Review of Rong Fa Cheng Tng 榮发清汤

Block 22A and 22B, Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre, #01-09

Nearest Mass Rapid Transit Station: Tiong Bahru MRT

Buses to Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre: 5, 16, 33, 51, 63, 64, 121, 122, 123, 186, 195

Opening Hours: 08:00 to 15:00 (Daily)

Queue: 1 to 3 people (Waiting Time: Less than 5 minutes)

Service: Atrocious

Environment: Clean and nostalgic hawker centre

Reputation: Traditional Singapore Beverages, Desserts, Cheng Tng, Grass Jelly Products, Green Bean Soup, Ice Kacang and Tau Suan

Thoughts after eating: Mild tasting

Value for money: 60/100

Will I come back again in 6 months' time? No, there are better alternatives

My opinion:

Rong Fa means "prosperity and luck" in Chinese. This stall sells traditional Singapore beverages and desserts. Before I moved on to the food quality, I would comment on a bit on the bad service I experienced. The female owner was extremely arrogant and made the following comment to her husband while I was choosing my food items: "See, what see? See already walk away!" She became shocked when I approached her with a super "black face" and ordered her longan ice jelly for $1.50.

Now, I was really "gassed up" (angry). I would show no mercy in the food review. The dessert tasted almost like plain water with a bit of sweet syrup (major minus points). Ice was rough and not properly shaved. Longan taste was also too "weak" to increase the flavor of the dessert. Ice jelly was smooth, soft but also suffered from the same tasteless problems of the other food ingredients.

In a nutshell, this stall had owners who did not know proper manners and basic dessert preparation skills. Rong Fa was the only stall in Havelock Road Food Centre to sell desserts (monopoly). Monopoly only breeds incompetence and self indulgence.