Daughter brings her father’s cendol legacy home

Away from the bustle synonymous with Klang, a 45-year-old wood-and-brick house offers people a charming journey into the past – a rare find in the royal city.

Old telephones, lamps and a retro radio fill its interior, while diners enjoy bowls of cendol and ABC outside beneath the raised house.

This is Warung Cendol Wak Paad, now run by second-generation owner Siti Zulaika Supaad, who’s keeping her family’s legacy alive.

Her father, Supaad Musran, began selling cendol in 1990, raising Zulaika and her six siblings with the income he earned. As each child grew older, they took turns minding the stall whenever their parents needed a break.

“I started helping out at the stall when I was in Standard Six and enjoyed it,” Zulaika told FMT Lifestyle.

Those hours nurtured her love for her father’s business and sparked her entrepreneurial spirit. She later sold cendol during school Canteen Days and at university.

The stall closed in 2004 when Supaad fell ill. Two of Zulaika’s sisters later sold cendol, but neither venture lasted. Still, the story of the family’s cendol business had another chapter waiting to be written.

Zulaika graduated in heritage studies during the pandemic, but struggled to find work and contemplated starting a business.

“I thought about my family’s business and asked my father whether he still remembered the cendol recipe,” recalled Zulaika, 29.

He did, and he encouraged her to go ahead, especially since former customers wanted him to revive the business. Some had enjoyed his cendol as schoolchildren and longed to taste it again.

In June 2021, Zulaika began selling cendol near her father’s former stall. His business never had a name, so she called hers “Warung Cendol Wak Paad” in his honour.

Zulaika, who is of Javanese heritage, explained that “Wak” means “uncle” in Javanese, while “Paad” is the name by which her father is affectionately known.

Zulaika stayed true to Supaad’s cendol and ABC recipes. Nothing pleased her more than hearing long-time customers say her cendol tastes just like her father’s.

As the business grew, Zulaika saw potential in the family’s old home, which was largely unused. Remembering how alive it once was, especially during Hari Raya, she longed to fill it with warmth again.

Some customers warned the house’s quiet location near a dead end would hurt the business – but Zulaika trusted her instincts.

After renovating the place, she opened in October 2021 and expanded the menu.

To create a nostalgic atmosphere, she travelled to Indonesia and Egypt for retro décor items. Others in the house are cherished family keepsakes – her father’s old ice shaver, her mother’s trays and a wooden bench that belonged to her late grandfather, Musran Surajak.

Fun fact: Zulaika’s roots in the area run deep: Musran established the street where her father first sold cendol and where her business now stands.

Indeed, the cendol does not disappoint, combining fresh santan with green cendol as well as palm sugar syrup and red beans prepared in-house. You can also opt for cendol with corn or glutinous rice.

For something richer, the decadent ABC Coklat comes crowned with roasted peanuts and chocolate sauce, while the creamy Jelly Cocktail Susu brims with a variety of fruits.

Savoury favourites include nasi lemak with fried chicken and house-made sambal as well as Penang laksa. The mee bandung is equally satisfying, with prawns, egg and more in a gravy.

Lighter bites include fruit rojak, a traditional Malay pancake called lempeng and crispy tempeh served with sambal kicap, a spicy soy dipping sauce.

Today, word has spread beyond Klang, drawing visitors from Kelantan and Johor. Even Singaporeans and Koreans have stopped by.

“I’m proud and happy that I am able to keep my family’s legacy alive,” she said.

“I hope customers will enjoy the cendol and the atmosphere I have created – as though they’re enjoying a bowl of cendol in a kampung or in their grandmother’s home,” she concluded.

Warung Cendol Wak Paad
Lot 2527, Jalan Haji Musran,
Kampung Rantau Panjang,
42100 Klang, Selangor

For location, click here.

Business hours:

• 11.30am-5.30pm (Tuesdays-Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays)
• 11.30am-1.30pm, 2.30pm-5.30pm (Fridays)
• Closed on Mondays

Contact: 011-2344 8859

Learn more about Warung Cendol Wak Paad on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

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