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Malaysia ’ s sweet treat Cendol BMI has been serving authentic Malaysian signature drinks since 1985
THERE ’ S nothing more refreshing than having a cooling , delicious cendol on a hot sunny day . Layered with creamy santan , green rice flour jelly and palm sugar syrup , cendol is Malaysia ’ s signature ice-shaven dessert loved by many , writes Fatihah Manaf .
Keen to continue the legacy of selling cendol , Cendol BMI , founded in 1985 , has introduced new and refreshing toppings to its customers . Cendol BMI started as a street vendor before expanding its business into having six outlets in Southville City , Pekan Nilai , MesaMall Nilai , KIPMall Sepang , Bukit Bintang and Bandar Mahkota Cheras .
With its authentic taste , Cendol BMI will make Malaysians walk down memory lane of their childhood .
“ The idea to start this business was from my grandfather . Then , my father started doing it , and now we are the third generation who continue this business ,” said Syakinah Ismail , owner of Cendol BMI .
Cendol BMI serves nine types of cendol and three air batu campur ( ABC ). They have nine meals on their menu and are still working on including more .
We make sure all ingredients are fresh every day . We maintain the same standards and measurements for all the drinks . So , whenever you come to the outlet , you ’ ll enjoy the same quality of drinks .”
– Syakinah Ismail
VARIOUS TOPPINGS AND AUTHENTIC FLAVOURS
According to Syakinah , when it comes to flavours and toppings , those who have never tried cendol previously would prefer the original one . Those already familiar with it will go for extra toppings like cendol durian , cendol pulut , cendol biscoff , cendol oreo , etc .
“ For the toppings , we follow whatever is trending ,” she highlighted .
When asked what differentiates Cendol
Some varieties of cendol at Cendol BMI .
Syakinah Ismail ( left ) with the Cendol BMI team .
Cendol BMI has its own SOPs that must be followed by all staff .
BMI from others , she said : “ We make our own green jelly . We have a factory , so we produce them every day . It is fresh and not preserved .”
“ The santan we use is not from coconut ; it is palm milk . It is our special recipe . The sugar syrup that we use is also our special recipe . We focus on quality . We maintain quality at an affordable price .”
To ensure the quality of the drink , Syakinah said Cendol BMI had prepared their standard operating procedures ( SOPs ), which all staff must follow . All ingredients used for the toppings are also of high quality .
“ We make sure all ingredients are fresh every day . We maintain the same standards and measurements for all the drinks . So , whenever you come to the outlet , you ’ ll enjoy the same quality of drinks .”
COMMERCIALISING MALAYSIAN CENDOL
Managing a business is always challenging . For Cendol BMI , one of the challenges is to make people realise the value of cendol as a drink which is at par , if not better , than the ones in the market .
“ The challenge will be to make people aware that cendol is equal to other drinks available in the market . When we talk about cendol , people tend to downgrade the business . They will question its relevance , like where can we bring this drink ?
“ We want to change this perception . Malaysians love the drink , so we can upgrade the taste and the quality of the cendol and sell it to them . We upgraded the devices used . For example , we use machines at our outlets .
“ No more conventional way of scooping the ice into the bowl . We have sugar machines and ice-crushing machines , which are more hygienic . Our business model is quite new , unlike other vendors who use the conventional way .”