What is cendol?

Cendol words come from Malaysia. The word was first introduced in 1932 as one form of dish that available in Kuala Lumpur.

It is a famous dessert in Malaysia and well-known across South-East Asia.

According to Wikipedia, cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contain rice flour jelly with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup.

This is another definition that is described by the Kamus Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, a Malay dictionary.

It is a type of porridge that the fillings are made from rice flour and the shape is a bit long. The porridge is made up of coconut milk mixed with sugar.

The classic menu of eating cendol is cendol, coconut milk, palm sugar and ice.

Alternatively, you can have an add-on menu which is red bean, glutinous rice and creamy sweet corn.

The are also unique menu that you may try such as adding ice cream or durian flesh on the top of a bowl of cendol.

Where it is commonly served?

It is a type of street food in Malaysia. It is usually being served in plastic bowl or stainless steel bowl together with a spoon soup.

Usually, it is being sell by Indian Muslim in a food truck together with rojak at the roadside.

However, there are many entrepreneurs who also sell cendol nowadays.

Thus, it is not only can be get at the roadside, even the food court and restaurant also included cendol in one of their beverage menu.

On the special occasion, it also being served to the guest in the Malay wedding reception.

What is mean by Rojak?

Rojak means campur in Malay or in English it is known as mixed of any kind of variety. The term rojak is varied between the state.

Differences between rojak and pasembur

Here, rojak actually is a mixture of hard-boiled egg, slices of sweet turnip and cucumber, slices of wheat flour that had been deep-fry, deep-fried tofu.

This usually to be eaten with peanut sauce.

The ingredients being decided by the sellers.

However, if you ask Penangite they will refer it as Pasembur.

The basic is similar to rojak in KL but they have an add-on selection to choose from. For example, prawn fritters, pieces of fried meat, fish cake and fish ball.

All this in the menu is prepared by coating with flour and deep-fried.

The seller usually arranged the fritters in a countertop food display and allowed the customer to choose it using food tong and a plate to place their selection.

Once they have choose, the customer will give it to the seller to chopped the fritters and determined the prices.

Rojak and Food Truck 

Commonly, when we eat rojak here in Kuala Lumpur, they used to sell it in the food truck.

The truck is usually parked under a large tree to give natural shed to its customer who will eat at the place. 

They will prepare three to four plastic stools without a table for the customer. The customer usually eats with the left hand to place the bowl.

It’s a common scenario as the food truck is only used for cooking and preparing a simple meal on the menu.  

However, not in the current situation where our government would only allow for take-away. 

Another food truck in Bangsar 

Bangsar is the residential place in the suburb of Kuala Lumpur. It is a preference for the expat to live in.

What is special about this place for the food lover is another food truck that specialises in selling rojak and cendol.

It has been there for over forty years. It used to be the father who managed the stall and today it was the son. 

Location details

It is located in the neighbourhood lane at the front of Petronas pump station in Bangsar. It can be seen from the main road of Jalan Maarof. The opposite of the road there is another petrol station. 

It is my mother favourite’s place. She used to do a 5-minute drive for lunch at the stall as it is located near her previous office. The stall opens from 10 am every day except on Sunday. 

Favourite Menu 

Her favourite is sambal sotong with the rojak. “The deep-fried wheat flour is crunchy”, mentions her regarding the taste.  For her, it is better to taste the food at the stall as it is.  

Mom was so delighted to tell me about the story. Even she introduced to me and my other two brothers. 

Type of customer 

People from all walks of life  have been to this place. According to mom, we are not sure whether a person is a boss or an employee will drive in luxury cars and stop by to quench their taste and satisfy their craving for delicious rojak and cendol. 

The word had  been spread from mouth to mouth about this stall for them to retain the loyal customer and in addition new people frequently eat at the stall.  

Finally…

That is how the story goes about rojak connected to cendol. Rojak always goes hand in hand with cendol and is a popular combination. It is always in demand among Malaysian.

Seeing Malaysian eating rojak and cendol at the stall is a normal scenario here in Kuala Lumpur where I live with my family. 

For me it is happening to see people come in groups with friends or family members even though we eat at the roadside. Everyone is cheerful and enjoying cendol and rojak.

After we finish eating, we get up to give other people who are waiting in line a chance to enjoy the food.

Remember this, no chit chat at this stall, eat quietly with a deep feeling of the delicacy.