TGIF morning hawker stop with BB — black carrot cake (chai tow kway) for $3. The dark sweet-soy version of the Singapore classic, executed properly at honest hawker pricing.

We ordered:

Black carrot cake — $3

Carrot cake (chai tow kway, 菜头粿) is the Singapore-Teochew dish that has nothing to do with carrots and everything to do with white radish (daikon). Steamed rice cake mixed with shredded radish is cubed, then stir-fried with garlic, preserved radish (chai poh), egg, and sauce. The “black” version uses dark sweet soy throughout, giving the cake its signature mahogany colour and sweet-savoury flavour profile.

The cubes of rice cake were the foundation. Steamed properly so they had a soft pillow texture inside with a slight crispy edge from the wok cooking. Each cube held its shape without falling apart, with the radish dispersed evenly through the rice cake.

Dark sweet soy was the headline. The good versions of black carrot cake use proper dark sweet soy that coats each cube with a glossy mahogany sheen. This stall’s version had the right glossy finish — sticky enough to cling to the cubes, not so much that it pooled at the bottom of the plate.

Egg was scrambled through the wok at the right stage — early enough to bind the cubes together, late enough to stay soft rather than going dry. The egg-and-soy combination is the binder that ties the whole dish together.

Chai poh (preserved radish) provided the salty-umami punctuation. Tiny chopped bits scattered through, releasing their concentrated flavour with each bite.

Wok hei was present — that smoky edge that comes from a properly seasoned wok over high flame. The aroma off the plate hit before the first bite.

At $3 this is the kind of hawker pricing that’s getting harder to find. Stalls still doing the proper dark sweet soy version at sub-$5 prices are worth supporting.

Overall: 4.4 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid TGIF black carrot cake — would re-order.

Original IG post