International expansion: Tan holding up a photo of his company’s first Taiwan branch opening, taken at a cendol store on Penang Road in George Town. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: What began as a humble pushcart serving bowls of shaved ice, coconut milk and palm sugar in 1936 has now grown into a global brand for Penang Teochew cendol.
The 89-year-old business, a must-try for both locals and tourists in Jalan Penang, expanded its reach to Taipei, Taiwan, on Sept 1.
This is their second international foray following the first overseas outlet in Singapore last year.
Fourth-generation seller Tan Chin Ling, 42, said expanding the business to Taiwan was not an easy decision.
“We had to conduct a market survey for several months to understand the dessert preferences in Taiwan.
“Fortunately, we realised their taste buds were similar to the Penang Chinese community.
“During our trial runs there, they took a liking to our cendol,” he said when met at the stall yesterday.
Tan said his younger brother, sister and brother-in-law travelled to Taipei for the grand opening, which was supported by a 15-member team, comprising Malaysians and Taiwanese.
“To maintain the authenticity, we still bring over certain ingredients, such as beans and brown sugar, from Penang.
“Others, including the pandan-flavoured green jellies, were prepared fresh in Taipei,” he said.
Tan said their cendol story began with his late grandfather, Tan Teik Fuang, who started selling the dessert from a pushcart on Penang Road back in 1936.
Over the decades, it became a household name, cherished mainly for its rich gula melaka syrup, creamy coconut milk and tasty green rice flour jelly.
Tan also said Singapore was an easier first step due to its proximity, but Taiwan represented a bold push into a wider Asian market.
“Our next target is China, which has a huge appetite for sweet desserts,” he said.
Besides cendol, the outlet in Taipei also serves other Penang favourites, such as char koay teow, Hokkien prawn mee and asam laksa, giving Taiwanese a taste of the state’s vibrant street-food culture.
Today, Tan said the family runs over 50 cendol outlets across Malaysia, with Kuala Lumpur and Johor accounting for the largest share with 20 outlets each.
In Penang, they have stalls at Penang Road, Gurney Plaza, Queensbay Mall and the Sunway Carnival in Seberang Jaya.
According to Tan, the stalls in Penang attract large crowds mostly from Indonesia and Thailand, followed by visitors from India and China during peak holiday seasons.
“No matter how far we expand, the heart and soul of cendol will always remain in Penang,” he added.
