Serangoon Garden Carrot Cake & Wanton Noodle 菜頭粿雲吞面 (Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre)

While queuing for Seng Kee Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle's Fish Maw Soup Noodles, we noticed that most people who were eating the fish maw soup also had a plate of carrot cake at their table. We realised that the carrot cake was from a stall called Serangoon Garden Carrot Cake & Wanton Noodle, which seems like the only carrot cake stall at the food centre. 

Although the stall also sold wanton noodles, nearly everyone who ordered from this stall ordered their carrot cake. 

White Carrot Cake $3

We ordered the White Carrot Cake which cost $3. Taste wise, it was decent. It  had a crisp texture on the exterior, and was firm and soft on the inside. And I like the fact that it was not overly oily or tasty.

I noticed that most people ordered their Black Carrot Cake. I wonder if that was their more popular dish. 

Serangoon Garden Carrot Cake & Wanton Noodle 菜頭粿雲吞面 (Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre)

49A Serangoon Garden Way

#01-13 Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre

Singapore 555945

Opening Hours: Wed to Mon 7am - 4pm

                          Closed on Tuesdays.

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618 Sim 菜頭粿 Carrot Cake (Yishun)

White Carrot Cake $2.50

618 Sim 菜頭粿 Carrot Cake is located at a coffee shop called Fujo Eating House tucked away at a quiet corner of Yishun estate. This stall is located at Blk 618 and is nearer to Khatib MRT station compared to Yishun MRT station.

I visited on a weekday and was surprised that there was still a need to wait for 10 minutes. I wonder what will be the waiting duration on a weekend.

618 Sim 菜頭粿 Carrot Cake sells both White and Black Fried Carrot Cake with the option to add prawns. Interestingly, the Black Carrot Cake is sold only on weekdays from 630am to 930am and they do not sell it on weekends or public holidays. Whereas the White Carrot Cake is sold during all opening opening hours.

White Carrot Cake $2.50

As we visited just slightly after 930am, only the White Carrot Cake $2.50 was available. We did not have to wait long as it was a weekday.

White Carrot Cake $2.50

The White Carrot Cake served with lots of diced preserved radish (chye poh) was beautifully cooked and delicious! Each piece had a crisp texture, and was firm and soft on the inside. At just $2.50, this carrot cake is totally value for money considering the huge portion. In addition, this carrot cake was not oily!

On another occasion, we visited on a Sunday morning just slightly after 10am. We ordered the White Carrot Cake with Prawns $3.50. We had to wait for a good 15 minutes before it was served to our table.

White Carrot Cake with Prawns $3.50

The prawns were cut into smaller pieces and fried together with the carrot cake. We all preferred their fried carrot cake without the prawns.

This White Carrot Cake is the best I have tried in this area! As such, I am going to rate this a must try. If you are staying in Yishun or in the North, you should give this a try! I will definitely go back for more and also try its Black Carrot Cake!

ps: I went on a weekday recently at 8am. But they were so busy that they decided not to fry the black carrot cake. In the end, I ordered the White Carrot Cake and had to wait half an hour! 

618 Sim 菜頭粿 Carrot Cake (Yishun)

Fujo Eating House

#01-3230 Block 618

Yishun Ring Road 

Singapore 760618

Opening Hours: Wed to Mon 630am - 3pm
                          Closed on Tue

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Lim Hai Sheng Cooked Food 林海盛熟食 (Ang Mo Kio)

When I was still schooling, I used to visit Lim Hai Sheng Cooked Food 林海盛熟食 (located at Ang Mo Kio Hawker Centre) for its carrot cake. Back then I remember that the stall was popular and there would always be a perceptual queue even though only 1 item was sold; White Carrot Cake. 

Recently, I made a visit to this stall. It has been ages since I had this carrot cake. I was surprised to notice that there was just 1 person in the queue. 

The person cooking the carrot cake seems to have changed. Used to be a lady. 

Carrot Cake $2

Ordered a $2 Carrot Cake.

Carrot Cake $2

The standard of the carrot cake has deteriorated. It was not as fragrant as what I remember it used to be. In addition, the amount of preserved radish (chye poh) mixed in it was very little. I doubt I will  be ordering this again anytime soon.

Lim Hai Sheng Cooked Food 林海盛熟食 (Ang Mo Kio)

Blk 724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6

Ang Mo Kio Food Centre #01-09

Opening hours: Daily 8am to 8pm

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

I have not been to Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre before but have heard about He Zhong Carrot Cake 合眾菜頭粿. Since we were nearby, we decided to make a slight detour and give it a try. 

Carrot Cake $2

We visited the hawker centre on a weekend afternoon at around 230pm. Although the hawker centre was half full and it was non peak hours, we had to wait a good 10 minutes before we were serve we received our carrot cake. I wonder how long would the waiting time be if it was peak period. 

Carrot Cake $2

The white Carrot Cake $2 was delicious. It was very well fried. Some parts were crispy and firm while the others were soft. It had the right amount of eggy flavour, flour, radish and chye poh. In addition, there was a hint of smokey fragrance.

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

#02-185 Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre 

116 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 588172

Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 10pm

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Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant in operation for more than 50 years is a well-known dim sum restaurant which is extremely popular among Singaporeans and tourist. It has been featured on many newspapers, magazines as well as food shows. Unlike most other dim sum restaurants, Swee Choon's operating hours are from 6pm to 6am catering ensuring that Singaporeans have an extra option for supper and are well-fed throughout the night. Lucky for us, now we can all have dim sum even at midnight or in the wee hours of the morning! 

Swee Choon located at Jalan Besar opposite Berseh Food Centre is so popular that it occupy 5 units of shophouses along this stretch of road. It is in the between both Farrer Park and Lavendar MRT stations, a good 10 to 15 minutes walk away from either stations.

Occupying 5 units, Swee Choon offers both alfresco dining and air-conditioned (indoor) dining. In addition, it has a unit which cater only to walk-in customers who order takeaways. 

As we already knew that there would be a long queue if we arrived late, we made it a point to arrive at 630pm on a Friday for dinner. Luckily for us, we got the last available table at the indoor (air-conditioned) dining area. 

Menu

Menu

Menu

The menu with the prices. As you can see, Swee Choon offers a wide variety of Hong Kong and Shanghai dim sum, and local zi char dishes. 

Chrysantheum Tea $1.30 per pax

For drinks, we ordered their Chrysantheum Tea which cost $1.30 per pax. It was served in a metal pot and is refillable. They mixed the tea bags themselves. The Chrysantheum Tea was quite good as it was light, refreshing, fragrant and help to wash down the grease. 

Century Egg Porridge $2.50

The Century Egg Porridge $2.50 was served in a small bowl. It was decent, but not the best. There were chunks of century egg and chicken meat in it. 

Mee Suah Kueh $2

Swee Choon's signature Mee Suah Kueh $2; deep-fried vermicelli cake (mee sua) which can only be found at Swee Choon. Show this kueh to anyone and they would associate it with Swee Choon. Almost every table ordered this. I thought that this was unique and not bad. But  I will not rate it as a die die must try as the standard seemed to be inconsistent and it was a little too greasy. One of the kueh could have been fried a little longer. The texture was unique. Crisp, rough texture on the outside while the interior was moist. 

Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50

This Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50 was surprisingly good. Despite the simplicity, it was well executed. The tofu was fried till it was crispy on the outside. The addition of the pork floss at the top was the icing on the cake.

Carrot Cake $2

The Carrot Cake $2 was not bad too. There were a good mix of radish, dried shrimps and chinese sauages in it. It was also a little too greasy. 

Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4

The Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4 was pan fried till it was so crispy. In addition, they were so generous fillings. Dipping it into the vinegar along with slices of ginger made this just so delectable. 

Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80

The Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80 with minced meat and prawns in it was ordinary.

Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50

The Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50 was a let down. The part of the pork served was not pork rib and it was either too fatty or was all bones.

Overall, Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant is worth a try. There were hits and misses in the dishes we ordered. Service wise, despite the restaurant being full, the staff were efficient. It was easy getting the attention of the staff. Do note that this restaurant only accepts cash or nets. They do not accept credit card. Also, they do not take any reservation. 

As we left Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant at close to 8pm, we saw a queue! It was very thoughtful of the restaurant owner to provide chairs outside. If you are planning to visit this restaurant during dinner time, do remember to come early. 

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
183/ 185/ 187/ 189/ 191 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208882
Tel: 62257788
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6 pm - 6 am 
                          Close on Tuesday
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Carrot Cake 菜頭粿 (Chomp Chomp Food Centre)

This Carrot Cake stall in Chomp Chomp Food Centre is easy to recognize. The name of the shop is essentially just called "Carrot Cake 菜頭粿", the name of the dish it serves. In addition, this stall is located at the right most corner of the entrance. With its distinctive white signboard (compared to the other stalls with colourful signboard,  this stall's signboard stands out like a thorn among the roses. It would hard to miss this stall. 

Unlike the name of the dish, Carrot Cake 菜頭粿 neither uses any carrot nor does it looks or taste like a cake. Instead, Carrot Cake is essentially steamed radish mixed with flour, usually fried with garlic, preserved radish (chye poh) and egg, and then garnished with spring onions. In Singapore, the Carrot Cake comes in two variety; either white or black. The difference between them is that for the latter, sweet black sauce is added. 

Carrot Cake 菜頭粿 sells fried White or Black Carrot Cake and Oyster Omelette. It has been said that this stall is more well known for its fried White Carrot Cake and Oyster Omelette.

Black Carrot Cake $5

We ordered a plate of Black Carrot Cake $5. Their Carrot Cakes come in either $3, $4 or $5. The food was served to us 20 minutes after we place our orders. 

Black Carrot Cake $5

Black Carrot Cake $5

As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. The appearance of the Black Carrot Cake does not justify the taste. Prawns was fried together with the Black Carrot Cake. The Black Carrot Cake was quite good and well fried. Each piece of carrot cake was well coated with flavour. They were fragrant and had the right sweetness level. In addition, there were plenty of chye poh (salty), such that each bite would stimulate your sense as the saltiness and sweetness tease your taste bud.

Other than being sweeter, the Black Carrot Cake is normally not as crispy as the White Carrot Cake due to the addition of the black sauce.

Carrot Cake 菜頭粿 (Chomp Chomp Food Centre)

#01-36 Chomp Chomp Food Centre

20 Kensington Park Road, Serangoon

Singapore 557269
Opening Hours: Daily 530 pm to 12 midnight 
                           Closed on alternate Tuesday

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Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar) 2nd Post

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒  located along Tanjong Pagar Road, is just a few units away from 2D1N Soju Bang. It is essentially a teahouse that specialises in conducting tea appreciation and tea tasting classes. In addition, they serve chinese cuisines and dim sum too. 

Yet again, we were surprised that we were the only one! Not a single customer except for the two of us. 

This time, we noticed the decorations on the ceiling. Quite nice and fits the oriental theme of this eatery. 

Menu Cover

As you may recall, we were quite please with the foodie experience during our first visit. This time, we decided to try different dishes while still sticking to ordering Carrot Cake again.

Carrot Cake $3

The Carrot Cakes was steamed before serving. Most probably to make it hot, as it would be quite impossible for them to make from scratch only upon customers' orders. The Carrot Cakes were not oily or salty. They were topped with lots of spring onions and scallions that enhanced the taste further. $3 for only 3 pieces, this was so value for money. 

Steamed Chicken Rice $5

The Steamed Chicken Rice would be sufficient for one person. Marinated chicken, sausages and mushroom were added on top of the rice and steamed. It was also drizzled with chicken sauce. It was an average dish with nothing great in particular. 

Mee Sua $6

The Mee Sua on the other hand was well executed. The taste of the different ingredients were extracted out into the Mee Sua. And the vegetables provided a different texture to this dish. Delicious! Thumbs up! 

Soup of the Day $5

The Soup of the Day was Watercress Soup. It came in a small bowl that did not justify the price tag. Moreover, the watercress stems were hard, could have been cooked for a long period.

Overall, still a positive dining experience. We had the whole place to ourselves again! Food-wise, it was delicious! Service was good and the staff brought out extra smaller plates for us so that we could share the dishes. In addition, they had actually  use 2 plates to hold the carrot cakes. This was because, they had steamed the carrot cakes with the plate. Hence, when they served this dish, they added another plate so that customers will not be scalded when they shift the plate. To add the icing on the cake, there was no service charge or GST. The prices shown on the menu are all NETT. So affordable considering the quality and taste of the food. 

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

30 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tel: 6224 6961

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am - 9pm

                         Sun 10am - 7pm

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Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒  located along Tanjong Pagar Road, a few units from 2D1N Soju Bang is a teahouse that specialises in conducting tea appreciation and tea tasting classes. In addition, they serve food and dim sum too.

Located just outside a bus stop

2 units

As we happened to be in the area on a Friday evening at around 715pm, I suggested this place. However, when we stared through the glass of the 2 units of the tea house, we were shocked to see that there was no one! It was empty, not a single customer. Should we enter? How come there was no one on a Friday and also considering that the past few eateries we walked past was filled to the brim especially 2D1N Soju Bang which had a long stretching queue.

After standing outside for what must have been a good 5 minutes, we decided to enter. 

As mentioned earlier, we were the only one. There's another unit next door which was empty too. The teahouse had an Oriental theme decoration with Chinese music being played softly in the background. It provided a good ambience for a chat and unwind away from the fast paced life. 

Activities

The activities board full of tea appreciation and tasting that was conducted for students, exchange students, foreigners and organisations.

Tea pots and tea leaves

Tea pots

A wide range of tea pots and tea leaves available. 

White Tea $4

White Tea $4

White Tea (tea leaves) $4

The White Tea was classified under special Chinese tea together with the likes of Pu-er, Jasmine and Oolong tea. To be frank I have never heard of White Tea before. Nor have I seen such tea leaves (so much for a foodie).

The White Tea (refillable) had a fragrant subtle flavour and was slightly sweet. It seemed to be accompanied by a grassy after-taste. Best for you to try this yourself. The best part is that this is refillable; sit down relax and enjoy the tea.. Also, of all the teas, this has the least caffeine. 

Regular Chinese Tea $1

Regular Chinese Tea was well, average (note: this is not refillable).

Carrot Cake $3

The Carrot Cake was soft, smooth and flavourful. It was steamed and was not oil or salty. Topped with shallots and dice spring onions, it was so savoury. At $3, this is well worth the price. We were told that they made the dim sum themselves (not factory made). 

Chicken Feet $3

The Chicken Feet was decent and was well marinated. 

Fried Rice $5

The Fried Rice was surprisingly good with generous amount of ingredients. Suitable for sharing with two person. It was well fried and not overly oily.

Special Pancake $6

Yixing Xuan's Special Pancake was indeed special. It is a dessert and will be served at the end of the meal. The appearance of this dish reminded me of Bak Kua (BBQ Pork Slices). Outside, the pastry mixed with green tea was incredibly crispy. Inside (in between the layer of pastry), it was filled with warm melted red bean paste. The sweetness of the red bean paste was just right. A must try.

If you want to learn more about tea and the authentic Chinese tea experience, this is the place. Moreover, Yixing Xuan Teahouse is not only a place for tea lovers, but also THE place for food lovers! I am quite impressed with the quality of food and dim sum and the fact that it is so value for money. If I pass by this area again, I am definitely coming back for more! Last but not least, all prices are in NETT! No plus plus (gst, service charge).

ps: if you are wondering, we were the only customers throughout our meal. Quite a number of people did peep through the glass and none entered.

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

30 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tel: 6224 6961

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am - 9pm

                         Sun 10am - 7pm

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