By The Table desk · Last verified 7 October 2026
Singapore’s carrot cake has no carrot in it. Its proper name is chai tow kway, Teochew for fried radish cake: a steamed cake of white radish (daikon) and rice flour, cut into cubes and fried with egg, garlic and chai poh (preserved radish). The National Library Board calls the English name a misnomer. You choose white, fried with light soy until crisp and golden, or black, glazed with sweet dark soy sauce. Plates are sold by size: one Yishun stall charged $4 small in 2026, and many stalls price white and black the same, though some charge a little more for black.
It is the breakfast that settles friendships and starts arguments, usually about colour. Here is everything you need to pick a side.
Quick facts
- Name: chai tow kway (菜头粿), fried radish cake; also called fried carrot cake.
- Base: white radish, rice flour, water, steamed into a cake and cut up.
- Fried with: egg, garlic, chai poh, spring onion; chilli on request.
- White: light soy, crisp egg crust (NLB).
- Black: sweet dark soy, sticky and caramelised (NLB).
- History: the NLB dates the name to the 1960s, when cooks added radish to older fried rice cake.
Why is it called carrot cake?
Because of a translation slip. “Chai tow” means radish, the long white daikon, and it ended up rendered in English as “carrot”. The NLB’s Infopedia records that in the 1950s the dish was known as char kueh, plain fried rice cake with dark soy; in the 1960s, cooks added radish and the name chai tow kway took hold. The Penang cousin, char koay kak, is traditionally radish-free.
White or black?
| Feature | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| Seasoning | Light soy, fish sauce, salt | Sweet dark soy (kecap manis-style) |
| Texture | Crisp edges, fluffy egg, soft cubes | Soft, sticky, glossy |
| Flavour | Savoury, garlicky, chai poh-forward | Sweet-savoury, caramelised |
| Looks | Golden omelette with cubes, or a flat crisp cake | Dark brown chunks |
| Who loves it | Crispiness hunters | Sweet-tooths and children |
Can’t choose? Many stalls do “half-half” or “mix”, splitting the plate between white and black.
How it’s priced
Carrot cake is priced by plate size, with extras such as prawns or more egg added on. Here are two real price lists, so you can see how stalls set them.
| Stall (date reported) | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| 618 Sim Carrot Cake, Yishun (Seth Lui, updated Aug 2026) – white only | $4 | – | $8 with prawn |
| Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 stall, white (Mothership, Aug 2022) | $3 | $3.50 | $6 |
| Same stall, black (Mothership, Aug 2022) | $3.50 | $4 | $7 |
The Ang Mo Kio hawker told reporters her black version cost 50 cents to $1 more because her sweet soy sauce costs over $10 a bottle; other hawkers surveyed charged the same for both. The 2022 figures are older and will have risen; check the board.
How to order
- Colour: “white”, “black” or “half-half”.
- Size: small, medium or large, or just say the price.
- Chilli: “with chilli” means it is fried in; otherwise ask for it on the side.
- Extras: some stalls add prawns, extra egg or more chai poh for a fee.
- Wait: it is fried to order in batches, so a queue of five can take a while.
Worked example
Using the 2022 Ang Mo Kio prices: one medium white ($3.50) and one medium black ($4) for two people is $7.50, or $3.75 each.
The WahLiao Verdict
Order white if you love crunch and garlic, black if you like sweet and sticky, and half-half if you are new or indecisive. Ask for chilli fried in for the full experience. And do not feel silly about the name: everyone in Singapore knows there is no carrot, and we order it anyway, happily, every weekend.
Questions people ask
Is there really no carrot?
None. It is white radish and rice flour. The NLB describes the English name as a misnomer.
Is it vegetarian?
Not always. Many stalls use fish sauce, lard or shrimp in the chilli, so ask if you need it meat- or seafood-free.
Is black carrot cake more expensive?
Usually not, but some stalls charge 50 cents to $1 more because of the sweet sauce. Read the board.
When is it eaten?
Mostly breakfast and supper. Many stalls open early and close by early afternoon; others are part of the night-time hawker scene.
Sources: National Library Board Infopedia, chai tow kway: name, history, white and black versions; Seth Lui, 618 Sim Carrot Cake prices, updated August 2026; Mothership, August 2022 report on black vs white pricing. The Table explains; it does not endorse.
Read next: Hokkien Mee and Char Kway Teow: What’s the Difference and How to Order · The Singapore Breakfast Explained: Kaya Toast, Soft-Boiled Eggs and Kopi · Back to The Table
For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.
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