Fried Carrot Cake, or more affectionately known as chai tow kway, is one of our favourite local food. Despite its name, there are no carrots used in the making. Instead, steamed rice cake is cubed and fried until fragrant with garlic, eggs and preserved radish (chai poh). Whether you’re a fan of the black or white version, we’ve got you covered with our list of the Best Carrot Cake in Singapore.

1. Guan Kee Fried Carrot Cake

The chef helming Guan Kee’s Fried Carrot Cake is truly impressive. He single-handedly cracks cartons of eggs, fries a huge mound of carrot cake and takes orders - all with a friendly smile. Other than the pleasant service, the food here is worth a mention. The black carrot cake ($2.50/ $3/ $4) is moist, slightly charred and generously coated with a sweet black sauce. However, the lack of chai poh is my only grouse. Guan Kee Fried Carrot Cake, 270 Queen Street, #01-59 Albert Centre Market & Food Centre, Singapore 180270 (Image: Rachel Wong)

2. Fu Ming Carrot Cake

What sets Fu Ming Carrot Cake apart from the rest is that their black and white versions are equally superb. Other than steaming his own rice cake for better quality, the owner of Fu Ming Carrot Cake also uses different frying techniques to attain varying sizes of rice cakes. Delicately charred with crisp edges, their white carrot cake ($2) tastes simple yet fulfilling. They’re open until 12am on weekdays, so you know where to go to satisfy your late-night cravings for carrot cake. Note: They open at 3pm on weekdays, 7am on weekends. Fu Ming Carrot Cake, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Redhill Food Centre #01-49 Singapore 199583 (Image: OpenRice User blessedbabyhannah)

3. Fried Carrot Cake

Trust a hawker stall that started as a tiny push cart back in the 60s and after decades, still has a long queue at its stall, even on a weekday at 9am. Their black carrot cake ($3/ $4) is fragrant with crisp and charred bits and doled out with an abundance of eggs and chai poh. The chilli, although overwhelming at times, gave an extra spicy kick. This stall opens at 7am and sells out before 12pm, so be quick if you want to get your carrot cake fix! Fried Carrot Cake, Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3 #01-45 Singapore 120448 (Image: Rachel Wong)

4. He Zhong Carrot Cake

Don’t judge He Zhong Carrot Cake by its unsightly appearance. This white carrot cake ($2) is quite a hot seller in Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre with many people travelling over specifically for it. Apart from a good balance of crisp and soft parts, it also comes with a generous amount of chai poh and pepper, which intensifies the flavours of the carrot cake. He Zhong Carrot Cake, 51 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre Singapore 588172 (Image: Jason Chiang)

5. Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao

If you’re expecting great carrot cake at Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao, then you’ve definitely got it. After all, they were crowned Singapore Hawker Master of Carrot Cake in 2012. Slick with dark soya sauce and oil, their sinful black carrot cake ($3) is mixed with eggs and a good amount of chai poh, resulting in sweet and spicy flavours. Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao, Bedok Interchange Food Centre, Blk 207 New Upper Changi Road #01-18 Singapore 460207 (Image: OpenRice user wclim)

Written by Rachel Wong