Chey Sua Carrot Cake has a long history and a unique way of frying the white carrot cake with chilli on one side. They make their own radish cake daily.
- Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake follows the traditional method of making carrot cake from scratch. They serve both black and white versions, with a good balance of sweetness and char.
- He Zhong Carrot Cake offers generous portions and fresh eggs. They serve both black and white versions, with a moist and soft texture.
1. Fu Ming Cooked Food at Redhill Food Centre
Introduction: The proprietor of Fu Ming Cooked Food in bustling Redhill Food Centre didn’t start hawking fried radish cake, or chai tow kway — he first entered the hawker trade in the 1960s making chwee kway. But the little individual cups of steamed rice cakes proved so finicky to make that Goh Chye Oo, 58, switched to making chai tow kway in his late teenage years.
Offerings: The plates of chai tow kway here come in three sizes priced at $3, $4 and $5 and portions lean towards the smaller side. Fu Ming makes fried carrot cake in both black and white versions that are equally good, so you can order a plate of half and half. The white version features roughly chopped carrot cake fried quickly with egg so it develops nice crusty edges while sweet dark soya sauce is added to the black version for a sweet-savoury contrast. Ask for a spicy version and Goh’s homemade belachan (fermented shrimp paste) chilli sauce is stir-fried into the mix, or have a dollop of the chilli on the side to fully appreciate its pungent fragrance.
Location: 85 Redhill Ln, #01-49, Singapore 150085
Contact: +65 9641 0565
Website: https://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/Fu_Ming_Shu_Shi/
2. Chey Sua Carrot Cake
Introduction: Chey Sua’s story started with Mr Tay Hoe Seng selling his carrot cake from a pushcart around Serangoon Gardens circus in the 1960s. In those days, the family would steam the carrot cake in their kampung house and bring it to the stall to be fried and sold. In 1972, the street hawkers there were re-located to Chomp Chomp hawker centre and for a while, they were still allowed to make their carrot cake at home. At the time, they were doing so well that his wife, Mdm Ng Sock Cheng went on to open another stall at Blk 127 Toa Payoh in 1973. So, for a short while, they had two stalls running. However, they had to close the stall at Chomp Chomp when the authorities disallowed the steaming of the carrot cake at home and because they were not able to make the carrot cake at their stall in Chomp Chomp, they had to close the stall there.
Offerings: Chey Sua only has the white version of the carrot cake and they fry it in their unique style, which is in thin flat pieces which are crisp on one side. The chilli is integral to the dish as it adds a lot to the flavour of the carrot cake, so you have to eat it with the chilli to appreciate “What the fuss is all about”! They are still steaming their carrot cake which is made with carrots, not radish and the chilli is still painstakingly made on the premises.
Location: Singapore 310127, #02-30 Lor 1 Toa Payoh, Block 127
Contact: +65 6254 6323
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Chey-Sua-Carrot-Cake-581344545264358/
3. Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake
Introduction: This 60-year-old stall in Bukit Merah View Food Centre is probably the last of its kind in Singapore. In the good old days, stone mills were a commoner sight. They were used for milling all types of grains from soybeans to make soybean milk, to peanuts to make peanut paste and of course broken rice to make carrot cake. Then, of course, the factories came into the scene and most of the work of milling was subsequently outsourced. This stall is run by three brothers. One brother takes the morning shift, one takes the evening shift and the youngest one makes the carrot cake.
Offerings: Their style of carrot cake is crispy and chunky. Since making so much effort to make the carrot cake, it would be a waste to chop it into tiny pieces where you can’t appreciate the texture. Both white and black were excellent and only needs $2.50.
Location: 115 Bukit Merah View, #01-37, Singapore 151115
Contact: +65 9691 2628
Website: https://bukit-merah-view-carrot-cake.business.site/
4. He Zhong Carrot Cake
Introduction: This family-run carrot cake stall has been in Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre since 1973. He Zhong Carrot Cake is currently run by Mr Teo Boon Kuang, who is 57 years old. His daughter, Alberta Teo, 29, plans to take over the stall to carry on the family business.
Offerings: The homemade chilli sauce, which is smeared all over the top of the well-charred carrot cake before serving, lends a delightful fragrance and delicate spice to the carrot cake. The relatively large pieces of kueh are glued together by an ample amount of egg. The combination of a well charred and crispy exterior, and a springy and eggy interior, make this carrot cake so addictive! The carrot cake is very affordable, with the smallest portion starting at just $2.50.
Location: 51 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, #02-185, Singapore 588172
Contact: +65 8498 9211
5. Ghim Moh Carrot Cake
Introduction: The stall is run by a husband and wife team with their son who has work distributed between the three of them. The wife is in charge of frying the white carrot cake and the husband fries the black version while their son relays customers’ order to them. Their teamwork is impeccable as the queue clears quite fast. Search online for the best few carrot cakes in Singapore and ‘Ghim Moh Carrot Cake’ will surely appear. Many make a trip down specifically for this mouth-watering plate of goodness.
Offerings: Ghim Moh Carrot Cake still makes their kueh themselves. The $4 plate of Yuan Yang contains both white and black carrot cake. White carrot cake It was soft but slightly chunky. The humble couple who runs this stall makes their radish cake from scratch, thus giving their carrot cake a unique texture. It was so flavourful even without adding some of their homemade chilli sauce. However, if you want a slight spicy kick, dip your carrot cake into the chilli generously for a burst of flavour. As for the black version, a generous amount of black sauce was added to it, just enough to give it a slightly sweet taste which does not overpower the mild saltiness of the radish. Unlike the white carrot cake which came in flat, large pieces, the black carrot cake was fried into small bits giving it a stronger wok-hei taste.
Location: 20 Ghim Moh Rd, #01-16, Singapore 270020
Contact: NIL
6. Fried Carrot Cake, Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre
Introduction: The stall was started in the 1960s by Ng Keng Chow, who is now in his 80s. He used to sell fried carrot cake from a pushcart at Tiong Bahru Market in the mornings before shifting to Beo Crescent to sell in the afternoons. The stall shifted to Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre in 1980 where he sold carrot cake with his wife. Older customers will remember him with his signature straw hat which he wore while frying. the stall attracts snaking queues in the morning. Clementi Fried Carrot Cake is one of the most popular stalls in Clementi for more than a decade. Easily identified by a long never-ending queue, this stall sells both Black and White Fried Carrot Cake at $3/$4. A 30 min wait is common.
Offerings: Clementi Fried Carrot Cake has a good “wok” flavour to his cooking and also a great crispy texture to the outer layer of the carrot cake. The white carrot cake is on the eggier side and the kueh is firm with a spicy kick in every bite. It is certainly a big plate of Fried Carrot Cake at $3/$4, best to order for sharing among friend with other great food at the food centre.
Location: Blk, 448 Clementi Ave 3, #01-45, Singapore 120448
Contact: NIL
7. Song Zhou Carrot Cake
Introduction: This hawker stall has been anchored in Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre even after the hawker centre revamped, proving Song Zhou to be one of the hot favourites there. A plate of fried carrot cake from them satisfies major cravings. While they used to only sell white carrot cake, they started to fry black ones too to suit the tastes of the younger crowd.
Offerings: Even though they no longer make their carrot cake, they add some “secret” ingredients to make the kueh softer after receiving it from their supplier. Song Zhou’s black carrot cake is very, very fragrant and moist. Each piece of kueh is so soft and aromatic. The stall is very generous with the eggs and black sauce. Each plate of carrot cake starts from $2.50.
Location: 208b New Upper Changi Rd, 01-37
Contact: NIL
Website: http://www.allaboutceil.com/2018/01/song-zhou-fried-carrot-cake-it-used-to.html
8. Lau Goh Teochew Chye Thow Kway
Introduction: The earliest appearance of carrot cake is believed to be in Chinatown and Lau Goh is one of the earliest hawker selling Teochew style “Chai Tow Kway”. He started selling Carrot Cake from a pushcart along Merchant Road in the 60s. During that time, all the carrot cakes are handmade. Rice is soaked overnight before milling it the next day. But because everything takes a lot of time and effort, many hawkers now do not do it anymore.
Offerings: If you cannot decide to have the white or black version, you can just order this dual carrot cake ($5). They are very generous with eggs. Vegetable oil is used, instead of lard, so the carrot cake is slightly healthier.
Location: 70 Zion Rd, Singapore 247792
Contact: NIL
Website: https://www.misstamchiak.com/lau-goh-teochew-chye-thow-kway/
9. 618 Sim Carrot Cake
Introduction: 618 Sim Carrot Cake is located in a quiet neighbourhood at Yishun near Khatib MRT Station. The stall sells white carrot cake while giving customers the option to add prawns. They used to sell the black version as well but not anymore.
Offerings: The rice cakes are held together in an omelette which was crispy and eggy on the outside, and soft on the inside. From the carrot cubes to the chye poh, they have added their own seasoning to make it incredibly tasty. They used to fry black carrot cake but because of the crowd, they only focus on frying the white one. While you’re enjoying the carrot cake, remember to pair each mouthful with the chye poh. The soft cubes of rice flour cake are first stir-fried with garlic, eggs and preserved radish aka ‘chye poh’. Upon serving, they will give you more chye poh at the side, how awesome is that! The preserved radish is crunchy, and not overly salty. Neither pork nor lard is used in the preparation of the dish.
Location: 618 Yishun Ring Rd, Singapore 760618
Contact: NIL
Read Also:
The Best Prawn Noodles in Singapore
10. Guan Kee Carrot Cake
Introduction: Guan Kee Fried Carrot Cake is a humble food stall that offers a pleasant experience with their menu featuring delicious Chinese cuisine. Prepared using only the freshest and most delicious ingredients, every dish in the menu is bound to satisfy your taste buds. As this market is much of a more touristy place, and the aunty was not very good at explaining to the customers what’s available, they have decided to make a simple yet clear menu. You could choose between the white (salty) or black (sweet) or half portion of each if you could not decide which to have.
Offerings: The carrot cake at Guan Kee is wetter and more savoury. Even the conventionally dry white carrot cake is moist here! The portion of the Yuan Yang($4) is pretty substantial. The kueh here is thick, chunky, and firm. I preferred the black version as it was nicely moist, and not too sweet!
Location: 270 Queen St, #01-59, Singapore 180270
Contact: NIL
Website: https://sgfoodfeed.blogspot.com/2017/08/guan-kee-fried-carrot-cake-black-or.html
11. CHOMP CHOMP STALL 36
Introduction: This Carrot Cake stall in Chomp Chomp Food Centre is easy to recognize. The name of the shop is essentially just called “Carrot Cake 菜頭粿”, the name of the dish it serves. Besides, this stall is located at the rightmost corner of the entrance. With its distinctive white signboard (compared to the other stalls with colourful signboard, this stall’s signboard stands out like a thorn among the roses. It would hard to miss this stall.
Offerings: There are a few stalls selling carrot cake at Chomp Chomp but the black version ($3) from stall 36 won everyone tastebuds over. It is sweeter than most we’ve tried, but the sweetness is well balanced out by the salty radish bits. The carrot cake isn’t too greasy, and you get some charred flavours in every mouthful.
Location: Stall 36, Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557269
Contact: NIL
Website: https://sg.openrice.com/en/singapore/review/well-fried-fragrant-with-right-sweetness-level-e83046
12. Heng Carrot Cake
Introduction: These folks have been around since the food centre opened in 1971 — and unlike many carrot cake stalls that rely on factory-supplied white radish cakes — this stall still makes theirs in-house.
Offerings: Their white carrot cake ($4/$5/$6) – chunks of white radish cake fried with an omelette mixture and salty chye poh (salt-preserved radish) – is done more lux here: with small to medium prawns and they are nicely seared and never overcooked. The carrot cake itself has a relatively nice crispness and soft egginess but the quality will waver depending on how busy they are. The resultant cake has a slightly hardier texture but with a concentrated smoothness. The black carrot cake – which adds a thick, sweet sauce into the mix – has an equally moist but crisp texture and a taste which is more savoury and caramel-like.
Location: 500 Clemenceau Ave N, #01-28, Singapore 229495
Contact: NIL
13. Yuan Cheng Carrot Cake
Introduction: Yuan Cheng Carrot Cake at the Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre is not only one of the more popular fried carrot cake stalls in the South West District, but it is also one that tries to provide a healthier version of this beloved dish, by using vegetable oil. But that doesn’t mean the taste is compromised as both the black and white versions at Yuan Cheng are standout dishes, as shown by the long queues at the stall, especially on weekend mornings.
Offerings: In an attempt to be ‘healthier’, Yuan Cheng uses vegetable oil in their carrot cake. Both the black and white versions at Yuan Cheng are stellar, The white carrot cake is blander, as compared to the black version, but it’s very eggy. The black rendition as it was more flavourful. There are also hidden charred bits in the black carrot cake! Very shiok! A plate of carrot cake starts from $2.50.
Location: 79 Telok Blangah Dr, #01-33, Singapore 100079
Contact: +65 9859 3031
Website: https://www.sgfoodonfoot.com/2015/05/yuan-cheng-carrot-cake-telok-blangah.html
14. ANG MOH KIO 107 CARROT CAKE
Introduction: Located in a relatively quiet neighbourhood, where you’d have given this nondescript coffee shop a miss, lies a carrot cake stall which has been rated as one of the “Top 10 Carrot Cake” in Singapore. While queuing, the aromatic, smokey, and slightly greasy smell of carrot cake whets your appetite for a huge plate. This elderly uncle used to hand-make his own carrot cake, but is now outsourcing due to his age catching up with him.
Offerings: Both white and black versions are available at either $3 or $4. We decided to have the $3 portion for both versions. What arrived were moist-looking plates of carrot cake. Though the carrot cake has been outsourced, the texture is still soft and nice. The elderly uncle is not stingy when it comes to adding cai pok (preserved radish) and eggs. Hence, there’s a good crunch in each bite, and the flavours are brought out by stir-frying his carrot cake with garlic.
Location: Blk 107 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, Singapore 560107
Contact: NIL
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ang-Mo-Kio-Blk-107-Carrot-Cake/104463076312656
15. Lin Hai Sheng Carrot Cake
Introduction: Even though the sign that hangs above the stall says ‘Lim Hai Sheng Cooked Food’, this stall is known as ‘Hai Sheng Carrot Cake’. Started in 1980 by Jenny Lim’s father, she took over when he retired in 1990. Those residing in Ang Mo Kio are probably very familiar with this popular carrot cake stall at the hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio Central that only sells the white crispy version.
Offerings: The family behind this stall owns a factory dedicated to making the yummy, soft kueh. Only white carrot cake is sold here, with no added vegetable oil, hence the carrot cake is less oily than that of many places. The queue get rather crazy during mealtimes!
Location: Blk 724 AMK Ave 6 AMK Central Mkt & Cooked Food Centre #01-09.
Contact: NIL
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lim-Hai-Sheng-Cooked-Food-Carrot-Cake/164704210257540
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our list of the top 10 best carrot cake in Singapore. Whether you prefer the sweet and sticky black version, or the savoury and eggy white version, you can find a stall that suits your taste buds. Carrot cake is a quintessential Singaporean dish that reflects our multicultural heritage and our love for hawker food. It is also a dish that requires skill and passion to make, as many of the stalls on our list have shown. The next time you crave for some fried radish cake, why not try one of these stalls and see if you agree with our rankings? Or better yet, try them all and decide for yourself which one is the best. You might discover a new favourite along the way. Don’t forget to share your feedback with us and let us know what other dishes you would like us to feature in our future articles. Tropika Club Magazine is your online destination for beauty, wellness and lifestyle tips and reviews. We aim to bring you the latest news and trends in Singapore and beyond. Stay tuned for more exciting content from us and happy eating!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between carrot cake and chai tow kway?
A: Carrot cake and chai tow kway are two names for the same dish in Singapore. Carrot cake is a misnomer, as the dish does not contain any orange carrots. Chai tow kway is the Teochew name for the dish, which means fried radish cake.
Q: How is carrot cake made?
A: Carrot cake is made of rice flour and white radish, which are mixed together and steamed in a mould. The steamed radish cake is then cut into cubes and fried with garlic, eggs and preserved radish (chai poh). It can be served black (with sweet dark soya sauce) or white (without sauce).
Q: Where can I find the best carrot cake in Singapore?
A: There are many stalls that sell carrot cake in Singapore, but some of the best ones are Fu Ming Cooked Food at Redhill Food Centre, Chey Sua Carrot Cake at Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake at Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre, and He Zhong Carrot Cake at Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre. You can check out our blog post for the full list of the top 10 best carrot cake in Singapore.
Q: Is carrot cake healthy?
A: Carrot cake is not a very healthy dish, as it is high in carbohydrates, fat and sodium. It is also fried with oil and eggs, which add to the calories and cholesterol. However, you can enjoy it occasionally as a treat, or opt for smaller portions and less sauce.
Q: What are some variations of carrot cake?
A: Some variations of carrot cake include adding prawns, oysters, chives or sambal chilli to the dish. Some stalls also offer a mixed version of black and white carrot cake, or a spicy version with belachan chilli sauce. You can also find different types of radish cake, such as yam cake or pumpkin cake, which are prepared in a similar way.
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