PUBLISHED ONOctober 17, 2022 7:19 AMByTimothy WeeBeing a hawker is no cake walk, so you can imagine our respect for this stall that has been going strong for 70 years.
Enter Ri Xin Snack Delights and its owner, a man who has been called "the most courteous person that you could ever meet".
Located in Maxwell Food Centre, the elderly hawker's stall sells traditional savoury and sweet kuehs that he makes by hand.
The stall is solely owned and operated by the veteran hawker, who inherited the recipes and stall from his father.
His menu comprises of savoury steamed rice cake 'wah kueh' ($2) containing dried shrimp, pork and mushrooms, peanut or coconut-filled mochi-esque ang ku kueh ($1) and steamed sponge cake huat kueh ($2.50).
However, the stall's simple set-up and lack of crowd seems to be doing the hawker and his heritage bites a disservice as highlighted by one Suzene Ang.
In a Facebook post dated Sat (Oct 15), she shared that it hurts her to see the crowd walk past Ri Xin Snack Delights stall just because it doesn't have a bright colourful signage or long snaking queues to draw locals and tourists in. She ended off by imploring everyone to support the "one man band" hawker.
Thankfully, Suzene's call did not go unnoticed. Her post received an overwhelming response, with many netizens sharing their support.
Many loyal customers like Dorice Cheong praised the "very reasonable prices" and the kuehs that are chock full of "so much ingredients". This was echoed by Benjamin Tong who labelled the kuehs "legit" and added that the hawker's food "speaks louder than anything".
Others, such as Hwee Kheng and Amy Khoo – who are big fans of the hard-to-find 'wah kueh' – were delighted to discover the stall and vowed to satisfy their savoury craving.
While the kuehs were the talking points, many were also quick to sing the praises of the stall owner.
Mike Heo remembered the chatty hawker being around during his childhood days decades ago when they still washed dishes in the common area and called him "the most courteous person you could ever meet".
The veteran hawker's dedication to his job seems to have struck a chord with all his customers — commenter Amy Lee said he "does more than sell kueh", but rather "reflects a strong determination in his own gentle way".
Japan might have coined the term 'shokunin' — a master craftsmen/artisan who shows dedication in any tasks big or small — but we might have one right here in Singapore, diligently serving up his kuehs at Maxwell Food Centre.
ALSO READ: Where to get the best ang ku kueh in Singapore
Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street #01-55, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: 4 to 9pm daily
timothy.wee@asiaone.com
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