Ipoh, Malaysia – With its proximity to Singapore, just within an hour flight away, it is surprising that Ipoh is not on the radar of many Singaporeans as compared to the likes of a weekend trip to Penang, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. At the start of 2020, the Pandas visited Ipoh with a group of fellow foodies, and here’s our thoughts of the best restaurants to visit at the capital of Perak.

*******

Chuan Fatt Curry Mee Shop
A rather local establishment, and perhaps one uncovered by the hordes of tourist in the city yet, head to Chuan Fatt for its Curry Mee and the highly raved Fried Chicken and Roast Pork. Personally, I much prefer the soup-based Curry Mee as compared to the dry version, do note that it can get quite spicy for the average, do have a iced drink ready to cool it down.

Address: 294, Jalan Pasir Puteh, Taman Hoover, 31650 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

Ipoh Restoran Tauge Ayam Lou Wong
Ipoh is famous for its Bean Sprouts Chicken dish, with restaurants lining the new town and each proclaiming being Ipoh’s best. I strongly recommend Lou Wong (老黄) for its delicious chicken rice and succulent chicken. If you prefer your chicken more meaty, my fellow diners also find a liking to the next door Onn Kee Restaurant. For both restaurants, the thicker and more crunchy bean sprouts are locally-farmed in Ipoh, and this is a must-eat side dish here.
Address: 49, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Taman Jubilee, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

Funny Mountain Soya Beancurd
Interestingly, another signature item in Ipoh is the Soya Beancurd. During my visit to Ipoh, I managed to visit multiple stores which include Concubine Lane Tau Fu Fa, Big Mom Beancurd and Woong Kee Beancurd. The standone for the Pandas is definitely Funny Mountain Soya Beancurd. The smooth yet soft texture, with a well-balanced taste is well-worth the long queue. Make sure you grab a bottle of the soya bean milk too!

Address: 50, Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

Restoran Thean Chun
It really is a coffeeshop, with many stores selling some of Ipoh’s must-eats. Visit Restoran Thean Chun for the Ipoh Chicken Hor Fun and their famous Satay store. The satay prepares both pork satay and pork innards satay, with the latter being their signature. The peanut sauce for dipping is on point too, and I loved the generous mix of peanuts bits in the sauce, which is perhaps fried to bring out the aroma better. You can have your orders of Chee Cheong Fun and Egg Custard at Thean Chun too.

Address: 73, Jalan Bandar Timah, 31650 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong
On the other end of the old town from Thean Chun, Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong is another coffeeshop in Ipoh worth visiting. Here at Sin Yong Loong, the highlight is the city’s famed White Coffee. The coffee here definitely ranks amongst the best of the local coffee I had in Ipoh, not a tall order since I only spent a weekend here. Having said that, the coffee is robust with an aroma that will get you sitting right up. Don’t miss out on the Kaya Toast too.Address: 15A, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

Nam Heong White Coffee
Just across the road from Sin Yoon Loong, Nam Heong is another coffeeshop in Ipoh which you should visit. Nam Heong has a myriad of Ipoh specialities on offer. While also famous for its White Coffee, I recommend the Iced Coffee here instead which is spot on for me. Also order the Egg Tarts from the Dim Sum store at the back, and have this together with the Chay Kway Teow, Curry Chee Cheong Fun, Popiah and the occasional Ming Jiang Kueh street cart right in front of Nam Heong.

 

Address: 2, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

Cathay Restaurant
Head here for the Hakka Mee and Hainanese Chicken Chop. Pick the items from the front of the stall, and sit back to wait while the hawker prepares your traditional Ipoh breakfast. The Hainanese Chicken Chop is an old school delight, though do not expect this to be a culinary breakthrough of sorts. Skip the French Toast or the Ipoh Egg Toast known as ‘Danzhi’ – which is really just half-boiled eggs on plain white toast bread.
Address: A17, Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

Dai Shu Geok Yong Tau Foo
I am surprised to find out that the most popular store in this hawker centre under the ‘big tree” is the Yong Tau Foo. Pick your mix of ingredients, and pair this with a bowl of Assam Laksa. The laksa here is not the same as the Penang’s version, and is much smoother and more sour in taste.Address: Jalan King, Off Jalan Pasir Pinji, 31650, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, 31650 Ipoh, Malaysia

*******

Kedai Makanan Different Taste
More of a dinner spot, head to Different Taste for its Crab Bee Hoon. The bee hoon soaks up the essence of the crab broth well, and the pricing here is very reasonable. For a table of 10, we had two crabs in the Crab Bee Hoon and this costs RM166! For other orders, I also recommend the Salted Egg Squid and Steamed Lala.
Address: 72, Persiaran Bercham Selatan 2, Taman Desa Kencana, 31400 Ipoh, Negeri Perak, Malaysia

*******

East Ocean Seafood Restaurant Menglembu
As this restaurant was highly raved by a fellow foodie, the dinner at East Ocean was a highlight for me during this trip. Go for the Big Head Prawn Hor Fun (pardon the direct translation of the dish name) which has the crispy hor fun contrasting well with the normal hor fun, and topped with Big Head Prawns. Generally the seafood dishes here stood out for its freshness, and also for its high price tag unfortunately.

Address: No. 1- 13, 7 Hala Perusahaan Menglembu 7a, 31450 Menglembu, Perak, Malaysia

*******

Ranted by The Rantee