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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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 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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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’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’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

Sweet-i Dessert House (甜在心糖水屋) has recently moved from Taman Lip Sin to a new shop at D’Piazza. Tracing its humble beginnings as a roadside stall in 2005, this dessert shop specializes in tong sui (糖水) desserts.

One of the bestselling desserts since Sweet-i’s inception is Ginkgo Nut Barley (银杏薏米腐竹浆, RM4.50). Using barley (薏米) as its base, the milky soup also contains tofu skin (腐竹), ginkgo nuts (白果) and snow fungus (雪耳).

The cold version of this dessert costs RM1.00 more because it involves more preparation. The cooked soup is chilled beforehand, and then poured over shaved ice to produce a slushy consistency. This icy dessert needs to be consumed quickly because it becomes too dilute when the ice melts.

Yuen Yang Paste (生磨鸳鸯糊, RM6.50) combines two crowd favorites: black sesame paste (黑芝麻糊) and peanut paste (花生糊). Black sesame paste is roasted and ground from actual sesame seeds, and then boiled to a certain thickness. Meanwhile, peanut paste tends to be sweeter and has more buttery appeal despite the fact that no oil is added.

Black Sweet Rice Soup (黑糯米粥, RM4.20) is a Nyonya (Peranakan) specialty based on black glutinous rice (黑糯米). This dessert is considerably dense and is quite filling. For aesthetic appeal, coconut milk is used to produce a web-shaped “latte art”.

Bo Bo Cha Cha (嬷嬷喳喳, RM5.50) is another classic Nyonya dessert. Made from taro (芋头) and three types of sweet potato (番薯), the soup is particularly starchy. Also present are jelly-like tapioca flour (薯粉), black-eye peas (眉豆), sago pearls (西米) and coconut milk (椰浆).

Peach Resin Purple Sweet Potato Soup (紫薯桃胶西米露, RM5.50) derives its alluring color from purple sweet potatoes (紫薯). The soup is occasionally punctuated with jelly-like peach gum (桃胶) and sago pearls.

Tangyuan (汤圆) is glutinous rice balls with sweet fillings. There are three types of fillings: peanut (花生汤圆), red bean (红豆汤圆) and black sesame (芝麻汤圆). Tangyuan can be ordered à la carte (RM6.30 for a bowl of 3 pieces) or as an add-on (RM2.00 each) to other desserts.

As for chilled desserts, Lemon Pear Sea Bird Nest (雪梨柠檬海燕窝, RM5.80) draws substantial citrus tanginess from lemons. Meanwhile, snow pear (雪梨) lends its natural sweetness. Bird-nest seaweed (海燕窝) has mostly disintegrated into the soup, although its pulpy consistency is still present. The sugar content of this dessert is kept minimal, making it excellent in quenching thirst.

Sweet-i also produces a handful of herbal teas (养生茶水) that have specific health benefits. Today’s drinks are Longan & Ginseng Tea (龙眼参须茶, RM6.50), Cassia Seed & Chrysanthemum Tea (决明子菊花茶, RM3.50), Milkvetch & Jiaogulan Tea (北耆七叶胆茶, RM5.00) and Chinese Liquorice, Perilla & Mint Tea (甘草紫苏薄荷茶, RM3.50). The preparation of such drinks requires sound knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine.

Sweet-i has developed an online shopping portal where customers can place their orders ahead of time. This is especially helpful for take-away customers as D’Piazza does not charge for parking for the first 15 minutes.

Name: Sweet-i Dessert House (甜在心糖水屋)
Address: 70-1-14, D’Piazza Mall, Jalan Mahsuri, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 012-485-3627
Business hours: 1:00pm-11:00pm, closed on Mondays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Penang-Sweet-I-Dessert-House-465029070512310
Coordinates: 5.32669 N, 100.28261 E
Directions: Sweet-i is located at D’Piazza in Bayan Baru. The restaurant is adjacent to BlackBall. Outdoor parking and basement parking are available at D’Piazza.

Nagore Square is a row of shops along Nagore Road (Jalan Nagor). An arch at its entrance serves as a landmark. Most of these shops are restaurants. In addition, Nagore Square is also a popular spot for nightlife.

Near the entrance from Burmah Road (Jalan Burma) is an ice cream shop called Urban Artisan. While ice cream is suitable for take-out, many customers prefer to sit down and chill out (pun intended). A trick artwork next to its entrance provides one of the many photo ops throughout George Town.

Urban Artisan’s home recipe ice cream is produced from scratch using natural ingredients, several of which are imported from Italy. Because stabilizers and emulsifiers are not used, Urban Artisan’s ice cream melts quicker than commercial ones. The shop has developed over 50 different flavors. However due to capacity constraints, only 4 flavors are available each week. Customers are given free samples before they decide.

Urban Artisan’s ice cream has lower overrun than most soft serve ice cream elsewhere. Although not as dense as gelato, the ice cream here is fairly creamy. In most cases, ice cream is dispensed served in waffle cones made from bamboo charcoal. Most flavors cost RM11.90 each. But for an additional RM1.00, customers can get a combination of two flavors.

The ice cream flavors featured this week are Sea Salt Caramel Blue & Finest Strawberry (RM12.90) and Japanese Black Sesame & Coal Black Thai Coconut (RM12.90). It is worth noting that Urban Artisan has another outlet at Campbell Street (Lebuh Campbell) called Aqua Lab. This sister outlet serves proper meals and ice cream-related snacks.

Name: Urban Artisan
Address: 122-C, Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-227-7980
Business hours: 1:00pm-11:00pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/urbanartisanofficial
Coordinates: 5.42062 N, 100.32574 E
Directions: Urban Artisan is located at the intersection of Burmah Road (Jalan Burma) and Nagore Road (Jalan Nagor). The shop is directly behind Nyonya Bean’s. Street parking is available along Nagore Road and Swatow Lane (Lorong Swatow).

The Ais is a supplier of homemade ice cream to several local restaurants around Penang. It used to operate from a kiosk inside ie Organic at Pulau Tikus. Several months ago, The Ais moved to this modest shop at Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia).

While the ground floor has only several small tables, there is substantially more dining space upstairs. The walls of the upper floor are decorated with colorful paintings – amateur artwork of the proprietor’s daughter. By the way, use caution when ascending the flight of chairs because it is quite steep.

Ice cream is sold in single scoop (RM6.90) or double scoops (RM12.90) portions. Several flavors are considered premium due to higher cost of ingredients; these premium flavors cost RM8.90 and RM14.40 respectively. Customers can also opt for a waffle cone for RM1.50 more. Ice cream is also sold by the pint – at RM29.00 and RM32.00 for regular and premium flavors respectively.

As for dine-in customers who prefer something more filling, go for a serving of Double & Waffle (RM15.90). These Belgian waffles come with 2 scoops of ice cream. Premium flavors only cost RM1.50 more, which I highly recommend that you go for.

The waffles appear dry when eaten directly, but they land on a sweet spot when consumed with ice cream. The dish is garnished with granola, dried cranberries, raisins, marshmallow and icing sugar. The actual presentation varies by the choice of ice cream flavors.

Avocado is one of the few ice cream flavors that contain neither milk nor eggs, making it ideal for vegans. This flavor takes full advantage of avocado’s natural creaminess. Made from Australian avocados, it is one of The Ais’ premium flavors. For a limited time, a pint of Avocado ice cream is priced at RM26.00, which makes it even cheaper than regular flavors.

I am also fascinated by Redwine Cranberry, which is another premium ice cream flavor. Alcohol actually lowers the melting point of ice cream, making the preparation process quite tricky. I love the soothing coolness that the ice cream bestows upon the tongue, as well as red wine’s bitter-sweet aftertaste that follows. This flavor is recommended for people who enjoy alcoholic ice cream.

Snow Bath (RM10.90) is presented as a small cup of kefir with a scoop of Snow White ice cream on top. Made from sorghum wine (高粱酒), the distinctive taste and aroma of the ice cream is tantalizing instead.

Meanwhile, kefir is a fermented milk drink. The culture, which is produced in-house, consists of a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Lactose in milk is mostly broken down to lactic acid and ethanol. This makes kefir is a good milk substitute for people with lactose intolerance.

The Ais has more than 40 different ice cream flavors in its recipe book. To maintain freshness, only 16 flavors are prepared at any given time. In addition to those introduced earlier, other bestselling flavors are Matcha Oreo, Horlicks Kit Kat, Charcoal Cheese, Seasalt Caramel and Rum & Raisin. Occasionally, there are also seasonal flavors like Durian.

The Ais believes in giving a helping hand to those in need. A substantial amount of the eatery’s proceeds is donated to an orphanage in Thailand.

Name: The Ais
Address: 473, Lebuh Chulia, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-261-0427
Business hours: 2:00pm-10:00pm (Sunday-Thursday), 2:00pm-11:00pm (Friday-Saturday), closed on Mondays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/theaisblessings
Coordinates: 5.41955 N, 100.33339 E
Directions: From Penang Road (Jalan Penang), turn onto Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia). The Ais is approximately 100 meters on the right. Street parking is available along Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia) and Leith Street (Lebuh Leith). There is also a private parking lot next to The Ais.

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

Milkissimo (ミルキッシモ) is a chain of gelato stores in Japan. The sole Malaysian outlet is presented as a proper café with dine-in tables. Taking advantage of larger space at Gurney Plaza‘s new wing, customers can relax while they enjoy Milkissimo’s signature gelato. The café also presents itself as being kids-friendly. Storybooks, toys and board games are available to keep children entertained.

Milkissimo produces Italian gelato from fresh milk of cows raised in Hokkaido (北海道). There are approximately 80 flavors in total, but only roughly 18 flavors are prepared at any given time. Customers are provided samples to help them to choose. Besides milk, it is also noteworthy to know that many fruits used to prepare gelato are also sourced from Japan.

Hokkaido Pancake (北海道パンケーキ, RM19.90) is an interesting item on Milkissimo’s food menu. At the center are two fluffy pancakes that are rich in eggs. The pancakes are topped with icing sugar and a scoop of gelato of customer’s choice. Today’s gelato is Almond Chocolate (アーモンドチョコレート) – an excellent choice if you love cocoa.

Served on the side are blueberry sauce, peach slices, honey and whipped cream. I particularly like the refreshing taste of blueberry sauce. Depending on ice cream flavor, the pancake may be sweet enough, so it is not necessary to add more honey.

Balmuda Honey Toast (バルミューダハニートースト, RM8.90) has been introduced after my previous visit. This special bread is baked using a Balmuda toaster (バルミューダトースター), which is specially sourced from Japan. Unlike conventional ovens, the Balmuda toaster uses steam to bake bread. This allows the bread to retain its fluffiness and prevent the surface from being browned.

The thick slice of bread has sponge-like softness with appealing flakiness on the surface. The toast is dressed in honey and is given a light sprinkle of icing sugar and whipped cream. There is also another version of toast which comes with gelato for RM17.90. Before 2:00pm every day, all toasts come with complementary coffee or tea.

If saltiness of cheese appeals to you, try the Balmuda Triple Cheese Toast (バルミューダトリプルチーズトースト, RM9.90). The bread is baked with three types of cheese: parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella. I love how the savoriness of cheese combines with bread’s fluffy texture. Personally, I prefer this cheesy version over the previous one.

As a proper café, coffee is also an important element of this outlet. The coffee at Milkissimo is reasonably strong in caffeine. Cafe Latte (RM9.90) benefits from the creaminess of steamed milk.

Name: Milkissimo (ミルキッシモ)
Address: 170-01-K5, Plaza Gurney, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-228-8837
Business hours: 10:30am-10:00pm
Website: http://www.milkissimo.com
Coordinates: 5.43674 N, 100.30941 E
Directions: Milkissimo is located at Level 1 of Gurney Plaza’s new wing. Gurney Plaza has basement and multi-level parking garages.