If you are visiting Ipoh with family or friends, don’t miss the opportunity to try some Chinese restaurants as well. That way, you can order a lot of different dishes!
A Chinese restaurant is a suitable venue for a reunion with friends or family. Or even for a birthday celebration. Many of these restaurants sell alcohol and seafood too.
Take a look at these restaurants we have tried before.
1. Sun Marpoh Restaurant
Locals are very well-acquainted with this restaurant! Not surprising as it’s been around for more than 30 years.
Make a reservation if you want to try their tasty food on a weekend! They can keep up with a crowd, so you won’t have to wait long for your order to come.
It’s a safe bet that you’ll like most of their dishes too. Like their sweet and sour pork, marmite chicken, salted egg prawn, steamed Tilapia fish or Thai-style squid!
Or their infamous sambal petai! Ingredients are fresh and the dishes well executed. Prices are fair too!
We find that their seasoning is just right and while a little bit cramped, the dining environment is clean and comfortable. Read more about our experience at Sun Marpoh Restaurant.
- Location: 67-69, Jalan Lau Pak Khuan, Ipoh Garden, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening Hours: 11:30am to 3pm and again from 5.30pm to 10pm
- Contact: +605-545 5127
2. Pusing Public Restaurant
You can’t go wrong with Pusing Public Restaurant! Doesn’t matter if it’s for lunch, dinner, or a special occasion! Locals have been singing its praises for years!
They have an impressive menu and equally excellent service.
Menu items to try include:
- Baked crab
- Tanjung Tualang big headed prawns
- Omelette with crab meat
- Char siew
Portions are big and dishes are flavorful. Pusing Public Restaurant is also one of those restaurants where wedding dinners are commonly held.
No worries on seats and car park availability here! But it can get quite packed during weekends, so be sure to head over early.
The last time we were here was for a relative’s 90th birthday. The appetizer platter (lang pun) was good and so was the fish – it was fresh and well fried.
There was a prawn dish that we enjoyed as well. As the prawns were also fresh and succulent.
On the other hand, the pork ribs dish (pai kuat wong) was too sweet.
- Location: 59, 61, 57, 63 & 65, Jalan Veerasamy, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening Hours: 12pm to 2:30pm and again from 6pm to 9:30pm
- Contact: +605-253 3428
3. Restoran Sam Poh (三宝饭店)
Highly recommended by locals and non-locals alike, everyone who has dined at Restoran Sam Poh has nothing but good things to say.
Portions are small so you can try many of their tasty dishes like kam heong pork, kangkung fried with belacan, assam curry squid (sotong in Malay) and salted egg squid for reasonable prices!
These are great with some beer on the side.
Part of the restaurant is air-conditioned, and the menu has photos and lists the main ingredients in English. Prices are affordable as well.
You’ll want to come early before the dinner crowd pours in! Or give them a call to make a reservation as this restaurant doesn’t have much seating.
See what we ordered at Sam Poh Restaurant.
PS: Not the prettiest restaurant to dine in.
- Location: No. 17, Persiaran Bandar Baru Tambun 16, Taman Desa Tambun Indah, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening Hours: 5pm to 9:30pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Contact: +6016-551 6869
4. Sun Lee How Fook
Sun Lee How Fook is a pink building along Jalan Kampar (former name of the road) and opposite The Store.
Renamed Sun Lee How Fook in 1986 and relocated to its current address in 2002, this restaurant is the place to go for wedding dinners or any big celebrations.
This is because they have the space to fit 100 tables inside along with a stage! It’s a comfortable and clean environment that is family-friendly and wheelchair-friendly.
There are private rooms available for booking too.
Their crispy pork and fried sang mee is a must-try!
PS: They’re not shy about using MSG in their dishes though.
Note: There is an underground car park that you can access from the side of the building.
- First Branch Location: 96, Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Taman Gopeng, 30250 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening Hours: 11:45am to 2:30pm and again from 5:45pm to 10:30pm
- Contact: +605-253 3268
5. Restoran Makanan Laut Crab House
What can you expect at this popular restaurant at Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh? For starters, the pricing is high, and the food and service is good but not exceptional.
So why do you still have to make reservations on weekends for this place then?
It is their ambiance that makes this restaurant a go-to for those wishing to entertain guests. The dining environment is spacious, bright, and decorated – the décor includes display cases of dried shark fins.
Signature dishes include their large homemade tofu blocks served with petola/ luffa. And their fresh crabs from Indonesia. You can have the crabs done with salted egg or with chili.
Fish, prawns, and squid were all fresh on all occasions that we have been to this restaurant. We really like their sei dai tin wong dish as well. Roasted chicken was another dish that we liked here.
But the dish we really remember most is the steamed soon hock fish.
- Location: 19 & 21, Jalan Medan Ipoh 1, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening hours: 11:30am to 2:30pm and again from 5pm to 10pm
- Contact: +6012-565 7723
6. Weng Kee Seafood Restaurant
This is one of our family’s go-to restaurants when there are guests or relatives around. The food is tasty. We have tried their crispy yee mee many times and it’s consistently good.
On another occasion, we’ve ordered sei dai tin wong (which was our favorite among the table), sweet and sour pork, and an unusual yam dish (can’t remember if it was with pork or chicken). As well as omelette.
All dishes were flavorful without being too sweet or salty. We do believe that this restaurant uses some MSG in their cooking though.
One other thing to note about this restaurant is that seats are limited. Sometimes, a busload of tourists will stop in front of this restaurant for lunch and all the tables will be taken.
The owner of this restaurant has a daily habit of burning incense inside the restaurant too. It used to be that you would come out smelling like food and incense, but they’ve seemed to have fixed their exhaust system.
- Location: 20, Tingkat Taman Ipoh 6, Garden South, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening Hours: 11:30am–3pm, 6pm–10pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
- Contact: +605-5451215
Other Chinese restaurants you can try:
- East Ocean Seafood Restaurant Menglembu (东海鱼翅酒家) – Great food presentation for their sharing platters. Very popular dining option for entertaining company clients in this industrial area.
- Mun Choong Seafood Restaurant (中和园民众酒楼) – Has been around since 1978. They specialize in seafood dishes and can house banquets and big events with a capacity of 900 pax.
- Tuck Kee Restaurant (德記酒家) –Reservations are a must. They usually have many orders for takeaway and specialize in roasted meats and Cantonese style dishes.
Getting Around Ipoh
If you don’t happen to have a car with you, you can always call a taxi from your hotel. Or walk over if you happen to be close to a Chinese restaurant.
Aside from that, you can include transport to one of these Chinese restaurants as part of your free and easy Ipoh itinerary with RayTheTour private tour service!
The tour doesn’t include the cost of your meals but it does cover the expertise and local insight of the Ipoh-born tour guides!
As well as pick up and drop off service anywhere in Ipoh. WhatsApp RayTheTour to get in touch for a booking!
Conclusion
It’s a tough choice with almost too many Chinese restaurants in Ipoh to choose from! To narrow down the options, this list covers the local favorites and longer-serving establishments!
If ambiance doesn’t matter, our personal favorite is Restoran Sam Poh. But if you need a better-looking place for a big function, then Pusing Public Restaurant is a fine option.
Food To Try In Ipoh
The thing about Chinese restaurants is that you can’t often get local coffee. And they usually do not have things like curry mee or kai se hor fun on the menu. For this reason, we urge you to check out these other options for food in Ipoh before you decide on a restaurant.
Where To Go For Dinner In Ipoh
Only have a small group with you? Then you might want to check out these local dinner spots in Ipoh. Some of these eateries are cheap, but not that clean so bear that in mind.
Fine Dining Restaurants In Ipoh
If you’re with your significant other, you might find these fine dining restaurants in Ipoh more suitable for a romantic evening.
Western Restaurants In Ipoh
Here are some other options for dinner if you are with family or friends. These western restaurants specialize in different things like grilled meats, Italian pasta, or wood fired pizza.
