Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Wilson Tang & Elsie Fong tell the story of Ren Ren Desserts, from his parents’ zi char business to studying at the Hotel & Catering Training Centre and then working at Hyatt Hotel as a chef. He explains the decision to run the desserts stall at the Chinatown Food Street with Elsie in 2001.

They also talk about Yat Ka Yan 一家人 and Hup Ka Foon合家歡 – two popular desserts businesses today by their younger relatives – as well as what could be done to make the new Smith Street a success.

Order from Ren Ren 仁仁Desserts: https://www.renrendesserts.com/

00:00 Introduction

02:08 My Parents’ Zi Char Business

06:43 二姑糖水 Second Aunt’s Desserts

12:36 Effects of the Hotel Boom

20:13 Hotel & Catering Training Centre

27:40 What Shatec Can Do at Smith Street

36:07 Culinary Teachers from the Hotel Industry

42:02 Ren Ren Desserts at Smith Street, 2001

50:12 Learning to Make Cantonese Desserts

59:14 Moving to Katong Shopping Centre

01:04:52 Running Ren Ren Together

01:08:30 Success of Yat Ka Yan & Hup Ka Foon

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