Xi Le Ting — Beloved $1 old-school dessert stall has closed permanently

Many of us seek comfort in nostalgia and indulging old-school desserts is one of the best ways we know how. Unfortunately, you’ll be sad to know that we’ve lost a gem in the arena. Xi Le Ting, a popular Commonwealth haunt known for its traditional Chinese desserts has permanently closed.

I caught wind of this piece of sad news from a Facebook post, wherein a member of the Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 group sought clarity regarding Xi Le Ting’s status. The post garnered several comments that reaffirmed the closure speculations, while some alleged that its owner has retired.

As Xi Le Ting doesn’t maintain any social media page of its own, there has been no official announcement about the closure on their end. However, the stall’s profile on Google Maps has been updated to reflect a “Permanently Closed” status.

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50-year-old Xi Le Ting was a mainstay of Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre. It made rounds through the media in 2023, amassing a following for its homely desserts priced at just S$1 per bowl.

It had a simple menu composed of just 4 types of tang shui: Green Bean Soup (S$1), Red Bean Soup (S$1), Cheng Tng (S$1) and Bubur Terigu (S$1). Incredible affordability aside, many lauded these desserts for their quality.

The Green Bean Soup was a crowd favourite. Packed with green beans and soft sago pearls, the soup had a pleasant mouthfeel with a light milky sweetness to boot. Another popular item was its refreshing Cheng Tng loaded with hefty longans, persimmon and delicate snow fungus.

Patrons of the humble stall would warn of the 82-year-old stall-owner’s seemingly grumpy demeanour when faced with indecisive customers. Auntie and her stall was nonetheless loved, though.

According to the aforementioned Facebook post, the auntie’s decision to pursue retirement was on account of her old age and limited mobility. Having delighted so many with her desserts for 5 full decades, it’s definitely time for her to take a well-deserved break.

While Xi Le Ting will be dearly missed, we wish Auntie a happy retirement!

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