Yong Xiang Carrot Cake: Carrot Cake-style Teochew Kuehs in Bendemeer

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Being natural foodies, I’m pretty sure we, Singaporeans, have had our fair share of Teochew kuehs and fried carrot cakes. But have you ever tried a dish that encompasses the best of these two local snack items? Well, if you have not heard of anything like this, here I am, introducing you to Yong Xiang Carrot Cake—a humble hawker stall selling, our favourite Teochew kuehs fried carrot cake-style.

A hidden gem amidst the food jungle of Bendemeer Food Centre, Yong Xiang Carrot Cake is hard to miss with a constant line of patrons especially in the mornings on weekends. Arriving on a Saturday at 10am, I joined in the snaking queue, waiting patiently for my turn as I tried to figure exactly what the stall was selling.

Besides the regular Black & White Carrot Cake, Chee Cheong Fun and Yam Cake, the stall also sells freshly made Teochew kuehs such as Soon Kueh, Peng Kueh and Ku Chye Kueh. The differentiating factor that made Yong Xiang Carrot Cake stand out from its peers is that instead of serving their kuehs steamed, their kuehs are fried on the spot right after they are ordered, offering diners with a different and unique way to enjoy this traditional dish.

After approximately 20 minutes of queuing, I was told that they were sold out of Peng Kueh, thus, I opted for the fried Soon Kueh And Ku Chye Kueh (S$2) combination and a plate of Black Carrot Cake (S$2.50/S$3/S$4). I mean, it’s a carrot cake stall after all, so why not?

Don’t get me wrong, kuehs are delicious especially when they are steamed to a delicate, chewy and pliant texture. However, cutting them up, frying them with an egg and a generous scoop of chilli bought the kuehs to a whole new level—as if they have found a brand new purpose to their existence.

The previously fair and smooth skin of kuehs blistered under the fiery heat of the wok. This formed uneven surfaces of crisp and burnt parts that were perfectly in contrast with the insides of the kuehs which remained soft with a nice chewy bite. 

Bits and pieces of the fried egg worked its magic bringing the kuehs together to create an entirely new dish that was sweet and peppery with a slight hint of umami. What I particularly enjoyed the most were the interlacing flavours and textures of the ku chye and the radish that resulted in mouthfuls of surprises with every bite I took. Frankly speaking, the plate did look like a mess with black sweet sauce drizzled all over. But this was definitely a mess that I would make repeated trips for. 

Unlike its dazzling counterpart, the Black Carrot Cake, on the other hand, turned out to be rather mediocre in flavour. It wasn’t a bad plate of carrot cake, but it somehow lost its beauty when eaten alongside the fried Soon Kueh And Ku Chye Kueh. 

With that said, I still managed to clean out my plate of Black Carrot Cake all thanks to the generous amount of eggs that enveloped almost every inch of the diced radish cake. The radish cake had a springy texture and was not overly greasy, making it very easy to consume. 

Like me, if you think that spice is nice, I would highly recommend you to request for extra chilli in your carrot cake. The heat from the addition of the sambal was able to cut through the savouriness of the dark soya sauce, adding another dimension of flavour to the dish. 

With the stall’s unusual menu item and their operational days limited to only four days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), no wonder there is always a constant stream of customers queueing to have a taste of their food. 

Even with the current ‘Circuit Breaker’ in place, Yong Xiang Carrot Cake continues to operate at Bendemeer Food Centre. As their dishes are currently not available for delivery under any of the major delivery platform, I would strongly encourage you to head over to the stall early, and of course only if you stay in the area! Not only will you be able to avoid the crowd, you will also get to choose from a wide variety of freshly made kuehs to start your day!

Expected Damage: S$1 – S$4 per pax