While you’re in the birthplace of Ipoh white coffee, you must try a cup of this aromatic beverage!
True, you can find this drink easily in the form of 3-in-1 packets and the like now. But we still urge you to try local variations made on the spot.
Here are our recommendations (as locals) of kopitiam (coffee shops in the local lingo) that serve up great coffee!
Table of contents:
Why Is It called White Coffee?
You might think the name is referring to the color of the beverage itself. But white coffee gets its name from the way it is prepared.
Unlike other methods, the beans for white coffee are roasted with just palm oil margarine. Instead of being roasted together with sugar and wheat as well as margarine.
This gives the coffee its distinctive taste!
Origins
There are a couple of coffee shops (Sin Yoon Loong and Nam Heong in particular) that claim the honor of being the pioneer of Ipoh’s most famous beverage.
But it can generally be agreed that the beverage was first served in Ipoh Old Town or more precisely, Jalan Bandar Timah (formerly known as Leech Street).
OldTown Heritage Centre
OldTown is the brand that made white coffee world-famous. And they recently opened a heritage centre right by Concubine Lane.
This new attraction has a heritage gallery that is free to visit. You can also learn more about the coffee culture (and coffee in general) in Ipoh at the centre.
Plus this place houses a very chic (but expensive) air-conditioned café on the ground floor!
Where To Try Ipoh White Coffee
Every kopitiam has their own special way of preparing pak ko pi (Cantonese dialect for white coffee) so try to sample the coffee at a few of these places, if you can!
Coffee goes along great with many popular local dishes that Ipoh is known for. Depending on which coffee shop you choose, you can try different dishes like curry mee, chee cheong fun, hakka mee, kai se hor fun, wat tan hor, wanton mee, etc.
1. Sin Yoon Loong
Having been in action for more than 80 years, Sin Yoon Loong has a good claim to being the pioneer of white coffee!
And this is as traditional as a kopitiam gets! There is no air-conditioning or any fancy lighting or décor here. But their coffee is aromatic and smooth with a rich taste!
For those who want to enjoy their coffee at home, you can buy pre-packaged white coffee at the counter or have it delivered from their Facebook page.
Tip: Avoid driving if you can! Finding a parking space in this area is a nightmare any day of the week!
Recommended dishes:
- Soft-boiled eggs on toast
- Kaya toast
- Roast pork (sells out in the morning)
- Wan ton mee
- Chee cheong fan with curry
- Address: 15a, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 6:30am to 2:30pm
- Halal: No
2. Kedai Kopi Nam Heong
For a strong rendition of white coffee, you can try this local kopitiam. The shop is also on Jalan Bandar Timah.
There is a lot of good food to be had here, especially their egg tarts fresh out of the oven!
Recommended dishes:
- Egg tarts
- Soy milk
- Muah chee (rice flour topped with crushed peanuts)
- Char siew puff
- Char Kuey Teow
- Lo Bak go
See our favorites from Nam Heong White Coffee Shop.
- Address: 2, Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 6:30am to 4:30pm
- Halal: No
3. Xin Xiang Er Nong
Like Nam Heong, this kopitiam offers a strong version of white coffee with a clear taste of evaporated milk and just a hint of sourness!
This is not a bad spot for lunch too! Their curry mee is tasty.
Recommended dishes:
- Pan mee (we prefer their dry version)
- Curry mee (Noodles and curry – there’s a wet and dry version)
- Address: 62, Jalan Foo Eng Lin, Taman Hoover, 31650 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening hours: 7am to 4pm
- Halal: No
4. Chang Jiang White Coffee
You can get a cup of white coffee and kaya toast with dairy butter at this charming kopitiam/ cafe!
The café is in a small bungalow with limited parking spots. This is an extremely popular breakfast spot with tourists so beware of coming here on a weekend or public holiday.
The husband-and-wife duo, Kong Kin Loong and Foong Choa Mun have been running this shop since 2015.
Coffee beans here come from a variety of sources – Liberica (Klang), Robusta (Indonesia) and Arabica (Vietnam).
The white coffee here is smooth and has a layer of foam on top for extra smoothness! There is a fragrant aftertaste too!
Personally, we go for the iced version since you can determine how sweet you want your coffee to be.
3-in-1 white coffee sachets are also available for purchase at the shop.
See what else you can order at Chang Jiang White Coffee Cafe.
- Address: 7 Jalan Windsor, 30250 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 8am to 6pm
- Remarks: Might be closed during the first week of Chinese New Year
- Halal: No
5. Yinzo Kopi
Just opposite Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong and Kedai Makanan Nam Heong is Yinzo Kopi. This is a contemporary kopitiam with air conditioning and a wide menu to offer customers
If you plan on dining here, expect high pricing, somewhat small portions, besides the consistent lack of parking.
But they have decent local food here – this includes kai se hor fun, wantan mee, fried Hokkien mee with prawns, dry curry noodles. They do have strong coffee, polo buns and toast as well.
In our opinion, the best thing about Yinzo Kopi is their dining ambiance.
Read more about our personal experience at Yinzo Kopi.
- Address: No. 1 & 3, Persiaran Bijih Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening Hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Halal: No
6. A Jie Cafe
A cozy air-conditioned space with vintage kopitiam vibes:
This is a great spot for a freshly prepared cup of smooth coffee! They have a unique way of serving coffee that we don’t see at other coffee shops too.
It is called bing zhen where there is cold coffee in a mug and ice in the saucer around the mug. This method keeps the coffee cold but prevents the taste of the coffee from getting diluted even as the ice melts.
The food is not bad either, so this place is often frequented by locals in the morning. But this place can be full on weekdays afternoons too.
If you’re here for lunch, the home-cooked dishes are worth trying!
Recommended dishes:
- Pork porridge
- Toast with kaya
- Egg tarts
- Peanut mochi
- Nasi kerabu
- Traditional Hainanese black coffee
- Address: 61, Persiaran Tokong, Taman Hoover, 31650 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 9:30am to 5pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Halal: No
7. Dong Tai Kopitiam Pasir Pinji
Even though it is walking distance from many other restaurants, Dong Tai Kopitiam Pasir Pinji stands out with its long queue outside. This is especially true at weekends.
Because the price point is not unreasonable. And their service is good.
Note: Because of the crowds, it can be very difficult to carry any conversation at Dong Tai Kopitiam Pasir Pinji.
It is a modern kopitiam with air conditioning and an appealing interior. Expect typical kopitiam fare here. Their coffee is a little sweet so ask for less sugar (“kopi kaw siu tim”) when you order yours.
Nasi lemak and egg tarts are worth getting at Dong Tai Kopitiam Pasir Pinji. Their toast is not bad as well. It is crispy with kaya and butter.
- Address: 46 (Ground Floor, Jalan Foo Eng Lin, Taman Hoover, 31650 Ipoh, Perak
- Opening Hours: 8am–8pm
- Contact: 011-24295636
8. Kedai Kopi Ah Chow
Got a thing for Bailey’s? The kopi o kosong here tastes similar!
Ah Chow kopitiam is well known for its alcohol-laced white coffee served in dainty China cups!
You will often find a crowd here so it’s best to know what you want before you order!
Tip: The alcohol content isn’t as strong as in Irish coffee but if you don’t want much alcohol taste, you can always opt for the iced version.
This version of white coffee is on the sweet side – which is great if you like your coffee that way!
- Address: 31 Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 6:30am to 2pm
- Halal: No
9. Kedai Kopi Nam Chau
It may well be their curry mee that draws the crowd, but Nam Chau also serves a creamy cup of white coffee (or smoky black coffee if you prefer)!
The coffee is neither too bitter nor too sweet with well-balanced portions of milk and coffee!
Read about our full experience at Nam Chau Coffee Shop.
- Address: 54, Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh, 30000, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 7:30am to 3:30pm (Closed on Thursdays)
- Halal: No
10. Restoran Sin Kin Kok
Restoran Sin Kin Kok is another typical plain kopitiam that prepares a robust white coffee which you can order hot or with ice!
Either way, the coffee flavor will be strong! We really like their teh ais too!
While you’re here, don’t forget to try their “golden” char kuay teow. These are flat noodles fried with beansprouts, shrimp or cockles and egg. It’s the Sunnyside up on top that gives the dish its name!
Note: This restaurant is walking distance from Concubine Lane.
- Address: 15, Jalan Panglima, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Halal: No
11. Lim Ko Pi
You can easily spot this red building from the road. It’s a bit inconvenient to drop by here during peak hours. Because the café only has limited parking spots for their patrons in a shop lot just across the road.
If those are unavailable, either walk or take a Grab here. Or you can park in a back alley a few lanes away and walk over if you’re not lucky enough to get one of the few parking spots nearby!
The name of the shop directly translates to “drink coffee” from the Hokkien dialect and that’s what you should do!
Enjoy a cup of smooth, sweetish, and aromatic white coffee in the quaint kopitiam. Which by the way, has a pretty sunlit corner too!
Recommended dishes:
- Curry noodles
- Soft-boiled egg and kaya toast
- Garlic fried rice
- Mee Jawa
- Ice kacang
Read more about what we think about Lim Ko Pi.
Note: Their spicy dishes are realllllllly spicy!
- Address: 10, Jalan Sultan Iskandar, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 9am to 4:30pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Halal: No
12. Moon De Moon
Don’t say you weren’t warned!
Even in the early morning, this coffee shop is often packed. And this makes the service unreliable at times but doesn’t stop people from coming!
Their appetizing and affordable local dishes are a hit with both locals and tourists!
We find that their white coffee comes off as sweet so get the iced version to go with your meal!
Recommended dishes:
- Chee cheong fun
- Kai se hor fun
- Curry mee
- Address: 148, Hala Wah Keong, Taman Mirindi, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Opening hours: 7:30am to 1pm (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
- Halal: No
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Conclusion
We get it. It’s confusing to choose a kopitiam to try classic Ipoh white coffee when there are so many good ones around!
For us, it is definitely on the list of must-try food. And we do not mean just the packet versions!
Here’s a summary according to different taste preferences:
- Sweet and light – Ah Chow, Kong’s White Coffee
- Moderate – Sin Yoon Loong, Nam Chau, Nam Heong, Moon De Moon, Lim Ko Pi
- Strong – Xin Xiang Er Nong, Chang Jiang
Where To Have Breakfast In Ipoh
Breakfast is the highlight of the day for the local foodies. This is when the local coffee shops see most of their customers. If you plan to go out for breakfast at a popular spot on a weekend, aim to reach your destination way before 9am to avoid the worst of the crowds.
Cafes In Ipoh
If it’s waffles, artisan cakes, French pastries or western-style coffee that you’re after, Ipoh has a fair share of comfortable air-conditioned cafes to explore. These places are great for an afternoon break or brunch.
