Saturday September 18, 2010
Sweet rivalry for cendol sellers
By FONG KEE SOON
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GEORGE TOWN: Under the icy sweetness of the famous Penang Road cendol at Lebuh Keng Kwee, there simmers a long-drawn competition which started decades ago. Two cendol stalls face off from opposite sides of a 3-metre lane, with each claiming their dessert is the famous one.
Loh Ewe Seng, 58, and his wife Yong Siew Moi, 63, have been running their Penang Road Famous Cendol stall for some 40 years, after taking over the business from Loh’s mother in the 1970s. Not to be outdone, competitor Tan Chong Kim, 52, made sure he staked a claim at fame with a signboard that read: Penang Road Famous Teochew Cendol. Loh said his relationship with Tan was amicable. Tan agrees, but said they seldom talk.
Cendol war: Yong (left) and her husband (not in picture) have been selling cendol for over 40 years.
When asked for the secret ingredient that gave their cendol that special flavour, Loh willingly shared the information while Tan preferred to keep mum. “The secret is in the ingredients. We use green bean paste instead of rice flour. And our red beans are boiled over charcoal for seven hours,” said Loh. The couple, who also supply the dessert to restaurants and other cendol sellers in the state, do not advertise but rely on word-of-mouth to promote their product.
Tan said he had been in the business for about 35 years after learning the trade from his father. He operates the stall with his wife Lee Cheang Fon, 48, and son Chin Ling, 29. “I recently renovated a shophouse near my stall so that customers can enjoy my cendol in comfort instead of standing under the hot sun.
Tan (right) has been in the cendol business for 35 years.
“In the past, cendol used to be very sweet because people liked it that way. Now, they are more health-conscious, so we have had to modify our gula melaka (palm sugar syrup) recipe,” said Tan. Businessman Daniel Thiagarajan, 38, from Ipoh, who was ordering cendol from Loh’s stall, said: “I prefer the taste of cendol from this stall, although the other stall is not bad either.
“Whenever I am in Penang, I never miss out on nasi kandar, cendol and ice kacang.” Seated at Tan’s stall, factory supervisor Vincent Hean said he brought along a friend from China to enjoy the cendol. “This is the second time in a week that I am here, because my friend likes this cendol. “I’ve tried both stalls and they’re equally good.”
