34 Cafes to Visit in Ipoh - For the Non-Nostalgic and Non-Sentimentalist Type

Here is a list of mostly modern and new joints for your sampling and adventure if you are in Ipoh.

Click on the link below to visit.

34 Cafes to Visit in Ipoh

Best Curry Noodles aka Police Station Curry - Xin Quan Fang

Happiness knows no bounds. His face shines!

This is arguably the best curry mee in Ipoh. The "best" does not translate into "cheap". In fact the price packs a wallop if you ask for "kar liew" (add more toppings). The piquant spicy curry soup is packed with flavours. Definitely 3-dimensional. The cannot stop drinking the soup effects will take over almost instantaneously once you have a taste of it. I like it as it is more saltish than sweet. I dislike sweet tasting sauces and soups. I thought there may be some salted fish added in. 

The price is very usual and mild if you get the usual bowl. But once you start adding the prawns and roast pork it may go up to RM20+ a bowl. So be forewarned as the roast pork does not come cheap.

XIN QUAN FANG
174, Jalan Sultan Iskandar, Ipoh
Business Hours: 7.30am until 11.30am

Waze: Jalan Sultan Iskandar

Kheng Lim Salted Chicken - Jalan Gunung Rapat, Taman Ipoh Jaya

'Yim Gook Kai' means Chicken baked in salt. The chicken is filled with herbs and is bake in big woks packed with heated salt. This salt sauna will make the meat salty and tasty.

The most important herb will likely be 'dong gui' as it blend well with the chicken meat. The fragrance of this herb opens up the appetite and one chicken will not be enough for an adult.

Admittedly this is a herb more for the womenfolk but no harm will befall the man if taken once in a while.

Call 05-3138306 in advance to book or you will be disappointed. Kheng Lim Salted Chicken literally flies of the wok. It happened to me. The next day I managed to get four as the folks in Penang wanted it.

It costs RM16.00 (call to check for new price). I have a chicken wholesaler who took a look at the leg and he told me that the chicken is about 2 kilograms in weight.

This is the KFC sized. It takes 35 days for a chick to get there. What a life!

The baking process - Wok is filled with rough salt and chicken wrapped in grease paper is submerged and baked in salt giving it the distinctive salty taste.

Address:
309, Jalan Gunung Rapat, Taman Ipoh Jaya, Ipoh

Waze: Jalan Gunung Rapat, Ipoh

Nam Heong Old Town White Coffee, Jalan Bandar Timah

Nam Heong Old Town White Coffee, Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh

We had breakfast at Nam Heong this morning. Situated directly opposite to Sin Yoon Loong it has a few very good stalls. Prawn Mee, CKT, Egg tarts, Kai See Hor Fun and Liu Fun. Customers come not just for the coffee but also the food. Comparatively Sin Yoon Loong depends on its toasts and coffee to generate business. As usual we have to wait next to a table for them to finish.

Nam Heong pioneered the White Coffee Mix. Off course now there are 1001 different brand figuratively speaking. Its dynamism is not limited to trading but the children ventured into the Kopitiam franchise business. It has gone to the length of peninsular Malaysia and has reached Singapore where the business was snapped by a sole franchiser. Sin Yoon Loong is happy to wheel and deal in Ipoh and not expansion minded.

Also don't forget to have a cuppa of white coffee here. Their coffee has a distinctive slightly salty taste.

These lardy just off the oven egg tarts and pastry are just too good!

Char Koay Teow Ipoh Style - Have one and see how different it is from Penang style. Ipoh the fried it with "wok hei" or "breath of the wok" and with little sugar and MSG.

 Ipoh Sar Hor Fun with the distinctive red prawn essence. It is obtained by boiling the prawns' shells and reducing it to a concentrated form.

Directions: From Ipoh New Town's Jalan Sultan Iskandar (formerly Hugh Low St.) cross the Kinta Bridge and turn left at 2nd junction. This is Jalan Bandar Timah. Nam Heong is on your left just before the high-rise flat.

Waze: Jalan Bandar Timah

Sin Yoon Loong Ipoh White Coffee, Jalan Bandar Timah

My wife and I took my father to Sin Yoon Loong for white coffee. The place was packed as usual with the afternoon crowd. This is his favorite haunt when he was younger. Though he still drive around at 81 but Old Town was a bit too far. As usual he will be regaling lore from of old once we are comfortably seated. We have a window seat. It has seen better times. The late afternoon rays from the sun was streaming in giving me a warm afterglow. Try to be there before 4pm! Earlier better.

I observed the meandering traffic while listening to him. It was caused by double parking from the usual holiday crowd looking for space for their out of Perak registered cars. The white coffee at RM1.30 per cuppa is worth the price. What else but white coffee when one is here. Every month this shop is reputed to use at least 2 ton of coffee powder.

14 years ago before Ipoh White Coffee took off in a big way I took a cook and his wife together with another friend whose family operated a Hainanese restaurant to Sin Yoon Loong. They were from KL. After drinking the coffee it was 2 thumbs up.

When there, one must also try the ever popular toast. The 'coffee shop white bread' has high porosity and the heat will pass through the entire bread from inside out. Thus you get to feel the 100% crispiness. Then of course the rich 'kaya' and butter spread. Yum, yum. RM0.70 per set.  

Not satisfied my wife ordered 2 trays of 'kuih kak' or 'fried radish cake'. Part of the ingredients will be Ipoh bean sprout. Crunchy, short and stubby. The radish pieces was rough and was fried Ipoh style with a very strong fire that gives the unmistakable 'wok' fragrance. Little MSG. RM2.90. I have paid RM5.00 for similar fare in Aman Puri, Kepong.Old lore, old man, old coffee shop and a round of coffee to renew our spirits, faith and connectivity. This is my way of getting into the rhythm of rest. It begins with a step into the past.

Waze: Jalan Bandar Timah

Ipoh Famous Pork Noodles - Zun Seng Fatt, Jalan Bandar Timah

Ipoh's food stand tall whether measured by its breadth or depth. The sad thing is that it is a very much an insular thing as tourists mostly give Ipoh the miss. This state of affairs has been perpetuated for years due to lack-lustre leadership and no doubt will continue due to the current political stalemate. Many Ipohans had migrated to Kuantan (another Cantonese stronghold) for a better life and business. Some "jumped off" the plane (illegally) to worked in the West and Far East.

Take for example the Sin Yoong Loong and Nam Heong location. The small area has a huge concentration of good food. Name it they got it. On the other end about a kilometre away Ipoh has another gathering of good food led by the famous Kong Heng. In this area they have the famous Pork Noodles, good TongSui, all kinds of Pastry (the Siew Pau is excellent) and Char Koay Teow Ipoh style.

To get there is easy - coming down from Jalan Gopeng towards Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Hugh Low St.), then crossing the bridge (new bridge being build to replace very old bridge now) that spans the New to the Old Town one will turn at the second left for White Coffee and right for Kong Heng.

With such good food why Ipoh is not getting the tourist is hard to fathom. According to an astute observer, attendances in the form of customers are dwindling in these two areas. That is sad. Even Kong Heng are no longer their old self. Further Ipoh has the great Gua Tempurung, the lime stones forest of Simpang Pulai, the religious sites and a fair amount of colonial buildings concentrated near the Railway Station. With the theme park in Tambun Hot Springs area I am sure the momentum should be building up. But alas it was not to be. What does it take to lift Ipoh out of her doldrums?

The lady boss preparing each bowl by bowl of pork noodles from the 4 stoves.

 Innards like kidney, liver, soft intestines together with a blob of minced pork. The soup base taste natural and gentle to the tongue as it is not aggressively seasoned with MSG.

 A plate of Ipoh famous bean sprouts to complete the meal. The best - shorty, stubby, rootless and crunchy!

 A cuppa of "Cham". Coffee and Tea. I indulge in some coffee once a while through this beverage.

Diagonally opposite there is a great Tongsui shop. Go there for desserts or "tapau".

A door away there is Kong Heng, famous for their pork sate and popiah! Do a double take!

Waze: Jalan Bandar Timah

Kong Heng Famous Pork Sate, Popiah - Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh

Kong Heng is just one door away from Zun Seng Fatt famous Pork Noodles. Follow this link to Zun Seng Fatt.

Opposite Kong Heng has a famous TongSui store. Go there for great dessert or just "tapau".

Waze: Restoran Kong Heng

Big Tree Foot Yong Tau Foo, Fruit ABC, - Jalan King, Pasir Pinji, Ipoh

 Pasir Pinji New Village

A collection of more than 10 stalls, the stand out will be the Yong Tau Foo, Fruit ABC etc

I made a trip back to Ipoh to catch up with my folks. And of course we went out for meals. Usually we talked while eating! This is our way of catching up. We were going to have a Christmas' steamboat dinner in the evening with a few families and mother suggested that we eat Yong Tau Foo under the Big Tree and 'ta pau' some of the YTF as part of our contribution. This YTF under the big tree is new to me. Situated in a corner of Pasir Pinji New Village this stall really surprised me that even at 3:00+pm the crowd was still there though many of the YTF varieties were gone.

For one who have spent 20 years of my childhood in Ipoh, I am quite used to eating under the big tree. Wantan mee, roti chanai, CCF. Fortunes were made and kids were sent overseas for a real education.

However this site is different, there was not just one but numerous leafy and shady trees. Some were 'ketapang's with sprawling branches and big leaves. My only concern was wrigglers that may rappelled down from the upper reaches and land on my uncovered neck causing allergenic rashes.

This 'little forest' also has a few other stalls serving all kinds of Ipoh food. Another surprise was this site is tucked just behind the Ipoh icon of the Roasts Order, "Tuck Kee".

The YTF was excellent though a bit oily as we have to make do with the deep fried stuff as most of the veggie YTF were gone. The 'fu chook' has thin skin and within there was a thick slather of fish paste in it. Fresh and taste like it should: fish all the way and without the stale fish smell which I dislikes because it assaults my taste buds and nostril. It was also soft yet held up well to give an impression of firmness. With this I may say that there was a lack of the use of boric acid that gives that strong bouncy, springy, 'shac', shac', 'shac' feel when biting through it. The rugby shaped fried fish balls were even more incredibly. It was huge. How to turn a profit with such quantity and quality fish paste? Average is RM0.50 per piece. I am glad to report that there was no shady business!

Don't forget to go to Tuck Kee Restaurant famous for their roasts and fine dining. Its next door.

Plenty of choices from all kinds of vegetables, tofu etc.

Address: Jalan King, Pasir Pinji, Ipoh

Waze: Big Tree Foot

Tuck Kee Restaurant Roast Pork and Fine Dining, Jalan King, Pasir Pinji, Ipoh

 The surprise. Tuck Kee and their famous roast products. Their roast pork is so famous that people from far and near make a beeline here just to have their fill. The line was forming and hungry souls were waiting to part with their cash. Great for lunch and dinner!

Mixed plate of the famous Roast Pork, Roast Sausage and BBQ Pork.

Renovated in excess of RM1mil, with a "stainless steel" kitchen to boot, Tuck Kee is ready to take on the bigger boys like Overseas and Mun Cheong. They are not exactly fine Chinese dining yet, but getting nearer. With the renovation I would expect a better ambiance and that would include "spaciousness', but alas it was not so due to the crowd on a Sunday evening. In fact, tables also were set on the five foot way, coffee shop style. Back to old days, where business any which way takes precedence.

But then I would not take anything away from their food. A little bird with inside knowledge told me that the boss' sons are supervising in the kitchen with hawk-eye keenness, making sure that good food will continue to roll thus ensuring good times for the days ahead.

It was packed to the rafters despite the heavy rain throughout the day. So having a reservation is definitely a big plus point. Service was brisk and the cacophony of happy voices resounded through its halls. That's Ipoh for you, a big village, may I say, and the people still taking time, pausing, talking, connecting, and what I like most, eating. Bon appetite!!!

Don'r forget to adjourned to adjacent Hawkers' Big Tree Foot for some great acytion of Yong Tau Foo and other fares.

Huge platter of free range Chicken with ham slices. Drizzle with lots of oyster based sauce it came a tad too salty. I expected the skin to be yellower. But still it was the meat was great. The crunchy "kai lan" vege was a good choice instead of the usual cucumber.

The surprise was a plate of ginger in oil with an innovative twist. Pandan leaves were added giving rise to a slightly sweetish perception. The fragrance was just great.

The roast duck was run of the mill average probably it was getting late. I thought the best time for their "roasts" was earlier.

This plate of "ying and yang" steamed and pan-fried cod fish cost an arm and a leg. The natural sweetness and tender yet firm and smooth meat were pleasant enjoyment for all, young and old.

Do not dismiss this claypot pork trotter by the look. Yes, its all chopped up and its messy. But the taste was out of the world. Every tiny bits of meat were torn off the bones. Marinated and infused with a subtle yet discernible mixed of cloves, star anise, cinnamon, pepper and fennel seeds.

Yam and Belly Pork. Slightly salty but then it should be eaten with lots of rice. But given the new generation it is best to reduce its saltiness. The yam were so good and "powdery" to my taste. Kudos to the purchasing team in getting good ingredients.

Salted vege Belly Pork. Another classic. Meat was probably pan-fired skin-side till its crackled and then braised to perfection.

Great claypot of deep-fried tofu. Ipoh has the best soy-bean products by the way.

Address: 1, Jalan King, Off Jalan Pasir Pinji, Ipoh, Perak.

Tel: 05-255 3870

Waze: Tuck Kee Restaurant

Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant, Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Ipoh

The maddening rush is over especially during the weekdays mid-morning. What a relief! Within a week I got to eat twice in my favourite dim sum restaurant without much fuss. Revamped and expanded Foh San will be here to stay. Barring any major disaster it will remain as a hugely successful food business and crowd-pleaser.

The cavernous 2-storey space was culled out from 5 shoplots. The modern and brand new feel departs from the old pre-war building where it was once based. Surely this site will stand for another 50 years cementing its culinary hold over the dim sum loving Cantonese in Ipoh.

I was glad to be there and be part of Foh San success like many of the braver floggers that went earlier, waited long and were rewarded. Cheers and thanks to Foh San for perpetuating their dim sum art as an enduring and valid culture among us.

I can be picky when it comes to dim sum. Siew Mai, Har Kau and Yee Mai will be put to the taste test. These trio are the dim sum trinity. If they turn out well the rest of the same kind will be well.

 Yee Mai - springy, smooth and replete with the taste of fresh fish. Exactly what I was looking for. The texture pointed to the lack of flour within. Balancing a value for money price while using quality ingredients will separate the man from the boys. FH has done well here. 

The Siew Mai is of average quality as it was quite salty. The texture and taste did not gel well with my palate. I do hope the salt was not used to mask lack of quality in the ingredients or the lack of freshness. It seems these were made for export/distribution rather than the made and consume the same day types - a one way trip from the kitchen to table. The experience kept me from ordering the second time round. I will try again but later.

The Har Kau must be made from 2-3 fresh prawns and seasoned to perfection with some cornstarch fillers to bind and to give body to the texture. The skin must be thin enough to melt in the mouth and without breaking and spilling out the contents when picked up by the chopsticks. Tall order but can be done. FH has done well with the fillings but the skin can be thinner.

Another plate of fresh, succulent and unique dim sum with century eggs. Ginger slices complement the taste well. 

 Sui Kau - A dash of sesame seed oil will do wonders. Overall the ingredients were fresh.

The best Loh Mai Kai I have eaten for a long-time. Glutinous rice steamed with a right amount of moistness but dry enough to hold its shape and devoid of the oily and sticky look. The ingredients included were so generous. I will have it each time I am there!

Wu Kok (Yam pastry) the king of the savoury pastry. It was a big disappointment as I used to have the best Wu Kok in Ipoh. The contents were blended to a dry gluey formless paste. It should be chunky, moist and oozing sauce. The yam was less than crisp and it was another letdown.

 Gyoza - so so in taste with a chewy skin. Do not waste your money.

 Thick rolls of CCF. It kind of satisfied my carbo carving like how the Char Siew Pau dough do their job all the time.

I spotted this on the serving cart. Braised Trotters with a smart looking mantou. Must order the next time I am there for brunch/lunch. 

Address: Foh San Dim Sum,

51, Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Ipoh
Tel: 05-2540308 

Waze: Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant Ipoh