Heng Leong Carrot Cake @ Pek Kio Food Centre - Cheapest Fried Carrot Cake At $1.50

During my previous visit to Cambridge Road Hong Kong Roast Pork at Pek Kio Food Centre, I spotted a carrot cake stall across the stall, Heng Leong Carrok Cake that sells fried carrot cake at only $1.50. This is a price point that you probably cannot find anywhere else in Singapore now.

Spotted at the stall are steaming pan hanging on the wall and a whole box of radish. Yes the stall makes its own radish cake for their fried carrot cake. Nowadays, not many fried carrot cake makes their own radish cake anymore. They usually get it from factory supplier.

Fried Carrot Cake

The carrot cake stall does both the white and black carrot cake. For only $1.50, I find the portion rather generous and substantial. The radish cake are cut into chunky cubes using the wok chuan (spatula) during the frying process.

Black Carrot Cake 3/5

Between the black carrot cake and white carrot cake, I prefer the white version. The white version highlight the aroma of the egg better on top of the chunky and soft radish cake. I find the black sauce for the carrot cake lacked the robustness to be among the best though.

White Cake Cake 3.5/5

While the carrot cake here may not be among the best carrot cake stalls I have tried, this is definitely one of the cheapest carrot cake in Singapore. Furthermore, the radish cake is handmade by the stall. This is a part of our heritage culture that is almost extinct from our local street food scene.


Heng Leong Carrot Cake
Pek Kio Market & Food Centre
41A Cambridge Road
#01-13
Singapore 211041
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line), Novena (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 730am - 345pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk straight down Gloucester Road. At the junction of Gloucester Road and Dorset Road, cross the road. Cut through the HDB estate. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Rangoon Road, Farrer Park MRT station (Stop ID 50251). Take bus number 131 or 141. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Novena MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Novena MRT station (Stop ID 50038). Take bus number 131 or 141. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Peach Garden Chinese Dining @ Changi Airport Terminal 2 - You Do Not Need An Air Ticket To Eat London Duck

Passengers travelling in and out of Changi Airport now can indulge in traditional Chinese food with contemporary flair at the newly opened Peach Garden Chinese Dining at Terminal 2 departure hall. The restaurant features an all day dining menu including its well loved signature creations and classic dishes, and good selections of dim sum.

Fried Carrot Cake in X.O. Sauce 4/5

We started with something light on the menu in the Fried Carrot Cake in X.O. Sauce ($9.80). The radish cake comes in huge chunky cube with crispy edges tossed in the aromatic X.O. sauce. It is further coated with egg to enhance the flavour with the bean sprouts giving it the extra crunchiness.

Double-boiled Shark's Bone Cartilage Soup 4.5/5

To warm our stomach before starting on the mains, we had the Double-boiled Shark's Bone Cartilage Soup with Bamboo Pith, Dried Scallop and Fish Maw ($26 per portion). The collagen rich soup is comforting and packed with beautiful flavours, infused with the essence of the delicacies.

Crisp-fried Prawn with Wasabi Salad Cream 4.2/5

A dish that will delight the youth is the Crisp-fried Prawn with Wasabi Salad Cream ($23.80). The crunchy and plump prawn is coated in a vibrant wasabi salad cream sauce that will stimulate the nasal passages with its pungency. A sensorial experience in the execution.

Braised Homemade Beancurd with Fresh Crab Meat and Local Spinach 4.2/5

For a balance diet, we ordered the Braised Homemade Beancurd with Fresh Crab Meat and Local Spinach ($18). This is like a three in one dish. You get to have your vegetable, silky tofu and fresh sweet crab meat.

Stewed Vermicelli with Sliced Fish, Bitter Gourd and Black Bean Sauce 4.5/5

One of my favourite dishes is the Stewed Vermicelli with Sliced Fish, Bitter Gourd and Black Bean Sauce ($16). I enjoyed how the black bean sauce coupled with the wok-hei aroma gave the stewed vermicelli a character on its own. The addition of sliced fish and bitter gourd is like jewels on a crown, completing the homely and yet comforting noodle dish.

Roasted London Duck 4.5/5

A highlight at Peach Garden Chinese Dining has to be the used of the London Duck, also known as the wagyu of duck. The reason why the Roasted London Duck ($68 Whole/ $35.80 Half/ $18 small) is gaining popularity in Singapore its because of the succulent texture and that layer of fats underneath the skin. This is one dish that you must order from the menu.

Roasted Crispy Pork Cube 4.2/5

Since we are already having the roasted london duck, might as well add on the Roasted Crispy Pork Cube ($12.80 per portion) to the platter. The crackling skin, together with the succulent and juicy meat is just too good to be only be served in portion in accordance to the number of guests. I wish there are more of it.

Wrapping up our wonderful lunch in a sweet note, we have the Chilled Fresh Mango, Sago with Pomelo ($8) and Chilled Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream ($8). For an additional $3, the desserts are served in a coconut husk. I could not decide which is my favourite as both are as good, so we ended up sharing to enjoy the best of both world.

Be it that you want to have a quick lunch before flying off , to host a business lunch or family gathering, the restaurant offers the perfect setting to do so with its 180 seating capacity and three private room. In celebration of its opening, the restaurant is offering an opening special for its signature suckling pig at $168 (U.P. $238). Advance order is required. Diners will also get to enjoy a complimentary serving of deep fried chicken in szechuan style. The opening specials will be available up to 31 August 2016 only.

Note: This post was brought to you by Peach Garden.


Peach Garden Chinese Ding
Changi Airport Terminal 2
Departure Hall
60 Airport Boulevard
#036-084
Singapore 819643
Tel: +65 63863033
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Changi Airport (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Changi Airport MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the escalator to departure hall. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Full of Luck Club (福乐) @ Holland Village - Bringing Progressive Cantonese Cuisine To The People

The team behind the award winning Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant has opened a new restaurant in Holland Village introducing a progressive and contemporary take on authentic Cantonese cuisine. The new concept, Full of Luck Club (福乐) actually took over the premises of the former Wendy's, just next door of Crystal Jade.

Panko-crusted Portobello 3.8/5

A highlight at Full of Luck Club is the Bao Bar window concept, which offers a delectable selection of both steamed and fried baos for patrons to takeaway. It is also available for dine in. As of today, a total of six choices are available on the menu such as kung pao fried chicken, salted egg yolk prawn, portuguese pork chop.

For the steamed bao, I got to the Panko Crusted Portobello and Braised Pork Belly. The baos are going at $6 per piece and $9.80 for two. The bao concept is quite refreshing. It is like the Chinese's version of hamburger but replacing the bun with bao.

Braised Pork Belly 4/5

The Panko Crusted Portobello comes with fluffy steamed bao sandwiched with golden fried whole portobello mushroom in teriyaki mayo sauce, carrot cabbage slaw and grilled pineapples. The sweetness of the grilled pineapple play an important role in holding the different components together.

The Braised Pork Belly is like an upgraded version of kong bak pau. It comes with slow braised pork belly, lettuce, pickled lotus root, fried shallots, peanuts, coriander and bird's eye chilli. It has more textures and an extra omph from the chilli compare to the traditional kong bak pau.

Hokey-Pokey Ice Cream 3.5/5

For the sweet tooth, there is the Hokey-Pokey Ice Cream which comes with cocoa chips, toasted marshmallow and creamy honeycomb ice cream in a fried bao. Surprisingly I actually quite enjoyed it except that it is a bit messy to handle.

Raspberry Pu Er 4.2/5

From the beverage menu, I ordered the Raspberry Pu Er ($4.50) which is light and refreshing. I like the modern twist to traditional tea drinking. The other modern iced teas on the the menu are the Lychee Oolong and Sour Plum Oolong.

Stir Fried Radish Cake with XO Sauce 3.5/5

The Stir Fried Radish Cake with XO Sauce ($6.80) was chunky and has a nice caramelized crispy crust on the exterior. I thought the radish cake itself was rather bland, saving grace is the external seasoning that coated around it to make it delicious.

Golden Sand Corn with Salted Egg Yolk 3/5

To be frank, I was not too impressed with the Golden Sand Corn with Salted Egg Yolk ($4.80). Can't deny that the corn kernels are sweet with a good crispiness from the light batter coated around it. Unfortunately, I have difficulty tracing the salted egg yolk.

Chilli Glazed Fried Fermented Bean Paste Chicken Wings 4/5

The Chilli Glazed Fried Fermented Bean Paste Chicken Wings ($8) works for me. I like the spicy and tangy kick coated on the exterior of the chicken wings on top of the juicy meat.

Poached Wontons in Chilli Soy 3/5

There was mixed opinions of the Poached Wontons in Chilli Soy ($7.20). I agree with the group that the wontons were good. However I felt it lacked the chilli oil aroma and spiciness which is the soul of this dish.

Braised Spinach Beancurd 3.5/5

The Braised Spinach Beancurd ($16) with its silky texture is yummy. However isn't this a classic dish, where is the progressive take on authentic Cantonese cuisine?

Spicy Stuffed Yong Tau Foo 3/5

The Spicy Stuffed Yong Tau Foo ($16) comes with assorted vegetables and tofu stuffed with minced pork. It is then seasoned with spiced whole fermented bean paste. Once again I find the spicy dishes on the menu lacking the heat that I was expecting to make me break into a sweat.

Sweet Mint and Lime Cod 3.5/5

The buttery flavour of the cod fish is the highlight of the Sweet Mint and Lime Cod ($24). The pan seared cod is scented with mint and lime for a rounder and enhanced flavour. The cuttlefish on the other hand is rather irrelevant and not necessary for the dish.

Crispy Aromatic Duck 4/5

One of the signature dishes at Full of Luck Club is the Crispy Aromatic Duck ($35 half/ $70 whole). It is paired with hoisin sauce, cucumber, shredded spring onions and steamed Chinese pancakes. The duck is done similar like duck confit, so it can be eaten on its own or wrapped with the steamed pancakes with a bit of the hoison sauce, cucumber and spring onions.

Moonlight Truffle Beef Hor Fun 3.5/5

The Moonlight Truffle Beef Hor Fun ($20) will please the new gen with the addition of truffle and poached egg in the classic zi char dish. A couple of us prefer to leave out the truffle so we can get the scent of the wok hei instead of some artificial chemical. I think I will still go for KEK's version if I need a good plate of moonlight hor fun.

Besides the bao dishes on the menu, I am not quite impress with the rest of the items consider the team of Li Bai is behind it. I can't find much progression in the creation. It is more of tweaking authentic Cantonese cuisine to suit the taste and wallet of the new gen. Saying that I find the pricing quite steep for the quality of food it is serving. i think I will just stick to the steamed baos when I visit the restaurant again.


Full Of Luck Club
243 Holland Ave
Singapore 278977
Tel: +65 62086845
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am - 11pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 2 minutes. [Map]

Marriott Cafe @ Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

The popular high tea buffet at Marriott Cafe, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel has up a notch with the introduction of the king of fruits among the spread. The Love for Durians High Tea Buffet will be available at Marriott Cafe from 1 June to 31 July 2016.

The excellent spread at Marriott Cafe's high tea buffet includes a plethora of Singapore's classics and international fare. I can understand why it is so popular after experiencing the spread of local delights myself, which will satisfy both the local and foreigners' palate.

Satay 3.5/5

While the Satay may lacked the charcoal charred aroma, it was still quite delicious and tender accompanied with the nutty peanut sauce dip.

Fried Carrot Cake 4.2/5

I was rather surprise to find the local Fried Carrot Cake being offered among the high tea buffet spread. The generous amount of eggs coated around the soft radish cake, made this dish extremely enjoyable.

Nasi Lemak 4/5

I have been to buffet that offers Nasi Lemak which only comes with the coconut rice, chilli and ikan bilis. At Marriott Cafe, you get even more for a full set meal with the chicken wings and otah.

Char Kway Teow 3/5

Hokkien Mee 3/5

From the stir fried noodle dishes, we have the local Char Kway Teow and Hokkien Mee. Unfortunately, the execution did not quite meet the hawker standard that I am used to. It still need some work to bring out the authentic taste of a good plate of char kway teow and hokkien mee.

Prawn Mee 3.5/5

Laksa 4/5

The other noodle dishes, Prawn Mee and Laksa fares much better compared to the stir fried noodle dishes. The prawn mee still has room for improvement as the broth lacked the robustness and depth of a good soup base. If you can take spicy, then I would recommend the laksa. The thick and creamy laksa broth is so good that I drunk up the last drop of it.

Rojak 4/5

Comes with crunchy fruit and crispy youtiao, the Rojak tossed in a savory shrimp paste has a zesty kick to it, rounded off with nutty peanut. A delightful dish to whet up the appetite.

Durian Crepe 4/5

The highlight of the high tea has to be the spread of durian desserts to indulge in, Among the many, there are durian puff, durian mochi, durian strudel durian trifles, mini durian mousse in cup, durian swiss roll, , fried durian ball. A perfect ending to the high tea buffet on a high tea with the various durian goodies treats in different textures, styles and taste.

Durian Pastries 4/5

Love for Durians High Tea Buffet
Time: 3pm - 530pm
Price
Mon-Fri: $42++ (Adult), $25++ (Child)
Sat-Sun: $45++ (Adult), $28++ (Child)


Marriott Cafe
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
320 Orchard Road
Singapore 238865
Tel: +65 68314605

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Yong Xiang Carrot Cake @ Bendemeer Food Centre - Have You Tried Fried Png Kueh That Is Served Like Fried Carrot Cake?

It seems like this is one of the best hidden secrets in the hawker scene. It is common to see fried white or black carrot cake but have you heard of Yong Xiang Carrot Cake at Bendemeer Food Centre who does your Teochew Png Kueh, Soon Kueh and Ku Chai Kueh the fried carrot cake style. Unique isn't it?

Fried White Carrot Cake 4/5

Fried White Carrot Cake 4/5

The stall does both the black and white carrot cake. While I was in the queue, I noticed all the patrons in front of me ordered the White Carrot Cake ($3), so I changed my mind and followed the crowd. The stall does quite a good plate of fried carrot cake with a generous amount of egg fried to aromatic crispiness.

Fried Png Kueh and Soon Kueh 4/5

The main reason why I am here is for the Fried Png Kueh. It was only heard said until I see it for myself while in the queue. Not only Png Kueh, the stall also sells Soon Kueh and Ku Chai Kueh. Once you tell the stall uncle what you want, the auntie behind the frying with pan fried the kuehs to an exterior crispiness before adding eggs onto the chopped kuehs. This is my first time having Fried Png Kueh and Soon Kueh ($3.50) in fried carrot cake style and I really like the extra layer of crispiness with a coating of fragrant egg on top of the kueh.

I have opted for my fried png kueh and soon kueh to be without the black sauce. I understand you can also asked for the black sauce, if you like it to sweeter, like you black carrot cake. I am glad my curiosity brought me to Bendemeer Food Centre to unearth this rare find.


Yong Xiang Carrot Cake
Bendemeer Food Centre
29 Bendemeer Road
#01-35
Singapore 330029
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 4pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

He Zhong Carrot Cake (合眾菜頭粿) @ Bukit Timah Food Centre

At Bukit Timah Food Centre, there are quite a few fried carrot cake stalls but I usually go to the corner stall, He Zhong Carrot Cake (合眾菜頭粿). Unlike many other places, where the radish cakes are chopped into small like cubes, the version here is squarish with the coating of the crispy egg holding the shape together.

Fried Carrot Cake with Chilli 4.2/5

During my recent visit, I order two plates of the Fried Carrot Cake ($2 each). One with chilli and the other without to try the different. Although the chilli version gives the carrot cake a more crispy exterior coating, I preferred the non chilli version more. It allows me to appreciate the fragrant of the egg more which pairs excellently with the softness of the radish cake. It is further lifted by the occasional bites of crunchy chye poh, for a more dimensional enjoyment.

Fried Carrot Cake without Chilli 4.2/5

I have eaten He Zhong's fried carrot cake a few times but the standard does fluctuate depending who is cooking it. So this is my disclaimer for the high rating cause during my recent visit, it was top notch.


He Zhong Carrot Cake (合眾菜頭粿)
Bukit Timah Food Centre
116 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#02-185
Singapore 588172
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight a Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake @ Bedok Hawker Centre

One of stalls at Bedok Hawker Centre that always has a queue is Song Zhou Fried Carrot. I heard so much about their black carrot cakes. Thank goodness the renovation work has finally completed and I was able to head down to Bedok to try the black carrot cake which has received raving reviews from fellow foodies.

Black Fried Carrot Cake 4.5/5

While Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake does both the white and black carrot cakes, it is their Black Fried Carrot Cake ($3) that has managed to satisfy many of the toughest tongue in Singapore. The combination of the sweet black sauce, fish sauce, soft radish cake, garlic, egg and chye poh under the experience frying skill of the stall owner, made this a delicious plate of black gold.

Black Fried Carrot Cake 4.5/5

The radish cake is cut into small cubes which allows easy consumption. It also allows the black sauce to coat the radish cake evenly. The fried garlic, eggs, caramelized edges of the carrot cake and chye poh further enhanced the whole flavour of the fried carrot cake.

After trying Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake for myself, I have to agreed with my fellow foodies of their reviews. Indeed Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake is one of the best in Singapore. I look forward to try their white carrot cake to make further comparison in the future.


Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake
208B New Upper Changi Road
#01-37
Singapore 462208
Nearest MRT: Bedok (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 630am - 8pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk straight down New Upper Changi Road. Walk to destination. [Map]