15 hawker stalls for carrot cake in Singapore

It’s tricky to describe to foreigners what carrot cake in Singapore tastes like. After all, there are no carrots and it’s certainly not a cake. Confusing monikers aside, carrot cake — or chai tow kway — is one of our most loved local dishes. It’s a stir-fried dish that looks simple but often involves hours of preparation of the radish cake base beforehand.

Carrot cake in Singapore comes in white and black versions and some stalls offer a mix of both on one plate. White carrot cake is ideal for anyone who loves eggs and a crispy mouthfeel, while black carrot cake is for those who prefer a more flavourful sweet-savoury dish, as it’s fried with soy sauce. 

A dash of chilli and a sprinkling of chopped spring onions complete this tasty dish. Best of all, it doesn’t matter where you live in Singapore, as there’s always someone cooking up a good one at a hawker centre nearby.

Here are 15 places for delicious carrot cake in Singapore.

1. Father & Son Carrot Cake

Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre, 02-18, 676 Woodlands Drive 71
Open: Friday to Wednesday (6am to 2pm, 4.30pm to 8pm)

Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre and Market, 01-23, Bukit Panjang Ring Road
Open: Friday to Wednesday (4.30am to 4pm)

Why visit? It’s not just the food here that will impress you, the story behind Father & Son Carrot Cake will make an impression, too. Run by a — you guessed it — father-and-son team, the younger hawker, Walter Tay, started the business with his dad after he lost his job.

Fun fact, Walter Tay has received a lot of attention over the years due to his attractive looks and fit physique. Thankfully, the fried carrot cake the duo serves up is just as delectable. 

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: The black carrot cake and white carrot cake are available in three portion sizes (from S$3). The white is crispy on the outside and not overly greasy, while the black version is a good mix of sweet and salty, thanks to the crunchy chye poh (preserved radish). You won’t go wrong with either of these options. If you really can’t decide, get the mixed carrot cake (from S$4) for the best of both worlds.

2. Lim Hai Sheng Cooked Food

Ang Mo Kio Central Market and Food Centre, 01-09, 724 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6
Open: Monday to Sunday (8am to 4pm)

Bedok Food Centre and Market, 01-49, 216 Bedok North Street 1
Open: Monday to Sunday (4.30am to 1pm)

Why visit? This Ang Mo Kio carrot cake stall began as a street stall in the 1980s, but Lim Hai Sheng Cooked Food is now a stalwart in the hawker scene. The stall has been passed down through the generations and it’s known for serving up carrot cake that is made from scratch and prepared daily. 

It also supplies to other carrot cake hawkers around Singapore with freshly steamed carrot cake, black sauce, preserved radish and sambal chilli sauce.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: If you like your carrot cake eggy, the white carrot cake (from S$3) will satiate your taste buds as there’s a generous portion of eggs that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The black carrot cake (from S$3), on the other hand, is a rich mix of sweet and savoury. You could also choose yuan yang (from S$4 ) for a mix of both on one plate.

3. Heng Carrot Cake

Newton Food Centre, 01-28, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North
Open: Wednesday to Sunday (6pm to 2am)

Why visit? Many people consider chai tow kway an excellent breakfast dish, but the truth is, it can be enjoyed at any time of the day. However it’s pretty hard to find carrot cake in Singapore in the evenings, so Heng Carrot Cake is a blessing for those late-night carrot cake cravings.

The stall has been around since the 1970s and it’s no surprise that it has been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand. After all, it steams its own carrot cake instead of getting it factory-made. Bonus: Its white carrot cake is served with plump prawns (from S$4). 

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Pop by here for supper the next time and try the black carrot cake (from S$4). While it’s served without prawns, the dish has a nice, smoky caramelised flavour.

4. No Signboard Prawn Noodle & Carrot Cake

301 Ubi Avenue 1, 01-305
Open: Monday to Thursday and Saturday (8am to 8.30pm), Friday (9.30am to 9pm), Sunday (11am to 8.30pm)

Why visit? Anyone who thinks Singaporean carrot cake is a one-dimensional dish that can only be done in either white or black varieties should dine at this stall. Just like how roti prata these days is available with a variety of ingredients such as sausages or cheese, No Signboard Prawn Noodle & Carrot Cake has reinvented the classic dish with an addition of intriguing flavours. 

Varieties include tom yum, luncheon meat and black pepper mushrooms (all from S$4). Certainly a stall for the more adventurous foodie.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: For a more filling meal, pick the meat options such as pork sliced carrot cake or sausage carrot cake. And you’ll definitely be telling all your friends about the mala carrot cake and cheese carrot cake.

5. Qi Shan Carrot Cake

Cheng San Market and Cooked Food Centre, 01-115, 527 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10
Open: Monday to Wednesday, Friday to Sunday (6am to 1pm)

Why visit? Qi Shan Carrot Cake only opened three years ago but has already won accolades, including the Singapore Top Heritage Food Award in 2023. The white and black variations are fluffy and delicious but the stall’s unique concoctions pull in the crowds, too. 

Its in-house chilli paste is so popular, many buy it in a jar to eat it with anything they wish in the comfort of their own home.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: There are two popular choices here — burnt cheese carrot cake and Thai-style carrot cake (S$4.50/$5.50). Both are of the white variety but the former is doused with melted cheese and the latter fried with Thai shrimp chilli.

6. Wei Wei Carrot Cake

Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market and Food Centre, 02-52, 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza
Open: Monday to Sunday (6.45am to 2pm)

Why visit? You’ll get the classic carrot cake variations at Wei Wei Carrot Cake, but the stall also serves select local desserts so you can wash down your meal with green or red bean soup or yuba gingko soup.

The white carrot cake here is fried with tons of egg, while the black version comes in a rich black shade, signalling an adequate amount of sauce has been tossed in.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: The queues at this stall are mostly for its mixed carrot cake (from S$4.50). Served side by side, they provide a delicious contrast between sweet and savoury, crispy and fluffy.

7. Tian Kee Carrot Cake & Hokkien Mee

84 Marine Parade Central, 01-35
Open: Wednesday to Sunday (8am to 1pm)

Why visit? Elayne Ang and Samuel Tan set up Tian Kee Carrot Cake & Hokkien Mee in 2019. Before that, Ang was a senior trainer at a bank and Tan a regular in the army. They decided to open a stall selling Ang’s favourite hawker food after an opportunity presented itself through a friend. 

It was a gamble that paid off — Ang received the Promising New Hawker Award at the inaugural Singapore Hawkers Awards less than two years later. 

If you like your carrot cake with lots of crispy bits, this is the place to go, as both its black and white varieties are super crispy. The black version, which isn’t usually crispy in other stalls, is fried till crunchy before it’s chopped into small pieces and smothered with black sauce. As for the white, the radish cake is enveloped in egg and fried to a crisp.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: There are two sizes (S$4.50/$6) of black and white carrot cake to choose from here, or you can get a mix of both on one plate (S$6).

8. Song Han Carrot Cake

Tampines Round Market and Food Centre, 01-07, 137 Tampines Street 11
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday to Sunday (6am to 12pm)

Why visit? If you need a spicy kick with every meal, this is where you should get your carrot cake. Song Han Carrot Cake is a favourite among Tampines residents because it fries up a delectable curry-powder infused carrot cake, which gives the dish a unique taste. 

It’s not overly spicy so you don’t have to worry, even if you’re not a fan of the heat.

The carrot cake here is soft and moist instead of crispy, and with a good dose of wok hei, team fluffy should enjoy this one.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Priced from just S$2.50, this carrot cake is definitely worth queueing for. You could also try the fried carrot cake with prawn (from S$4.50), which is available in white, black or mixed versions.

9. Lu Heng Kee

959 Jurong West Street 92
Open: Monday to Thursday, Friday and Sunday (8am to 1pm)

Why visit? Lu Heng Kee has been in business for more than 30 years and it’s known for its friendly service. While regulars typically throng the stall for its flavourful wet-style Hokkein mee that comes with prawn and imitation abalone, it also sells a mean rendition of carrot cake (from S$3.50).

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: You’ll love this stall if you don’t like your carrot cake too dry, especially the black carrot cake that’s just the right touch of sweet.

10. Delicious Fried Carrot Cake

Redhill Food Centre, 01-33, 85 Redhill Lane
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (10am to 3pm)

Why visit? Delicious Fried Carrot Cake lives up to its moniker – it really does taste good. It’s also different as it’s served with bean sprouts for that extra crunch that most carrot cakes do not have. But no worries if you don’t like tow gei, as you can ask the uncle to go without.

The white version here is a little dryer and less oily, and you can ask for extra egg to coat the radish cakes further.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Not only is the white carrot cake (from $$3.50) fried to a crisp, the bean sprouts give it an extra textural dimension, making this a must-try dish.

11. Katong Jago Carrot Cake

228 East Coast Road
Open: Wednesday, Friday to Sunday (6.30am to 10.30am; 11.30am to 9pm), Thursday (6.30am to 10.30am)

Why visit? Having been around since 1999, Katong Jago Carrot Cake has perfected the art of this dish. The carrot cake here is melt-in-your-mouth tender with a generous serving of chye poh (preserved radish), and the flavours really come through, too.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: The white carrot cake has lovely charred edges and a soft, delicate centre, while the black carrot cake is moist with sufficient caramelisation. The latter isn’t too sweet, either. Both are priced from S$3.50 to S$5.50.

12. Ghim Moh Carrot Cake

Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre, 01-16, 20 Ghim Moh Road
Open: Wednesday to Friday (6.30am to 1pm), Saturday and Sunday (6.30am to 2pm)

Why visit? The carrot cake at Ghim Moh Carrot Cake is handmade daily so you know you’re getting good quality. The white carrot cake is generously enveloped in eggs and fried to a crisp. It looks more like an omelette, but that also means it’s less messy to eat. Prepare to queue as it’s extremely popular.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Whether you choose the white carrot cake or black carrot cake (both from S$3) — or both — make sure you dip the pieces in the accompanying chilli, which adds a nice kick. Thankfully, the chai tow kway here isn’t too oily.

13. Chey Sua Carrot Cake

Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, 02-30, 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh
Open: Wednesday to Sunday (6.30am to 1pm)

Why visit? No carrot cake list is complete with a mention of Chey Sua Carrot Cake. The humble stall has been around for more than 50 years and is often listed as one of the best carrot cakes in Singapore. 

The stall is now run by two sisters, who took over from their parents. Chey Sua Carrot Cake is also a regular entrant on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list, too. The carrot cake is handmade from scratch and ingredients include — wait for it — carrots! Be prepared to wait — the stall is highly sought after and sells out fast.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Only white carrot cake (from S$3) is served here and since it received the stamp of approval from the experts at Michelin, it’s time to join the queue.

The carrot cake here sports a golden brown, crispy exterior with crunch from the addition of chye poh. The chilli tastes amazing and the dish is fried so well, the wok hei really stands out.

14. Good Spice Carrot Cake

Pek Kio Market & Food Centre, 01-20, 41A Cambridge Road
Open: Monday, Thursday to Sunday (6am to 1pm)

Why visit? Crispy bits and lots of egg — this is how you could describe the carrot cake at Good Spice Carrot Cake. Pek Kio Market & Food Centre is one of the most old-school hawker centres in Singapore and this is one of its popular gems. The dishes are cooked one order at a time by an elderly couple, so you’ll get it as fresh as possible, but be prepared to queue.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: The generous amount of eggs stands out more in the white carrot cake (from S$2.50), making it a perfect breakfast choice.

15. Hai Sheng Carrot Cake

Bendemeer Market & Food Centre, 01-85
Open: Monday to Sunday (6am to 11am)

Why visit? The queues are always long at Hai Sheng Carrot Cake as many consider them the best fried carrot cake in Singapore. The stall only opens for a few hours in the morning so go super early to avoid disappointment. The portions are hearty, making it a worthy breakfast dish. Pair your dish with its piquant chilli for added dimension. 

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: You’ll need to make your mind up because the stall doesn’t sell a mixed portion. The white carrot cake is crisp and the black carrot cake is nice and savoury. Both come with a generous amount of egg and chye poh. Prices start from as low as S$2, which is another reason for the long queues.

Still hungry? Read our guide on the best stalls to try at Tiong Bahru Market or check out these spots in Singapore to indulge in oyster omelette.

All stalls except for Heng Carrot Cake, Song Han Carrot Cake, Delicious Fried Carrot Cake, Ghim Moh Carrot Cake, Chey Sua Carrot Cake, Good Spice Carrot Cake and Hai Sheng Carrot Cake are on the GrabFood delivery service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to any of hawker stalls selling carrot cake in Singapore mentioned here.