PETALING JAYA, Oct. 27 -- Of all the cold, sweet treats this short life promises us, cendol is easily my favourite.

Sure, like any other kid, I loved ice cream, but I hated having to wait for it to melt - because the best way to eat it, as any sane child knows, is when it turns into a sweet, soupy mess.

No brain freeze, you see.

Cendol, with its use of shaved ice, presented an elegant solution to my young brain.

Just hack away and soon you'll be rewarded with a cold, chunky, sweet liquid - much like bingsu and kakigori, which have recently exploded in popularity while offering a similar experience.

Still, I struggle to justify paying close to RM30 for a mountain of ice with artificially flavoured syrup drooling down the sides, so I r...