Tong sui (糖水, literally "sugar water") is the Cantonese family of sweet soups, pastes and puddings eaten at the end of a meal or as a late-night treat. In Malaysia, a bowl usually costs RM3 to RM15. The easiest first orders are red bean soup, black sesame paste and bubur cha cha, and most shops will happily serve them hot or cold. Here is how to read the menu.
Where tong sui comes from Tong sui comes from the Lingnan region of southern China, the Cantonese heartland around Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. Specialist tong sui shops were already trading in Guangzhou in the early 20th century, selling staples like black sesame, mung bean, almond and sweet potato soups (Wikipedia). Cantonese migrants brought the habit to Malaya, and today you will find tong sui in old market stalls, kopitiam corners and late-night dessert bars from Ipoh to Kajang.
Many tong sui are also linked to traditional Chinese ideas about "heaty" and "cooling" food. Black sesame paste, for example, is considered warming (Malay Mail), while green bean soup is the classic "cooling" choice on a hot day.
The menu, decoded
Soups (thin and comforting) - Hung dau sa (red bean soup): adzuki beans simmered until creamy, often with dried tangerine peel. Try it at Hiao Po Tong Shui in Sri Petaling. - Lok dau sa (green bean soup): lighter, often with kelp or sago. - Hak loh mai (black glutinous rice): nutty and purple-black, usually finished with coconut milk. Some shops mix it with red bean, a combination Malay Mail calls the best of both worlds. - Sweet potato ginger soup: chunks of sweet potato in a peppery ginger syrup. Hong Kee Dessert in PJ's SS17 market does a good one. - Fu chok yi mai (beancurd skin and barley): often with gingko. Lovely hot or cold. - Snow fungus and peach gum: a "nourishing" bowl, often with red dates. Mama Dessert in Damansara Utama is known for it.
Pastes, or "wu" (thick and silky) - Chi ma wu (black sesame paste): the king of pastes. Order it with tong yuen (glutinous rice balls) at KTZ Food in Kepong. - Fa sang wu (peanut paste): sweeter and creamier. Can't choose? Get the half-half bowl at LoL Soon Kee Desserts. - Hang yan wu (almond cream): fragrant and smooth. Kimberley Street See Ko Thng in George Town serves it alongside see ko thng.
Malaysian favourites on the tong sui menu - Bubur cha cha: sweet potato, yam and sago in pandan-scented coconut milk. It is a Nyonya favourite rather than a Cantonese original, and its exact origins are hard to pin down, as The Star noted this year. Try it at Chicken Bowl Dessert in Kajang. - Gandum: barley-wheat porridge in coconut milk, a Malaysian kopitiam staple. Poon Gei Tong Shui Sei Ga does a good one. - Tau fu fah: silken soy pudding in sugar or ginger syrup. Ipoh's Funny Mountain Soya Bean is famous for it, and Sik Thong Ba piles it high with taro balls.
Modern, Hong Kong-style cold desserts - Mango pomelo sago: fresh mango, pomelo and sago in cold coconut milk. YDT Dessert in PJ makes a proper one. - Durian sago and taro balls: the new-wave dessert bars love these, especially when durian is in season.
How to order like a regular - Hot or cold? Staff will usually ask. Pastes are best hot; mango and sago desserts are served cold. - Mix and match. Many old-school stalls let you combine two soups in one bowl. Red bean with black glutinous rice is a popular pair. - Ask about sugar. Some shops can make it less sweet. - Go late. Many dessert shops do their best business after dinner, and several in KL stay open past midnight. See our guide to the best tong sui in KL for a late-night sweet fix.
A note for Muslim diners Tong sui ingredients are mostly beans, grains, fruit, coconut milk and sugar, but none of the shops mentioned here is halal-certified, and all are listed as non-halal in our data. If you need halal, check for a valid JAKIM certificate before you order.
Sources
- Tong sui — Wikipedia
- Enjoy ribbons of ebony goodness with this thick and aromatic zi ma wu (black sesame paste) — Malay Mail, 2023-11-25
- Best of both worlds: Red bean and black glutinous rice tong sui — Malay Mail, 2025-06-21
- Bejewelled sweet broth from Nyonya kitchen — The Star, 2026-08-29