It’s just past 7am and the ceiling fans at New Holly Wood coffee shop are turning lazily, swirling the aroma of its signature white brew through the space.
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The marble tables are still cool to the touch, their surfaces veined like an elderly palm. Outside, sunlight catches the billows of steam slowly rising from a chee cheong fun cart. An old man at the next table dips half a slice of kaya toast into his egg, then bites into it with his eyes closed. No one hurries. No one watches the clock.
“Ipoh rewards those who take it slow – there’s always a hidden corner, an unexpected encounter, or a quiet street that tells a story,” says John, who works at Fujiyama Records, a thrift store of vintage finds and vinyl records.
“Personally, I like to wander without a strict plan: one moment you’re discovering a mural in the old town, the next you’re sipping coffee in a century-old shop.”
Even if you think you know Malaysia’s urban rhythms – as I did, having lived in Kuala Lumpur for work – Ipoh is something else altogether. Just two hours away on the ETS train and often skipped in favour of KL’s glitz, Penang’s food scene or Malacca’s UNESCO glow, it has a quiet, intimate vibe that doesn’t clamour for attention, despite being Malaysia’s third-biggest city and the capital of Perak state.
Lead photo: Fujiyama Records. Above photos: Mega Caesaria; Fujiyama Recods; Wen Bon Teow
A multicultural tapestry
Founded as a modest village along the Kinta River, Ipoh grew rapidly in the late 19th century when tin was discovered in its valley. The boom drew people from across the region, turning the once-sleepy settlement into a bustling mining town.
The Cantonese families who arrived during the mining rush introduced dim sum, while Hainanese cooks brought its now-famous white coffee. Malay artisans shaped kampung kitchens and festive dishes, while Indian merchants introduced curries and breads that remain staples today.
That history still lingers in its streets and kitchens, where food rituals reveal a vibrant multiculturalism. In coffee shops better known as kopitiams, soft-boiled eggs might be served alongside roti canai with sambal, and chee cheong fun in curry.
At Être Patisserie just five doors down from New Holly Wood, breakfast takes another form. This French-style boulangerie is by Ipoh native Ann Lee, who trained in Paris and worked in Michelin-starred kitchens in Singapore.
Its glass counter gleams with delicate viennoiserie and petits gâteaux, but look closer and the city is there: a white coffee tart layered with bitterness and sweetness; a pomelo dessert sculpted to resemble the fruit itself.
“Ipoh is famous for its white coffee as well as its pomelo fruits,” says Ann. “[So] these are close to my heart.”
Photos: Etre Pattiserie
If neither a kopitiam nor viennoiserie is your thing, Ipoh has a unique dim sum culture, where the steamed morsels are regarded as breakfast. Many halls open as early as 6am and close by lunch. Foh San and Ming Court are among the most famous names, but Lee prefers the more understated Zhen Hi Hao. Inside, waiters weave between crowded tables balancing towers of bamboo baskets.
History in 3D
After breakfast, walk through Ipoh’s old town and let its grand buildings guide you through the city’s layered past. The British left their mark by way of Neoclassical civic structures here – the railway station with its domed roof and colonnades, the stately town hall and post office – all of which still carry a certain authority.
In the heart of the city, the shophouses tell a more intimate story. Narrow two-storey blocks line the streets, their pastel plaster peeling, timber shutters weathered to grey. Some have been polished into cafés, tea purveyors, or art galleries, while others lean comfortably into their age.
Together, they hold the texture of a city that has settled into the present without erasing its past.
As the sun climbs and the air thickens with heat, grab a ride to Perak Tong Cave Temple, one of Ipoh’s most striking sanctuaries. From the outside, its whitewashed façade clings to a limestone hill, modest and unassuming. But step inside and the space opens suddenly into a vast cavern, its walls painted with bright murals of deities and mythical creatures, the centre of which sits a towering golden Buddha.
Photos: Foh San; John T; Lauryn Ishak
A growing creative community
Beyond the kopitiams and cave temples, Ipoh has been quietly building a creative undercurrent that can be seen in its museums and boutiques. Made in Ipoh, housed in a heritage building, traces the city’s history through photographs, documents and objects from its tin-mining days.
A few streets away, the Yasmin Ahmad Museum celebrates the late filmmaker, known for her tender portrayals of Malaysian life. The space is intimate – more like a memory room than a conventional gallery – filled with scripts, storyboards, and film excerpts that show how Ipoh has nurtured voices that have reached far beyond the valley.
Heritage aside, Ipoh also hums with cool street culture. At Fujiyama Records, crates are stacked with rare Japanese city pop releases alongside vintage vinyls from Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond – a treasure trove for collectors who prefer to browse with their hands and ears. The brand also runs a separate outlet dedicated to vintage fashion: two floors of thrifted apparel, from Japanese denim and outerwear to graphic tees and accessories.
Don’t leave without this
No day in Ipoh feels complete without a meal of its most famous dish: bean sprout chicken rice. At institutions like Lou Wong or Cowan Street, plates of poached chicken arrive glistening, flanked by bowls of plump, crunchy bean sprouts grown in the city’s mineral-rich water.
The sprouts are the pride of Ipoh – short, fat, impossibly crisp – and taste unlike anywhere else. Diners sit elbow to elbow, chopsticks clattering, the tables turning quickly for the next wave of hungry guests.
It’s a meal that distills the city’s rhythm into a single dish: simple, generous, and quietly confident. As Être Patisserie’s Ann tells me: “Ipoh is a very charming little town – slow in pace, packed with good food, and simple, friendly people. There are always delicacies to discover if you’re adventurous enough to explore.”
