Commonwealth Crescent Dessert Stall Xi Le Ting’s Hawker Retires At 83, Customers Saddened
It will be hard to find old-school traditional ‘tong shui’ that can beat Auntie’s just-as-retro prices.
The stall was run by veteran hawker Yang Feng Ying (transliterated from Chinese), 83, who had been serving her Chinese desserts for over 50 years. Her husband Wang Ming Long, 85, helped her out at the stall, where they regularly saw long queues for their comforting four-item menu offering tau suan, cheng tng, green bean soup and bubur terigu.
Stall closed, couple said to have retired
Earlier today (Mar 16), non-profit organisation My Community posted on its Facebook page that Xi Le Ting had quietly closed for good after its hawker centre underwent a two-month revamp from October to December last year. (FYI: popular neighbouring burger hawker stall Hammee’s also closed post-renovation.)
Netizens who saw the post expressed their dismay, including Facebook user Meisha Bee Zhu who wrote: “Oh no! So sad, but happy that she can retire."
Wanted to retire, but stayed on for her customers
Auntie’s retirement may not come as a surprise to some of her regulars, as she had been wanting to stop operating her stall for some time.
In an interview with 8days.sg last year, the significantly hunchbacked Feng Ying shared that her legs were “in pain” due to her age, and numerous trips to the doctor did not improve her condition.
She toyed with the idea of retirement, but eventually shelved her plan as she found it “boring” to stay home. Her customers, most of whom had grown up eating her desserts, had also begged her not to retire.
Grumpy but popular
Other than her delish home-style tong shui scooped into vintage blue-and-white porcelain bowls, Auntie is also a legend in her own right. Savvy diners already know not to mind her grumpy countenance, and you have to be quick and decisive when ordering. Considering that Chinese desserts are getting rarer as more elderly hawkers retire, it’s good to savour a good bowl of cheng tng in this hot weather while you can.
Photos and video: Chow Rou Yan/ Yip Jieying
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