Located at a gastronomic heaven that is Newton Food Centre, Heng Carrot Cake opens till 1:00 am daily and was recently featured in the prestigious Michelin Guide Singapore.
Fried Carrot Cake, or better known as Chai Tow Kway (菜头粿), was brought over to Singapore by the Teochew immigrants back in the 1960s. In case you didn’t know, the unique misnomer was derived from the loose English to Hokkien translation of “radish pastry”.
This simple stir-fried dish consists of a few core ingredients: rice flour, white radish, eggs, garlic, preserved radish aka ‘chai poh’ and spring onion. We had two variants of this local favourite at Heng Carrot Cake, namely the ‘black’ and ‘white’ carrot cake.
The key difference between the ‘black’ and ‘white’ carrot cake is the usage of dark soya sauce.
Heng’s Carrot Cake is available in four different portions and is priced at S$4, S$5, S$6 and S$8. We ordered a five-dollar portion of ‘white’ carrot cake and ‘black’ carrot cake. Foodies should take note that an approximate 25-minute wait is normal when there are 10 orders in front of you.
Despite the large amount of orders, food quality was not compromised at all. Every batch was skilfully prepared with the same consistency and that’s what makes Heng Carrot Cake deserving of its Michelin Bib Gourmand rating.
As soon as our orders were served, we caught an aromatic whiff of wok hei. The ‘white’ carrot cake was visually enticing with its golden brown crust and we were eager to tuck in.
The first bite was characterised by a delightful mix of crispiness and softness. The dish was packed with sweet and salty flavours derived from its ingredients. Who knew a simple dish could taste so heavenly? With the addition of pickled radish and chilli on the side, it made a divine supper.
The prawns in Heng’s ‘white’ carrot cake were firm and bouncy. As a whole, the dish was very well executed.
On the other hand, the ‘black’ carrot cake offers an almost entirely different flavour profile. It was sweeter than the ‘white’ carrot cake. If you enjoy a sweet-savoury dish, you will find yourself leaning towards this rendition of carrot cake. The smoky chilli sauce on the side was a great accompaniment as it was not too spicy and definitely added an extra oomph to the dish.
Whether you are looking to feast on some local delicacies, or to satisfy your late-night carrot craving, you should definitely give Heng Carrot Cake a try the next time you visit Newton Food Centre.
Still hungry? Visit Michelin eatery 85 Bedok North Fried Oyster for supper.
Opening Hours:
Daily: 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Address: Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave N, #01-28, Singapore 229495
Nearest MRT: Newton MRT
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