Weeks back, I took the opportunity of the cloudy weather and drizzling rain to stop by for cendol and laksa! It will be less queue and people on rainy weather, so that’s what I thought… anyways, I managed to find a nice pace to park further down the lane.. walked in the drizzles of rain to the coffee shop. Not many people surrounding the stalls during that time..
Jeng jeng jeng.. I was quite wrong, no people outside but loads of them inside! Full house… but lucky me, I managed to get a nice old fashioned booth seat (not many places has this kind of seats anymore.. only the surviving coffee shops from the olden days).. at the corner of the coffee shop… just like how I like it.. if I’m eating alone, I usually prefer a corner seat, so I get a nice view since I will have no one to talk to.. might as well observe the human behaviour.
It was fast, the auntie of the coffee shop helped me to order my cendol while I order my bowl of laksa. And it was served quite immediately.. Cendol is actually made from rice flour with pandan(screwpine) leaves green colour and fragrance.. if I’m not mistaken… and it’s the worm looking green jelly strips itself.
So, it’s usually served with fine shaved ice, accompanied by sweetened and soften kidney beans, a nice scoop of coconut milk and topped with gula melaka syrup. So over the time, regardless how it is being served, it is still known as cendol (as a whole dessert itself). Compared to Baba Cendol in Malacca, it’s more of cendol, shaved iced, kidney beans, thicker coconut milk and thick gula melaka syrup. Teochew cendol is has more liquid (well, not sure if it’s meant to be like that or the shaved ice just melted too fast) and great as thirst quencher for hot sunny days.. but it’s as good too on cold rainy days!
Penang Asam Laksa was voted by CNN International and ranked 7th as most delicious food in the world… And the asam laksa here may look ordinary, but it tastes good! The soup may not be as murky as other asam laksa in the market, but it is surprisingly delicious! In Penang, I usually get my laksa fix in few specific places only, and this is one of it.
At MYR3.50 for small bowl, MYR4.00 for big bowl, and yes, it is slightly more expensive that few other places. This is gurney drive’s price :D
Uncle preparing bowls of laksa… not so friendly though cos there’s this lady next to my table asked, howcome so expensive? He somehow responded on a defensive tone by saying, “Expensive? Where got expensive? Now laksa is at this price one mah..” Anyways, he runs the stall with his wife… wife nampak more okay.. :P
Little laksa stall at the side entrance… Besides laksa, there’s also char koay teow stall and also hokkien mee stall… If I’m not mistaken, my ex colleague once told me that the hokkien mee is good too… or was it char koay teow? I can’t remember, but have not tried any of both… oh ya.. ada rojak too…
The cendol/cendul/chendul (whichever you want it to be spelt) stall is just outside the coffee shop… Opposite also ada another stall which is not so famous ler :P If cendol is not your choice of dessert, you can opt for ice kacang also even ice ball with syrup!
Joo Hooi Kafe is located at Lebuh Keng Kwee off Penang Road… very easy to locate.. just adjacent to Chowrasta Market..
Not too busy on a rainy days and a normal weekend… Fellow flogger Taufulou was there during the festive season… checkout the crowd…
It has been operating for many many years and earned their reputation for being the best Penang Cendol, so don’t be surprised with the crowd of tourists, locals or maybe even celebrities(if you are lucky) when you are there… Ang they actually have like 7 branches nationwide… latest branch is at Bagam Ajam
Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul
Lebuh Keng Kwee, Off Penang Road
Business Hours : Mon – Fri 10:30 am - 7:00 pm | Sat – Sun 10:00 am - 7:30 pm
Website here & here.. and mai siao siao.. Facebook pun ada.. here
