Having tried Lim Cendol quite a while back and only ordering their Penang Chendol the last time round, it was only recently that we paid more attention to the menu and found out that they serve Ice Kacang with sliced banana — and that was interesting enough for us to actually give it a try.

To be frank, Lim Cendol’s variant of an ice kachang very much defies all things and ice kachang would be — at least in our heads; the single colour scheme for its aesthetic when it comes to the sauce, the sliced bananas and the steamed peanuts especially were all items we probably would not expect to find in a typical bowl of ice kachang. While the shaved ice here was a tad rough for my liking when it came to the Chendol, it feels right here especially after being drenched in the red rose syrup that is spiked with just a bit of evaporated milk to bring out a Bandung-esque note that was not overly sweet. The sliced banana and steamed peanuts were a decent addition, but they were pretty much what they were — no surprises and more of a quirky touch that probably gives their variant more novelty factor against others, but doesn’t really provide for a life-changing experience overall. I did admittedly like their version a little more than the usual, considering that I am quite the “anti-ice kachang” person here — no messy mix of sauces, not too many beans that throws the ice kachang off balance (they do include kidney beans and red beans all hiding beneath the ice), and does not lack the palm seeds, cream corn and agar agar that makes an ice kachang what it is.

To be honest, their Ice Kacang isn’t one that made me a convert to the almost definitive local dessert that most seem to love. That being said, I can’t deny for the fact on how inventive their version is — not something I would have been able to think of when one mentions about Ice Kacang. It’s probably something that one should try at least once, though one would need to be open to perhaps appreciate the idea of what goes behind in their rendition.