82-year-old dessert hawker in Commonwealth still going strong after 50 years, prices kept at $1

Desserts are a great post-meal treat, but it often comes at quite a cost.

When was the last time you paid a dollar to enjoy a bowl of dessert?

At Xi Le Ting in Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre though, $1 is enough for you to purchase any one item on its menu.

The dessert stall, run by 82-year-old hawker Yang Feng Ying for the past 50 years, offers its customers value for money with its bowls of old-school tong shui (a type of dessert in Chinese cuisine).

Her 84-year-old husband would assist in the hawker stall every now and then but, according to 8days, Xi Le Ting is "mostly a one-woman show".

Xi Le Ting's menu is simple and straightforward.

It consists of four food items: cheng tng, bubur terigu, red bean soup and green bean soup. All are served warm only and cost $1 each.

It's an extra $0.20 for takeaways.

Being a hawker is a tough gig, and Yang's schedule is proof of that. 

8days reported that her day begins at 4am, when she prepares the four desserts. That's a full six hours before the opening of the stall at 10am.

All that hard work seems to be yielding positive results as the stall has built its own fanbase of sorts.

On Google review, Xi Le Ting received a 4.7 rating from 51 customers.

A netizen went as far as to suggest that this stall has the best cheng tng, red bean soup and green bean soup in town.

He did, however, warn future patrons that "auntie is super impatient and fierce".

Despite that, the quality of her desserts might be "worth getting scolded for", according to past customers.

But if you don't have a sweet tooth, Xi Le Ting can still be a dessert option for you as the stall allows customers to request their orders to be less sweet or to have less syrup.

'Is it really $2.50?'

Sticking to the topic of cheap and good eats, one particular hawker stall at Maxwell Food Centre is selling claypot bak chor mee at $2.50.

It's not uncommon for diners to ask stall operator Zhou Liping if there's a catch to the generous food pricing. There isn't. 

The decision to charge noodles at this price came after she heard Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's call to provide food at more affordable prices.

With many elderly residing around Chinatown, Zhou hopes that the $2.50 dish can help them cope with inflation.

Address: 31 Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre, #02-70, S149644
Opening hours: Thursday to Sundays, 10am to 2pm, or till sold out

ALSO READ: Breakfast for $1.20: This Bugis stall serves up old-school dishes like peanut porridge and fried bee hoon

amierul@asiaone.com

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