21 Carpenter St.
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Somewhere between Bangkok and Singapore, I met my new favorite dish.
They served “Carrot Cake.” I took one bite and immediately knew this was going to be a problem — the kind of problem where you start planning your next meal before you’ve finished the one in front of you.
This isn’t the sweet, cream-cheese-frosted American version. In Singapore, carrot cake — known locally as chai tow kway — is a savory hawker classic. There are no carrots involved. It’s made from radish (daikon), steamed into a dense cake, then stir-fried with egg, garlic, preserved radish, and chili. The texture reminded me a bit of seafood stuffing — soft inside, crispy edges, packed with umami. Comfort food!
I’m calling it now: this is going to be my go-to dish this trip.
Checking In: Status vs. Reality
We finally landed and made our way to 21 Carpenter, located right in the middle of everything at 21 Carpenter Street.
The property is part of Marriott International’s collection, but you wouldn’t know it from the signage. There’s no big Marriott branding anywhere. It feels boutique — stylish, modern, understated.
Before arriving, I had read reviews claiming that elite status didn’t carry much weight here — no guaranteed breakfast, no meaningful perks. I brushed it off. I’ve played this loyalty game long enough to know that sometimes reviews exaggerate.
But after check-in, I started to wonder.
We were assigned a second-floor room facing a bar. Let’s just say sleep quality was… optimistic at best. When you’ve just flown halfway around the world, a quiet room shouldn’t feel like a luxury upgrade — it should feel like the baseline.
Once again, I found myself questioning loyalty programs. Status looks good on paper. In reality? It doesn’t always translate into better rooms or better treatment. The marketing promises consistency. The experience sometimes says otherwise.
Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center
First Steps Into Singapore
After check-in, I took a hot shower. There is nothing — and I mean nothing — better than a hot shower after a long-haul flight. It resets you. Mentally and physically.
We headed out to explore and quickly stumbled upon Lau Pa Sat, one of Singapore’s iconic hawker centers. We were between the lunch and dinner rush, so the the place wasn’t buzzing.
Sophon wanted everything. I, on the other hand, was still full from my airborne carrot cake epiphany.
Jet Lag Hits Hard
We made it back to the hotel around 7:00 PM, and that’s when reality caught up with us. We were wrecked. That strange mix of exhaustion and overstimulation that only comes from crossing multiple time zones.
Unfortunately, I still had work to finish.
After wrapping that up, I crashed — and I mean deep sleep. The kind where your body finally waves the white flag.
Singapore: Day one complete.
And tomorrow? I’m hunting down more Char Tow Kway!
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