Cendol Air Putih Famous in Kuantan

Every local person we spoke with in Kuantan pointed us to Cendol Air Putih. So, it's one box we definitely have to tick before leaving Kuantan 😁

Unsurprisingly, there's a constant queue at the little corner shop but it clears pretty fast (as the shop is amply staffed and well organised).

We tried the basic (biasa) and also with durian. They also have with red bean, glutinous rice and sweet corn add-ons (which we will try next time). Besides cendol, they have ABC, nasi lemak, curry puff, etc.

Coming from Singapore, the first thing that struck us was the rather pale colour of the cendol noodles. The noodles were soft, smooth, only slightly sweet, with slight pandan taste and fragrance. (So, this cendol have neither the darker green of cendol essence nor suji leaves / Dracaena Angustifolia.)

The pandan noodles like thick rice vermicelli were suspended in a bowl of coconut milk and palm sugar with just a bit of crushed ice (not a mountain of ice). The liquid was rather thick, full bodied. It tasted sweet from the coconut milk and palm sugar but just a bit of fragrance of pandan leaves and palm sugar.

Then, we had a second serving with durian. They were generous with the durian, giving us 5 seeds in our bowl.

The no name kampung durians were good - slightly bitter with a bit of sweetness though the flesh was thin and round seeds were large.

Durians, cendol noodles, coconut milk and palm sugar went well together, making the whole bowl very delicious and cooling especially with the blistering sun bearing down on us outside.

Air Putih is the most famous cendol in Kuantan. Authentic without fancy frills. Delicious. Friendly local vibes. Affordable (the basic cendol costs RM3.50 in 2024). Must check in here at Cendol Air Putih, when you visit Kuantan.