Siang Ann Kopitiam’s decor makes it look like a stall in an alley.
LOCATED along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in Melaka, a street adjacent to popular tourist destination Jonker Walk, is Siang Ann Kopitiam where visitors can find authentic Nyonya cendol.Its owner Leong Yean Long, 32, had sought to learn how to make cendol upon discovering that a local Nyonya who made it was retiring at the height of the pandemic.
Better known as “Aunty Koh”, she had been selling Nyonya cendol in Melaka since 2000 and is now in her 80s.
When she shelved her ice-shaving machine in 2020, Leong persuaded her to teach him and give him the cendol recipe.
“Aunty Koh and I have been good friends since. I visit her occasionally and we chat for hours,” he said.
Nyonya cendol made from Aunty Koh’s recipe.
Last February, Leong set up Siang Ann Kopitiam.
“The outlet is a result of my friendship with Aunty Koh.
“It is also a part of her legacy which we will continue to preserve.”
At the kopitiam, Leong serves Aunty Koh’s purist version of cendol.
“Normally, you will see red beans on cendol.
Leong says the outlet is a result of his friendship with Aunty Koh.
“However, Aunty Koh told me the green jelly is the core of the dessert and that adding red beans would compromise its taste.
“Besides the coconut milk and gula melaka, all the other ingredients of our cendol are made in-house,” he said.
The cendol, priced at RM5 per bowl, contains the soft jade-green jelly squiggles on shaved ice that are so fine that they melt upon contact with one’s tongue.
The generous use of coconut milk gives it a creamy flavour.
Gula melaka syrup is added as a final touch for that mildly sweet, caramel note that lingers.
Siang Ann also serves Nyonya laksa and nasi lemak.
Its Nyonya laksa (RM10) has pleasantly chewy noodles coated thoroughly with a slightly spicy gravy.
“The gravy gets its deep yellow colour and flavour from turmeric and galangal.
“For extra flavour, we add coconut milk and buah keras (candlenut), which is a must in Nyonya dishes,” said Leong.
Diners have the option of ordering rice vermicelli (meehoon) for the laksa.
Siang Ann also scores high marks for its distinctive interior design.
It feels like a stall inside an alley, with a great atmosphere. Classic Cantonese melodies playing in the background transport visitors to a bygone era.
“This structure has been here for around 50 to 70 years. When we moved in, we installed only an awning for safety reasons and kept the rest as it was,” said Leong.
Siang Ann Kopitiam operates from 8am to 5pm and is closed on Mondays. The cendol is available from 11am.
Besides the Nyonya laksa and nasi lemak, the kopitiam also serves a variety of breakfast dishes like kaya and butter toast, egg mayo sandwich and half-boiled eggs, priced between RM2.30 and RM12.50.
