Malaysia
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Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre is certainly a mecca for foodies. With over 260 hawker stalls, there is something for even the pickiest of eaters. Amongst Chinatown Complex’s seemingly endless plates of glorious food, there is a little gem of a stall selling perhaps the most perfect bowl of Chendol for S$2.
Tucked away in the yellow zone of Chinatown Complex is Old Amoy Chendol. You know a stall is worth their mettle when they feature only one item. When you get there, you realise that the stall is nothing grand. Just a friendly auntie standing behind an ice machine poised for the next order.
As the name suggests this chendol was originally found on the corners of Amoy street. Today, the stall is run by his grandson, Youning. A millennial determined to serve quality Chendol at an affordable price. He also shared that he decided to revive the business after returning overseas and was craving for that refreshing bowl chendol but couldn’t find one that was up to par.
Eager to cool off from the sweltering heat, I ordered two bowls of this icy treat.
Watch as the auntie expertly spoons the creamy, snow-white coconut milk over a mountain of shaved ice. Then, adding a dollop of sticky red beans followed by a generous scoop of pea-green chendol.
Finally, a drizzle of treacly gula melaka. There is just something about seeing all these different elements come together in with such precision and skill.
Not one to linger when it comes to Chendol in hot and humid Singapore, I gleefully dug into this traditional dessert.
Oh, what sweet relief it was. The coconut cream was light and fragrant which complemented the smoky and syrupy gula melaka. Youning tells me that he tries to keep everything natural and homemade so that each bowl that goes out is top-notch.
The coconut cream is cold-pressed, which means more coconuts are needed to obtain the same quantity. Even though this process is more labour intensive, each spoonful has a higher concentration of that coconutty goodness.
The gula melaka is specially obtained from Sarawak, unlike Malacca where it has largely been commercialised. The gula melaka used here has a much deeper and richer flavour, and are produced in limited quantity.
The green jelly noodles were soft and gently perfumed with an aromatic pandan flavour. There is certainly a marked difference between eating freshly made rice flour jelly and frozen ones.
Bubbling away in a pot, I noticed that the red beans were not the usual kidney beans but azuki beans from Japan. They had just the right amount of sweetness and did not leave a cloying taste in my mouth.
Furthermore, I liked how the azuki beans had a less starchy texture compared to kidney beans. Resulting in an even lighter and even more refreshing dessert.
At just S$2 a bowl, Old Amoy Chendol has certainly got my heart and stomach.
It is always heartwarming when you hear that the younger generation is learning the ropes of the strenuous but rewarding hawker trade.
A trade that is so precious and integral to our culture, I can only hope that more follow in Youning’s footsteps.
Expected Damage: S$2 per pax
