Sistars Kitchen: Hidden cendol spot in PJ with mind-blowing choy pou chee cheong fun

Tucked away on the ground floor of an apartment complex in Petaling Jaya, sits Sistars Kitchen, one of Happy Mansion’s many eateries. From the outside, it looks like any local restaurant, with its plastic stools and foldable chairs.

They don’t even have a sign out front, just a simple red sticker decal placed on the window that looks into the cendol-making station. But on the inside, they serve some of the best shaved ice desserts you’ll find in the area.

When I arrived on a Tuesday morning, the shop was relatively empty aside from the 2 uncles enjoying their ABCs while in deep conversation. Sistars Kitchen can get pretty busy on the weekends, especially during this heatwave we’re experiencing. 

What I tried at Sistars Kitchen

If I had to choose between cendol and ABC, I’d always go for the former. I’ve seen some reviews on Google saying that the size is too small, but I think that the portion is perfect for one. Most places make ABCs that can feed an entire village, and I find that most diners end up not finishing the dessert anyway.

Visually, the Cendol (RM6) looked like the ones you see in menus or on buntings placed outside restaurants— a mound of packed ice covered in green rice flour jelly, topped with a ladleful of sweet red beans. 

This bowl of cendol wasn’t too sweet; the gula melaka used had that earthy caramel flavour we all know and love. The amount of toppings added was just nice too, I got a bit of everything with each spoonful. Most importantly, without diluting the taste, the coconut milk wasn’t too rich. This is possibly just a personal preference, but I find some cendols to be too rich, leaving me with that muak feeling instead of feeling refreshed. I was able to finish about 90% of the dessert, a strong feat for me considering I was dining alone. 

Next was their Choy Pou Chee Cheong Fun (RM6). I know this is going to sound very dramatic, but this chee cheong fun was life-changing. Prior to this, I had only tried the usual chee cheong funs in KL that’s served with a sweet dark sauce and some chilli sauce. So, this was my first time trying it with pickled spinach. 

I ordered this dish without knowing what it was. To be honest, I just wanted some chee cheong fun. When it arrived, I noticed that it was covered in sauce, but instead with a mysterious beige coloured topping a lot of fried shallots. On the side, they added some chilli sauce and sliced green chillies.

I assumed this dish would be dry due to the lack of sauce, but it wasn’t. When I took my first bite, I was so surprised that a dish consisting of elements that pretty much belonged in the same colour family could be packed with so much flavour.

The textures of the fried shallots and choy pou paired with the soft rice noodle rolls. The fried shallots also brought a welcomed sweetness to the dish, adding to the already sweet and salty pickled vegetables. 

If you want some kick, you can choose to mix in the chilli sauce, but I decided not to as the dish was already tasty.

I’m not much of a breakfast eater. Most of the time, I can’t stomach more than a slice of toast before 10am. However, I found this chee cheong fun to be so delicious I wiped the whole bowl clean— the final spoon was a bittersweet moment for me.

Final thoughts

Seating is quite limited, so avoid going in large groups. You can choose to tapau your food too, though I’m sure you’d want to eat your cendol and ABC fresh. Parking can also be tricky— space is already limited, and you’ll be competing with others who are dining at the other popular restaurants and cafes there.

After my meal, I was already thinking of bringing my whole family here. The food was excellent, and the owner was very friendly. He greeted every customer who walked in with a booming “good morning” and a smile. When I asked, he said that you can’t get choy pou chee cheong fun anywhere else, so that further cemented my plan of returning for round 2.

Expected damage: RM6 – RM17.90 per pax

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