'I'm so confused': UK YouTubers from popular channel Sorted Food stunned by plate of carrot cake in Singapore

Carrot cake, though a local favourite, can be somewhat misunderstood to a foreigner who is unfamiliar with it.

To start with, it has no carrots. 

And that can be mightily confusing for those who associate the term "carrot cake" with a sweet dessert.

So when Ben Ebbrell and Jamie Spafford, from the popular YouTube channel Sorted Food, landed in Singapore and ordered a plate of carrot cake, their reactions were understandable.

With furrowed eyebrows, Jamie looked over to his friend saying how confused he was.

Ben, who happens to be a professionally trained chef, mentioned how the Singapore version of a carrot cake wasn't how they knew it to be.

But that did not stop the two Brits from tucking in and Jamie gave his immediate response.

"It's got the texture of gnocchi but vegetal," he explained.

Careful Jamie, that one statement might just offend a few Singaporean or Italian food enthusiasts.

Ben looked like he enjoyed the dish, describing it as succulent and moist.

Michelin-rated hawker fare

At Lau Pa Sat, Jamie and Ben joined the insanely long queue forming at Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow.

This hawker stall comes with quite a reputation. It was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018 and has kept said status every year since.

Fried kway teow was recommended to them twice within the span of 24 hours and the duo seemed eager to understand the hype around the dish.

And it did not disappoint.

Indulgent, dark and rich in flavour. Being the chef, it's no surprise that Ben pointed the umami present in every bite.

He also appreciated the complex charred aroma (commonly known as wok hei) achieved from the hawker's incredible skill to stir-fry under conditions of intense heat.

Roasted or steamed?

A trip to Singapore wouldn't feel complete if you didn't have a taste of Hainanese chicken rice.

Ben and Jamie were particularly excited given that they've attempted to recreate the dish back home.

This time around, they did not head to a hawker centre and went to shopping mall Far East Plaza instead.

Chicken rice is usually paired with condiments such as ginger sauce, chilli sauce and soy sauce.

Jamie boldly dunked his chicken into the chilli sauce and might have slightly regretted it.

"Oh thank goodness that dissipates quite quickly," he said, with a chuckle.

Other than that, it seemed like everything was on point — from the warm soup to the steamed chicken's gelatinous skin.

They gave the roasted chicken a try and its beautifully golden skin received a shoutout from Ben.

When asked to pick between the two chicken rice options, the chef opted for steamed chicken rice.

Sorted Food was in Singapore at the time to attend The Earthshot Prize award ceremony on Nov 12.

YouTube community

Sorted Food is a YouTube channel and food community created by Ben and Jamie, together with two other friends, Mike Huttlestone and Barry Taylor in 2010.

Their aim was simply to help people become better home cooks. Their content is often focused on teaching people on how they can plan, shop and cook better.

Sorted Food has grown immensely over the years with more than 2.7 million subscribers.

ALSO READ: American TV personality and chef Cassie Yeung tries local breakfast foods in Singapore

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