Chendol At Old Airport Road And Other Hawker Centers
Walking around Old Airport Road Hawker Center, after a rigorous Pickleball game, we saw two Chendol (cendol or chendul) stalls. That’s a luxury that we don’t have at our local Hawker Center in Clementi. We have only one dessert stall and it has limited hours. We wanted to have Chendol at Old Airport Road immediately, but we made ourselves have lunch first.
What Exactly Is Chendol?
Chendol (cendol) is a traditional Singaporean dessert. It usually consists of shaved ice, gula melaka (palm sugar), coconut or evaporated milk, green jelly flavored with pandan, corn, and red beans. Yes, beans. Many desserts in Singapore have beans in them. Sometimes there is a bonus—atap chee (heart of palm). Some of the ingredients are served on top of the shaved ice, while other hawkers make it with the extras under the ice. It can be very sweet or less sweet depending in the maker. Reggie calls the hidden ingredients “treasures.” It’s cold, sweet, and perfect after sweating in the hot sun.
After finishing our lunch— roasted meats and Nasi Lemak— it was time for the main event.
We couldn’t decide which stall to try—Old Amoy or Nonya. Reggie favored Amoy, while I argued for Nonya since it had a Michelin recommendation. In a burst of creativity (or gluttony), I suggested we try both since they only cost $2.80 (Singapore dollars or about $1.90 USD), and we could decide which one we liked the best.Â
And so we did.
The Taste Test: Old Amoy vs. Nonya
Old Amoy and Nonya specialize solely in chendol. Nonya has four types: original without red beans, red bean, sweet corn and durian chendol. It was the first chendol stall to receive a a recommendation in the Michelin Guide, though for another location.
We both agreed that Nonya Chendol was better. It wasn’t too sweet, and the dish came together nicely. The beans added some heft to the offering. We did not like the taste of the gula melaka in the Amoy Chendol and found the beans and pandan jellies too soft and mushy.Â
Location Old Airport Road Hawker Center, Nonya is at #01-115 and Amoy is at #01-65
Where Else Have We Eaten Chendol?
Basically everywhere. It is Reggie’s favorite cold dessert. I often opt for a different dessert called ice kachang.
Jin Jin Desserts ABC Brickworks Chendol
We’ve had the Chendol at Jin Jin many times. It is one of our favorite places. They are known for their Power Cendol which has a generous helping of gula melaka, coconut milk, and red beans. There are usually long lines for the cold and hot desserts.
Location: Jin Jin Hot Cold Dessert, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-20, ABC Market
Lian-Liang Garden Desserts at Tiong Bahru Market
The Chendol at Lin-Liang was nice and refreshing (this was after another pickleball adventure). It has the perfect balance of sweetness with a generous amount of treasures. The ice melted almost immediately. There was no atap chee in the dessert the last time we had it.
Location: Lian-Liang Garden Desserts, Tiong Bahru Market #02-75
Margaret Drive Soon Heng Hot And Cold Desserts
Soon Heng is the only place we’ve seen the atap chee on the top. It is more often found on the bottom and part of the fun is finding out if there is one, two, three, or none. Soon Heng takes the surprise out and is generous with the beans, jellies, and atap chee. This one also has green and black jellies on top.
Location: Song Heng Hot and Cold Desserts, Margaret Drive Hawker Center, #02-24
Rendezvous Restaurant in Clarke Quay
The Chendol at Rendevous is served in a tall glass almost like a milkshake. It’s got the right balance between creamy and sweet and with a generous heaping of red beans. It’s the only Chendol that we’ve drunk with a straw.
Location: Rendevous at Clark Quay
Hello Dessert at 448 Clementi Hawker Center
Our local dessert stall is, unfortunately, is ok but not as tasty, rich, or generous with the treasures. This is the reason why we hunt for other Chendol stalls when we need to satisfy our appetite for the sweet cold dessert.
Location: Hello Dessert at 448 Clementi Hawker Center, #01-29
Chendol in Malaysia: Penang And Kuala Lumpur
Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendol Stand
This stand is famous and often has a very long line. It’s the perfect place to stop after walking around Georgetown, Penang. Part of the fun is the scene online and the experience at the stall. The Chendol is sweet and creamy.
Mr Tan Teik Fuang began to sell Chendol in 1936 and the stall is now run by the 2nd or 3rd generation. There is no place to sit—most people stand around to eat the dessert. The original location is at Lebuh Keng Kwee, a small road just off Jalan Penang.
Kuala Lumpur Chendol Truck
Walking down the street in Kuala Lumpur, we happened upon a Chendol truck. Of course, we had to stop. The serving was small but tasty. This spot may have been the regular spot for the truck or it might be in different locations by day.
