Authentic Cendol from Grace's Mama Nyonya

Written by We Ting

I'm usually a fan of Western desserts (cakes, tarts - you name it!), but being Malaysian, how could I not appreciate our own local desserts? Coconut milk, palm sugar, shaved iced and those green little things ... You know what I'm talking about here: Cendol!

The best cendol I've ever had so far was from Batu Pahat. I'm not sure if the stall is still there, but at least now I found a good alternative at Grace's Mama Nyonya. It's definitely closer to where I live, too. I could ride a bike to the shop and return back home within 10 minutes. Now I can enjoy nice cendol on a weekly basis!

The palm sugar's sweet taste was exactly what I was looking for. It was the rich, traditional taste. It was the kind of palm sugar that was sold at the market on Sunday.

After being disappointed again and again by cendol sold at random shops, and eventually giving up on buying any cendol unless it was the Batu Pahat one, putting that first scoop of shaved ice and melted palm sugar into my mouth was a huge A-HA! moment. 

I scooped another spoonful - this time with the green jellies - they were smooth and soft. No barely-thawed texture. No weird refridgerator-ice feeling to the jellies. The cendol was actually quite good! AEON Tebrau City is just a couple of kilometres drive away, with a list of shops offering cendol in their menu, but this - this is a hundred times better than any cendol sold at the shopping mall.

Grace's Mama Nyonya is a corner shop in the neighbourhood shop-houses at Taman Desa Tebrau.  Seated in the stall, you can see right into the kitchen area where the owners - a family - are bustling about, preparing the food, drinks, and serving those who are waiting for their takeaways. 

The first time I visited, I remember seeing the family's toddler girl happily watching all the customers in the baby chair. I admit, the shop isn't very impressive-looking. The owners barely renovated the shop, which was previously a butcher stall, but it's clean (and yes, the food is good. All hail the cendol!), and it's heart-warming to observe the family working and coordinating with each other so well. Good food is also about the people who prepared it. 

Grace's Mama Nyonya

Location:

20, Jalan Harmonium 12, 

Taman Desa Tebrau, 

81100 Johor Bahru, Johor.

Opening hours:

9:30 am – 3.00pm