Have a look at the next evolution in Chye Tau Kway courtesy of Generation X! Oh yes, our Gen Xers are really coming up with innovative ways of updating age old favourites. Let me just take you through the process of making the Next Gen Chye Tau Kway. (Ok if this has already been around for a long time, then just call me a Sua Gu (ignoramus) ok?)
First, you buck the trend of taking the easy way out and invest in a really cool machine that can steam trays of homemade Chye Tau Kway! Now, you may be able to just make out the bits of carrots in this Carrot Cake. Certainly, the spattering of bright red carrot bits was a welcome change to the usual carrotless carrot cakes that we get served.
Next, innovate on the method of frying the Chye Tau Kway. First, fry the Chai Poh (preserved vegetables) in the middle of the pan until it is fragrant. Then when it is really nice and almost crispy, mix the chai poh with the carrot cake and add the eggs making sure that the whole thing is about 2 cm thick and fry until it is crispy on the outside and just cook on the inside. This whole process takes almost 10 minutes!
Wallah! Next Gen Carrot Cake. Crispy on the outside, yummy on the inside, 2cm thick, not so oily, with real Carrots which contain Vitamin A which is good for your eyes! 4/5
Seng Kee Carrot CakeBukit Timah Food Centre
Stall 02-182
7.30am-11pm
Closed on Thursdays
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11 comments:
This is not the original stall that started the "white" carrot cake in the 70's. The "real" stall is a few stall away, along the same row. No English name, only called "the Original" stall. The Chinese name is Hup Chong. It has been there for almost 30 years, now run by the 2nd, even the 3rd generation.
Seng Kee is a copy cat.
seng kee carrot cake so so only. Nothing special.It will be better if they change the cai bok to saltish one instead of sweet one
Few weeks ago I went to try the Seng Kee but the stall not opened, so end up order the Carrot Cake from the last stall of the same row. I can not remember the name; it could be Hup Chong, with the old original poster.
Few days later I went another time again, still not available.
Last week end, I finally got a chance to take back home one $3 Carrot Cake from Seng Kee, this one more crispy at outside, I can not tell much difference, must be I did not eat the Carrot Cake for a long long time…
I feel very happy after I’ve tried what ieat had introduced.
Cheers!
i love the fried carrot cake (white version) at Alexandra Village hawker centre. Open only at night. It is not too oily, very well fried and layered with the fragrant egg.
this is not the original famous stall at that food centre. The famous one is along the same row, all the way to the end. This owner used to have a teochew porridge stall just next to the famous one before the hawker upgraded. Probably "tou shi" by watching the old man daily :P
this style of carrot cake has been around for a really long time. I think since the 80s or early 90s.
Tried this today and it was sadly disappointing. The stall still looks the same. The only good part of the CTK was that it is crispy and the cake was soft, but it didn't have enough chai poh and after a few mouths it got very boring.. no prawns no seasoning or flavour whatsoever.. The CTK at chomp chomp can easily beat this one hands-down. And.. no black CTK? :/
Thanks for the update Mei. It was 5 years ago that I blogged it, so things must have changed.
Hi Guys!
Gonna add my two cents. Seng Kee Carrot Cake is currently being cooked by two chefs, one who wears glasses, and an older, skinnier chef with dyed orange hair.
The chef with the glasses normally takes the lunch hour shift, while the other chef takes the night shift.
Personally, the night shift chef cooks a REALLY GOOD CARROT CAKE!!! The afternoon chef with the glasses does a so-so job in my opinion.
Same ingredients, different chef...goes to show that skill certainly goes a long way!
Yes, I agree! The chef who cooks in the evenings does a really great job!
From what I've heard, this is not the original stall, but it's pretty interesting how the owner mastered the recipe and technique. Many years ago, the carrot cake stall owned by this old uncle was very popular - you'll see long queues in front of the stall and expect to wait more than 40 mins for your order. The old man's son was working at the stall, but he was lazy and wasn't around very much. Instead, the old man had to solicit the help from the young man next stall. Over time, this young man has learnt to do a pretty decent job. When the old man passed away, the son took over the stall.
Well, the young man is now the owner of Seng Kee, and the bespectacled chef who does the afternoon shift. While I agree that the other stall is the original, I think there can be no blame to be placed on Seng Kee's owner for opening a stall there, and no need for labels to be placed on him (eg. copycat). He wouldn't have learnt how to do it if the other guy was around to help his dad more.
I moved to Clementi recently, and yesterday night, developed a sudden serious craving for carrot cake, so i googled "night carrot cake in the west" and came across good reviews on both Seng Kee and He Zhong. Didn't wait, went down to 116 Bkt Timah Food Centre immediately. Unfortunately Seng Kee Carrot Cake had closed for the night, so I bought from He Zhong Carrot Cake. Overall, it was interesting - first time I had tried it in this 'cake' form, quite nice, esp. if you like a 'firmer' cake.
Anyway, today at lunch time, i decided that just to be fair, I must try Seng Kee Carrot Cake as well. I was pleasantly surprised. Copy-cat or not, I personally find Seng Kee's version definitely tastier, softer, and more fluffy. For me, definitely Seng Kee. Reading the history of the two stalls from some of the above comments, I would say this is an example of 青出于蓝, which is ultimately good for us consumers. Then again, taste is subjective. Patronise whichever carrot cake stall whose taste you prefer :)
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