When you’re in Ipoh-Malaysia, try some white coffee at Persiaran Bijeh Timah at the old town. You will not regret it! This traditional coffee shop is called “Sin Yoon Loong”.
Order their famous pudding custard with caramel syrup. It’s awesome! The bread toast is crisp and filled with kaya (coconut egg jam).
Opposite “Sin Yoon Loong” coffee shop is a more popular hangout – Nam Heong Old Town White Cafe. When we were there in the late afternoon, hot coffee was already sold out!
Ice white coffee, ice teh (milk tea), and hot white coffee to die for… !
Been to Ipoh many times, but it was only recently that I finally got the chance to try the famous Lou Wong “Nga Choy Gai” (老黄芽菜鸡). Usually there are many patrons and it’s hard to find seats. but this time, we went there around 4plus in the afternoon and had no problem getting a table.
The famous Lou Wong steam chicken. Frankly speaking, the chicken is too oily and unhealthy! Look at the plate of oil! After having this set of chicken meal, our lips were very glossy! LOL!
Ipoh’s famous dish – “Nga Choy Gai” in Cantonese literally means beansprout chicken. This beansprout dish has too much pepper on it, so I didn’t really like it too. The “kuetiau” (flat rice noodle) is good. However, our Singapore Hainanese chicken rice is still the best! Delicious and healthier! kekeke Anyway, this set of Nga Choy Gai costs RM20+.
Some say Ong Kee (Tauge Ayam or beansprout + chicken) is better than Lou Wong. I think I tried Ong Kee many years ago when I first visited Ipoh. I didn’t really like the tough texture of the chicken. Perhaps I prefer Singapore’s version of steam chicken that is more meaty and tender. What do you think?
Update (13-Sep-09): I found better Nga Choy Gai (or Nga Choi Kai?) at Kedai Kopi Kam Hor at Ipoh Garden.
After the oily meal, we walked to a little stall selling bean curd. This “Funny Mountain” stall has been around for decades!
By the time we were there in the evening, the bean curd was almost sold out. The man at the stall told us many people took photos of the wooden barrel that contains the tasty bean curd. Well, I did see some newspaper clippings hanging on the wall at their stall! I wonder how much they make a day by selling bean curd. It’s worth eating.
Sizzling steamboat? Rows of sticks with meat/veg are arranged nicely for you to pick and choose. Then dip the meat (they called it “lok lok”) into the boiling soup and cook it yourself. Your food is never cold this way. However, we didn’t try any lok lok from this mobile stall so no comment on their food.
Walao!!
That’s really awesome!
I dont think that I can taste the chicken etc, but those coffee, sure I can!
Wah!!
what exactly is a white coffee?
Good to see you back after a long hiatus
I am from Ipoh . Thanks for posting a very beautiful and attractive Ipoh Blog
How does the Ipoh white coffee taste compared with those at OldTown White Coffee chain stores in Johor?
Omgz Omgz Omgz !
I want to go back there again !
hahaha. I hv tried all the famous foods in Ipoh already, but too bad i didn’t take pics last time ><
@Jasper: Good question.. I dunno! Anyway, white coffee is a trademark coffee in Ipoh! It has a nutty flavour (like hazel nut?) with milk added in the coffee. The aroma is nice! Anyway, if you come to Singapore, try the coffee at ToastBox (you see it in many shopping malls), the coffee are much alike.
@Zara: lol
@Borneo Falcon: Hey! 😀 Gonna post more ..
@Bakeling: Thanks. 🙂
@1911: I personally think the white coffee in Ipoh can be very rich and quite sweet sometimes, so usually I will ask for “siew dai” (less sweet). I have no idea about those sold in the chain cafes in Johor.
@JeromeFo: wow you’ve tried all famous food! I don’t think I have done that yet despite having gone there for many times!
hmmm… maybe I could help, Eunice,
White coffee is a special frying formula in Ipoh that coffee beans are being fried with mixture of white sugar and milk! That’s why white coffee is brighter in colour and smoother in mouth 🙂
As you mentioned earlier, the most local favourite’s coffee shop selling white coffee is Sin Yoon Loong in old town, not Nam Heong opposite it. However, Nam Heong Old Town is the one who made Old Town white coffee famous all around Malaysia as well as internationally, thanks to the successful marketing strategy of Nam Heong Old Town second generation managemnent. 🙂
Of course, 1911, those Old Town coffee chains in JB are franchisee of Nam Heong of Ipoh old town, thus, coffees selling at both place supposed to be the same…
Cheers!
@Cecil: wow thanks for such an interesting description of Ipoh White Coffee! So, Sing Yoon Loong is the famous one? Cos I see there is a larger crowd in Nam Heong Old Town Cafe, probably also cos like what you said, it has a better brand image. 😀 However, I don’t know if those instant white coffee packets that I bought from the supermarkets in Singapore are from Nam Heong. Will check it out!
now i’m craving for that custard w/ caramel syrup. yum yum!
here in the philippines it’s called leche flan ^^
*gasp* the custard looked really, really delish. ok….i’m drooling now. see what’ve you done. now, where’s that blardy kleenex 😛
I like trying different kinds of food. When I travel I like going to the market to see and try different kinds of food. Eating is one of the most exciting time when travelling.
I wanna try the pudding and coffee. And the chicken looks uncook. I hope I can also visit there.
me make very hungry at 3:00pm. now i have to search for food. LOL. food is really part of traveling.
I never knew that was chicken until Iread your description.. It is so white that it looks raw to me.. ot is it partially cooked? Hmmm..inetresting Chinky stuffs.. I love these food.. I think ia te much of this when I went to KL.
i miss all these delicious kopitiam foodddd… ahha
hmmm you seems to be busy lately, or software not working yet? hope you come back with more escapades! 🙂
Seldom go to Ipoh. Will drop by to try out when pass by Ipoh. 🙂
Hey how have you been? Long time no see…. Hehe… thought I should visit to get a feast for my eyes (and maybe stomach in this case). Really miss Southeast Asia nad its cheap and delicious food now that I am in Melbourne!
Keep blogging more! Love your posts about travel and attractions…. my kind of area.
Walter
@Alex: ic! must be tasty too! haven’t really tried any Philippines food yet.
@calvin: LOL
@idealpinkrose: yep always in search of good food lol. the chicken is steamed n fully cooked and oily.
@dong ho: agree! food is the culture!
@details: well, guess you aren’t familiar with Chinese food that’s y. hey! don’t say “chinky” u ! that’s not very nice!
@irvine: kopitiam food rules! lol
@Jasper: just being lazy, but gonna blog very soon! 😛
@Jayce: ic
@Walter: wow envy envy! never been to Melbourne before. Wanted to go Australia sometimes back but the airport taxes are very high!
Wow! I was born in Malaysia, and thought that the food there was awesome, now i’m itching to visit ipoh and try out that caramel custard especially! haha.. thanks for the informative guide!
Good stuff, once again.
im doing two thumbs up while raising my arms for the white coffee! looks really good. something one should try.
Ah! The caramel pudding looks so good to eat! I’ve never been to these places before… sigh.
Hope when I do get to go these stalls will still be there…
Hi, My husband and I are planning to visit Ipoh just to try their food. Heard a lot about them.
However, we have to stay hotel for 2 nights and during day go around to taste food Need some info from u. Is it convenient to travel by taxis from the city to Old Town? Is it expensive to take cabs? Thank you.
Yes u can take cab. It’s around 8 to 10 about there I think, cos we travel ard in Ipoh by car. U can check the price first before u board the cab. Ipoh food is the best! Keke enjoy!
I dun think it’s expensive to take cab in Ipoh as compare to big cities like kl
hey guys.. thanks for all the great info.. been travelling to malaysia for some time as it is the closest best possible holiday place from australia in terms of food n shopping…
I always wanted to know how they make the hot white coffee.. is it the condensed milk or something else..
i bought the old town whie coffeee 100gm coffee jar.. but cant get the taste that i enjoyed in the cafe.. i m just boiling water, adding coffee and normal milk.. sugar to taste ofcourse..
could some one please advise me how to make the original style hot n cold white coffee… thanks heaps… Great pics by the way…
@Adey: I love their white coffee too, but their 3-in-1 is not even close to the original taste we get from their cafes. Ha! I guess it’s their secret recipe so … no one knows! 😀
Ah, at last some people have some good sights and spotted the small town of Ipoh! 😀
About your ‘question’ on why people say the chicken there is nice, I have some… suggestions.
Firstly, people in Ipoh, most of them are either Cantonese, or Hakka (quite some Hokkien too, but I guess after they moved to Ipoh, they get used to Cantonese style too). They prefer slightly ‘heavier’ taste in the food. That kind of answered why it is much oily and salty/peppered. For them, it taste good (and for me too). Actually, compared to what they have in China, that amount of oil is very little. Still, you can ask them to put less pepper/oil next time if you eat there again. If you are lucky, then you will have less oily and peppered food (because they often forgot ‘special requests’).
Secondly, the texture of the chicken. Depending of what kind of chicken you are ordering. Usually people order ‘kampung chicken’ – chickens that are [usually] raised in kampung-like area (not much real kampung now). Given the domestic nature of the ‘kampung chicken’, they run around a lot, and they eat natural food. Therefore, their meat will be harder to chew. However, it is healthier and the chicken taste better (taste-wise, not texture-wise), and yes, it has less meat.
Still, each people has different taste buds, especially if you are from a different place. 😉
No offense taken or meant.
And the actual iconic stuff is not the chicken, it’s the bean spout. But they always come in a package. They saying you need clean water to grow good bean spout, and Ipoh has a lot of clean mountain water, but I heard one of the best Ipoh bean spout farm uses good underground water for even better results.
Basically many outside food had ‘invaded’ Ipoh throughout the years, but still, you can find real good food, provided you know where to go to.
One site you might like to visit when you feel like eating steamboat: Moven Peak (MP). It is located at Green Town which is near Ipoh Parade/Parkson. It features a 2-stories steamboat house with a lot of stuffs for you to cook. Something like Soul Garden without the sushi bar and the like, but much larger and cheaper. The food there is definitely fresh. Steamboat is only available at night – it serves as a western restaurant during daytime. Did I forget to mention there is a nice (alcoholic) bar there at night?
I’m from Ipoh, btw. However I’ve been away from Ipoh for quite some time…
PS: Are you a multimedia designer? Nice design btw. And sorry for the long post. 😛