Chendol

Chendol is a shaved ice dessert that is famous in malaysia. It's a combo of shaved ice, green jelly (i think made from pandan), gula melaka (malaysian palm sugar) and coconut milk.

I've never been a fan of chendol until this trip back to Penang where my cousin took me to the best chendol stall in Penang. It was quite an experience. There were droves of people surrounding this stall which was situated on a one way street. The road was being shared by this stall, cars, customers and motorcycles. It was standing room only and my usual standards for food hygiene went down a few notches.

Anyway, back to the chendol... I think what impressed my the most was the chendol man. The order of operations was as follows:

1) Get yourself in a position where the chendol man can see you

2) Tell him how many bowls of chendol you want

3) He makes it for you at the speed of lightning (and he keeps count)

4) You pay him

5) You distribute your ordered desserts to whoever else is with you

6) You slurp down your dessert under the beating sun while watching 50 other people do the same - and try not to get in the way of vehicles entering the road

7) You finish your dessert - it didn't take you long.

8) You give your finished bowl to the washing up lady who washes them right next to the stall with several buckets of water.

Here's a video of the chendol man. He'd win the chendol making Olympics.