Hey friends! I’m back with another blog post about one of my favorite foods in Singapore – carrot cake. And let me tell you, this isn’t your average carrot cake. This is the legendary Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake located in the Redhill Hawker Centre. I know, I know – it’s quite a mouthful of a name! But let me break it down for you in this post and tell you why this humble hawker stall serves up the best carrot cake in town.
Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake review
Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake is this exemplary stall that will questions your tastebuds if this is by far the best Carrot cake dish that you have ever tasted?
At least for me, this is my latest “addiction” for a local side dish that has surprisingly impacted me as a new fan to be part of the Chai tow kway’s experience!
Not to be regarded as your any other Carrot cake stalls, Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake is probably the last few in Singapore that still maintains the artisanal way of making its ingredients from scratch. With a family’s history of close to 70 years, the current stall owner is one of the three brothers who painstakingly follows according to tradition in adopting the milling technique to mill the key ingredients of broken rice and adding it with hot water to form a starchy mixture. Subsequently, White radish is being added and then steamed, before it is ready for the actual frying. These days, most hawker stalls would skip directly into sourcing for ready-made carrot cake to bypass the labour-intensive process.Indeed, there’s a contrastively difference between handmade and ready-made which is evident by the popularity of this stall for serving up one of the best Carrot cakes.
Just be sure to avoid standing directly in front of the transparent kitchen’s panel that “showcases” the frying process, else you will find yourself being nagged by the stall owner for safety precaution against the frying’s heat.
If this is your first time here, I would strongly recommend going for their smallest sizing portion as it is not only value for money but it is more than sufficient for a person’s share in my own opinion.
Typically, I would opt for their Black carrot cake with chili as it is packed with an extra spice & sweetness from the addition of dark soy sauce.Given that the nature of this dish tends to be leaning towards the greasy side, it might not be that advisable to opt for a larger sizing portion without feeling too greasily sick. However, do not get me wrong with this particular plate of Black carrot cake as it is considered to be less greasy as a whole but the aspect of greasiness does slowly builds up with couple of bites. The remarkably soft spongy texture of the carrot cake does deserves a noteworthy mention, simply by how flavourful the condiments of dark soy sauce and wok fragrance that were infused into it. You can totally taste the aromatic sweetness of the dark soy sauce which is the main essence to this dish. I have also enjoyed the complement of fresh eggs that has constituted to the overall fragrance, resembling to that of a Chinese pancake, amusedly!
All in all, this is a new found dish that I will likely find myself consuming it at least for a very long time.
The heavenly sweetness from the dark soy sauce does really uplifts the entire dish by taking it to the next level.
I can never forget the extremely soft spongy texture of the handmade carrot cake which I believe that it is also the main reason why the flavours are much more easily able to infuse into it.
This certainly has to be credited to the large frying’s heat that is responsible for bringing out its full flavour. There is not much of a complaint for me pertaining to this dish except for its natural trait of built-up greasiness that is unavoidable. Hence, the smallest sizing portion is the way to go even when you are just looking at having it as your main meal. For the spice-conscious individuals, the addition of chili is still manageable in terms of its kick, but just be warned that it does binds really well with the frying’s heat, resulting it to likely pack a punch for some. Hahahaha, I guess I will now be looking out for this particular dish when visiting the various food centres!
Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake (红山景菜头粿)
Address: Blk 115 Bukit Merah View #01-37, 151115
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 07:00 – 21:00
Tel: +65 96912628
Average Price:
- SGD $3.00 / $4.00 / $5.00 – Fried Carrot Cake (Black / White)
What Makes It So Good
So what sets Bukit Merah View apart from other carrot cake stalls? A few key things in my opinion:
1. The Family Recipe
This stall is run by a husband and wife team who have been making carrot cake for over 20 years. They use a secret family recipe that’s been passed down over generations. The love and care that go into each plate are evident with every bite, especially with their delicious “salmon cake.”
2. The Ingredients
They use quality ingredients like eggs from Malaysia and imported rice flour. The rice flour is key as it gives the carrot cake its soft, almost sticky texture that I love so much.
3. Cooking Method
In addition to quality ingredients, their cooking method is top-notch. They fry up each slice perfectly so it gets a crisp exterior but doesn’t dry out. Each piece comes out steaming hot and fresh when you order.
4. The “Xiao Suan”
This is my absolute favorite part – the addition of a house-made chili sauce. This “xiao suan” chili complements the carrot cake so well. It adds a lovely tang and heat that cuts through the richness. I always ask for extra!
Visiting Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake
So now that I’ve raved about this place, here are some tips if you want to visit:
Location
It’s located in the Redhill Hawker Centre at Blk 85 Redhill Lane #01-28.
Hours
They are open Tuesday to Sunday 7am – 2pm. Get there early on weekends to avoid the lines!
What to Order
Get the carrot cake set meal, add an egg, and get extra chili! It’s around $5 for a very satisfying meal.
Seating
There is limited seating in the hawker center but more tables upstairs. Grab your food and head up to snag a seat.
Go With Friends
It’s way more fun to experience this Singaporean staple with friends. Grab a few people and order a spread to sample.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it folks, my ode to the awesomeness that is Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake. I hope I’ve convinced you to head down to the Redhill Hawker Centre and try it for yourself. Grab a plate and let me know what you think! This humble hawker stall serves up what I firmly believe to be the best “chai tow kway” in Singapore.
Have you tried Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake? What’s your favorite carrot cake in Singapore? Let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for new places to try.