Ice Cream @ Kow Po Coffee Shop, Bentong Heights, Pahang

Its hard to find some one that does not love ice cream, and if in Bentong, then some home made ice cream is in order. 

Not so busy Saturday afternoon

Known for its great texture and unique flavours, Kow Po Coffee Shop has been serving home made ice creams for generations to the locals in Bentong and also to outsiders who are willing to make that trip down. With an aggressive new initiative by the Bentong local government to propagate this sleepy town to a tourist destination, Kow Po was one of the backbones for this initiative. And I was fortunate enough to taste this local legend during a company trip not long ago.

Choices oh choices

There is more to this place than just ice cream, with other chilly desserts such as ais kacang and cendol, which is topped with their infamous cold dairy. But if you are here, or anywhere else in fact, go for their star maker without the frills.

The triple threat

Being there for the first time and spoiled for choice, I just asked the owner to give me 3 of their best selling flavours. And what popped soon enough was a triple scoop of chocolate, pandan and peanuts. 

The chocolate felt like it was frozen fudge, with a very thick gummy like texture and filled with cocoa intensity. If you are a chocolate addict, this is definitely for you. It goes down smoothly but lingers on when you have that first spoonful. Dark, mildly sweet and deep in flavour, it is akin of having a whole 70% bar into a fudge based cream and shooting it down. And being just that slight shot of sweetness, it is no wonder then this flavour is a big hit.

Peanuts galore

The peanut flavour was equally intense. In fact, it felt like I was taking on a creamier and colder cousin of the humble peanut butter. Earthy yet vibrant in flavour, it acted as a countermeasure to the chocolate experience earlier. Yet, it complimented the chocolate flavour very well, and if you mix the two together, it feels like you are having a Reese's Cup McFlurry. 

The pandan however, was a stark contrast from the previous 2. This had a very subtle aroma, as it should since screwpine leaves do have a subtle floral taste. Not the most flavourful, but it does have its merits, and was a good palate cleanser. This flavour however, will go well with cendol and ais kacang. 

Another angle of the interior with the menu on the wall. 

Simple in premise and a good heat buster, each scoop costs about RM4, with additional costs for toppings and other variants. Mainstream American chains be damned. This is as local as it gets. 

Front of the house. 

Although making the journey to a somewhat outskirt part of the country is not something a random traveler would just do, do drop by for some good local ice cream if you are in Bentong. And if you need to prop up your Google Maps any time soon, here is the address:

2, Bentong Heights, 28700 Bentong, Pahang

PS: if you are not a fan of cold desserts (but seriously, how can you?), then stay tuned as what we have in store will be a pleasant alternative.