Traditional versus modern Cendol — which wins?

I've now had Cendol prepared traditionally and in a modern interpretation. Both are interesting. The traditional version emphasises belacan shrimp paste in the way Penang is considered the food capital of Malaysia and rivals Singapore for hawker excellence. The sweet-savoury balance character is more pronounced and direct.

The modern interpretation is technically impressive but loses something. The a Penang hawker stall context for the traditional version adds meaning that plating alone can't provide. Milo with the traditional version made more sense than with the modern. Traditional wins, but the modern is worth trying once.