layout: post title: “where to find the best cendol” date: 2014-09-04 09:50 comments: true categories: — [Penang, cendol, food]
While we have been in Penang, one of the first things we tried we cendol.
It looked so strange the first time we saw it: green noodles, white stuff, beans and ice. We hadn’t even heard of gula melaka then.
The first place we went was the spot our teksi driver took us, saying it was a famous place. We had a hard time finding a time when it was actually open something we learned about with cendol and other hawker stands: they have their own schedules.
Penang was so hot that we tried not to be out and about from 11AM till past 7PM if we could help it. Turns out that most cendol places are closed up by 7PM and some even earlier.
After having our first slurp, we realized we loved it. The first time we had it surprised us with the butter-scotchy, coconutty, cold sweetness. It soon became our go-to snack or, if possible, after dinner dessert.
With only a handful of key ingredients, we figured no one could really screw it up.
Then we tried cendol at Armenian Street. Yep, someone could mess it up, alright. So then we became more discriminating and wondering, Where can we get good, even the best, cendol around?
This included not only trying different places in Penang, but also Singapore and Melaka. Turns out, the best cendol is in Melaka. While there, I ate maybe seven different cendols in Melaka.
Here is where we’ve eaten in Penang: