Cendol Drive Thru

This article is part of my 2019 Kuala Selangor trip series.

Drive thru service is not just limited to fast food restaurants. Cendol Drive Thru in Bukit Rotan provides this convenience too. This roadside stall is approximately 2 kilometers from Sri Shakti Devasthanam, a prominent Hindu temple in the area.

Cendol Drive also caters to dine-in customers. There are wooden tables and benches in the shack. The place is surprisingly cool even on a hot day.

One of the cendol variants here is Cendol Tapai Pulut (RM4.00). Tapai pulut (fermented glutinous rice) has an aroma and flavor reminiscent of alcohol. The dessert is also flavored with coconut milk, gula melaka (palm sugar), green jelly noodles, grass jelly, red beans and creamed corn.

Laksa (RM5.00) is served with thick rice noodles, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, red chili and calamansi. The fish broth is infused with asam keping (kokum) for the distinctive sour taste.

Address: KS 89, Jalan Kuala Selangor, 45700 Bukit Rotan, Selangor
Contact: N/A
Business hours: 11:00am-7:00pm
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Cendol Bakar

This article is part of my 2019 Kuala Selangor trip series.

If you are looking for quick meals in Kuala Selangor, one of the recommended spots is Cendol Bakar. The place is approximately 5 kilometers south of the town center, just across the road from Toyota service center. The eatery consists of several individual stalls.

The signature dessert here is Cendol Durian Pulut (RM6.50). The heap of shaved ice is flavored with gula melaka (palm sugar), durian and coconut milk. Other ingredients are glutinous rice, green jelly, nata de coco and creamed corn. This is the perfect drink to quench thirst on a hot day.

Mee Udang Banjir (RM7.00) comes with sweet and savory gravy made of shrimp broth, corn starch, sugar and spices. The dish also contains yellow noodles, prawns, red chili, fried shallots and calamansi. The overall taste is quite satisfying.

We wanted to order Hantoo Char Kuey Teow out of sheer curiosity. Unfortunately, the stall is closed today.

Address: KS 153, Jalan Kapar, 45000, Kuala Selangor, Selangor
Contact: N/A
Business hours: 11:00am-7:00pm
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Xiang Wei Desserts

Xiang Wei Desserts (香味甜品) is a small family business from Alor Setar. It has a small outlet at Level 2 of Prangin Mall. The shop is somewhat hidden from view. Xiang Wei Desserts shares the place with a nail salon called The Nails Cafe.

Xiang Wei Desserts specializes in chilled douhua. The dessert is made from Canadian soybeans and does not contain gypsum powder. With a soft and silky texture, the pudding is quite enjoyable. Besides the original (RM3.50) version, it is also available in brown sugar, red bean and butterfly-pea flower flavors.

As for beverages, the Signature Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea (RM5.50) is an iced drink with gula melaka (palm sugar) and translucent tapioca pearls. It is advisable to shake the cup thoroughly before inserting a straw.

Address: 33-2-17, Prangin Mall, Jalan Dr. Lim Chwee Leong, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 017-422-4110
Business hours: 11:00am-8:00pm, closed on Wednesdays
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Creameal

Adjacent to Wholey Wonder is Creameal, a shop which specializes in handcrafted ice cream. It used to operate at Jalan Phuah Hin Leong before moving to Hin Bus Depot.

The dining area has air conditioning. Red brick walls surround on both sides of this charming eatery. The ambience here is quite cozy.

Creameal's ice cream is available in scoops or with waffles. Around 12 flavors are available daily. For premium flavors, a surcharge of RM1.00 applies.

I opted for the Handcrafted Ice Cream + Waffle (RM9.90). The waffle has the texture and crispiness that I like. Meanwhile, my choice of ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chips. The ice cream is quite dense because it has a low overrun.

The handcrafted ice cream at Creameal is commendable. In addition, the eatery also serves Western dishes and espresso-based coffee. However, I have not tried any of them yet.

Address: 63, Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-408-3172
Business hours: 12:00pm-11:00pm, closed on Tuesdays
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Funny Mountain

Having operated for more than 60 years, Kacang Soya Funny Mountain (奇峰豆腐花) is probably the most prominent dessert shop in Ipoh. Located near Lou Wong, this is its only outlet in existence.

Funny Mountain's trademark, that of a rabbit pushing a wheelbarrow, is uncannily similar to that of Chek Hup. Actually both businesses originated from the same founder but Chek Hup spun off in 1965.

Funny Mountain's Tau Fu Fah (豆腐花, RM3.00) is prepared in the traditional way, not from artificial flavoring. I love the soft texture of the warm dessert. The brand certainly lives up to its reputation.

Kacang Soya (豆精水, RM2.50) is usually called "豆浆水" outside Ipoh. The homemade soy milk has just the right level of sweetness in order not to feel too surfeiting.

Meanwhile, Black & White (黑白, RM2.50) is a mixture of soy milk and grass jelly (凉粉). I enjoy the unique taste and mouthfeel of this chilled drink. I think everyone should give it a try.

There are no dining tables at Funny Mountains. Most customers opt for take-away or eat while standing. Interesting, some customers even do "drive-thru", i.e. stop their cars in front the shop and eat in their cars.

Address: 50, Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
Contact: 012-588-6167
Business hours: 10:30am-5:00pm, closed on Tuesdays
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Cool Island

Special thanks to Cool Island for extending this food review invitation.

Cool Island's permanent shop is located at Sri Wonder Complex (Kompleks Sri Wonder) at Jelutong. It also operates a food truck that vends at several night markets throughout Penang Island: Macallum Street Night Market (Mondays), Tanjung Bungah Night Market (Tuesdays), Farlim Night Market (Wednesdays) and Perak Road Night Market (Fridays).

Several new snacks have been introduced since my previous visit. Besides Bubble Waffles (鸡蛋仔), Cool Island is also offering Jumbo Fries (巨霸薯条, RM8.00). The fries are not called "jumbo" for nothing; they measure as long as 30 centimetres each!

Several flavors of Jumbo Fries are available. The bestselling ones are BBQ, seaweed, cheese mayonnaise, mayo wasabi and Thai sweet & spicy. For instance, the cheese mayonnaise version has drizzles of cheese sauce and mayonnaise.

Coke Fried Chicken (韩国可乐炸鸡, RM10.00) is the ultimate finger food. The cup contains Coca-Cola about two-thirds full, while a compartment on top holds Korean fried chicken. This snack allows customers to enjoy chicken nuggets and soft drinks in a single cup. Customers can choose the fried chicken flavor. Recommended flavors are original, honey mustard and super spicy.

Egg Muffin (韩式蛋中蛋, RM6.00) is inspired by a Korean snack called "gyeran-ppang" (계란빵). The muffin is prepared using a special waffle iron with oblong slots. Batter is poured into the slots, followed by ingredients like eggs, chocolate or cheese.

The waffle iron is closed and the muffin is cooked for several minutes. Once done, two halves of the muffin become fused together, forming an oblong cake with filling at the center. Dark chocolate and cream cheese are some of the popular fillings for Egg Muffin.

Besides operating in night markets, Cool Island also participates in local charity fairs, school events and carnivals. For instance this evening, the food truck is joining the Chap Goh Meh celebration at Esplanade Penang (Padang Kota Lama). In addition, Cool Island also offers catering service for private events with 10 or more people.

Name: Cool Island
Address: Location varies from day to day
Contact: 016-400-6693
Business hours: 6:00pm-9:00pm, closed on Sundays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/coolisland
Coordinates: N/A
Directions: N/A