True Singapore Food – Carrot Cake aka Cai Tao Kueh

It goes without saying that Carror Cake or Cai Tao Kueh (CTK) is the mainstay of Singapore hawker food. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. It has its roots in Teochew, but has certainly evolved to become something uniquely Singaporean.

I used to avoid eating CTK because it is too unhealthy to be taken as a meal – consisting of starch, eggs and preserved radish plus lots of oil and lard. But, what the heck, it can be really tasty, when you visit the right stalls that is. Here are the stalls i have found to be so so right:

Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake

What makes this CTK so special is, it somehow has the right amount of “Chao Ta” or burnt taste to it. Looks messy but it’s really tasty.

If you watched the uncle cooking the CTK, you’ll be scratching your head wondering how he achieved such delightful level of “Chao Ta”. Both the white and dark versions are good. The stall opens till late too.

89 Carrot Cake

Helmed by an uncle who’s probably been doing this for decades. Expect to queue.
Portion is miserable for S$2.50. The taste is Wow though.

89 Carrot Cake is simply named after the address of the food centre at 89 Circuit Road. This is probably the most balanced Carrot Cake i have tasted. It has enough “Chao Ta” and packs a lot of tastiness. Every bite is like Michelin star quality. BUT, the portion is so little that I don’t recommend going twice. Feel cheated.

Bee Kee Cooked Food

You can see that it’s quite eggy

I would describe Bee Kee’s CTK as being comfort food and cooked to perfection. The portion is good and it’s a truly satisfying feeling digging in. Bee Kee is located at the very busy Chong Pang Food Centre.

Honorable mention: Chey Sua Carrot Cake

A consistent thick crispy layer

You know they mean business when you’re handed a paging unit after placing your order. You don’t have to stand in a queue to get your food, it’s a very nice gesture. The CTK is very carefully cooked to ensure you get a thick crispy layer. Nevertheless, i find it too “neat” for my liking. Also, the white carrot cake portion is less tasteful than the other stalls mentioned above. Definitely worth a try though. Find them at Toa Payoh West Food Centre.

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