Ipoh guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in Ipoh, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Ipoh is known for white coffee, a local style of roasted coffee with condensed milk, plus bean sprout chicken, Ipoh hor fun, salt-baked chicken, egg tarts, kaya toast and heong peng biscuits. Most of the famous dishes use chicken, prawns or other meat, so strict vegetarians will find the headline food hard to eat. Egg tarts, kaya and white coffee are meat-free but contain egg and dairy.
For vegetarians, the verified options we found are limited. Gerai Capati Maya is a small Indian vegetarian stall by the clock tower hawker centre, and Vegan Delights Cafe is a fully vegan cafe. Many Chinese vegetarian restaurants also operate in town, but we did not verify enough of them to tag. Sin Meng Kee Products, a self-service Chinese buffet, is listed as fully vegan, and Ipoh Padang Curry House serves a vegetarian banana leaf meal alongside meat dishes. We could not confirm any Jain restaurant, and Krishna Bhawan, once the best-known Indian vegetarian restaurant, was reported closed in December 2023. Ask hotels for fresh vegetable, rice and noodle dishes without meat, onion or garlic if you need them, and carry some dry snacks.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
652 Jalan King, Pasir Pinji, Ipoh
Dai Shu Geok, or Big Tree Foot, on Jalan King in Pasir Pinji is a food court stall known for yong tau foo in clear chicken or coconut curry soup. It is named by Wikivoyage, Time Out and TheSmartLocal.
8 Jalan Panglima, Old Town
A dessert shop at 8 Jalan Panglima serving Teochew-style tau fu fah, a layered bean curd pudding with raw sugar and ginger syrup, near Concubine Lane.
51 Jalan Leong Sin Nam, Old Town
A large two-floor dim sum restaurant at 51 Jalan Leong Sin Nam, reported open mornings and closed Tuesdays, and busy at weekends.
50 Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh
A long-standing Taman Jubilee shop for soya bean drinks and beancurd desserts, often described by visitors as a local institution.
Hawker centre by Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Jalan Dato Sagor, Old Town
A small Indian vegetarian stall in the hawker centre beside the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, serving chapatis with dhal and vegetable curry.
93 Jalan Raja Ekram, Ipoh
A halal South Indian curry house on Jalan Raja Ekram serving thosai, roti canai and chapati, with a vegetarian banana leaf meal alongside meat and fish curries.
49 Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh
Lou Wong is the Jalan Yau Tet Shin restaurant that Ipoh food lists most often name for nga choy kai, chicken served with beansprouts. Wikivoyage and TheSmartLocal both list it; Time Out names it too but suggests skipping it.
2 Jalan Bandar Timah, Old Town
A traditional kopitiam at 2 Jalan Bandar Timah known for Ipoh white coffee, with egg tarts on weekends and chee cheong fun with green chilli.
2 Jalan Yang Kalsom, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh
Nasi Kandar Yong Suan on Jalan Yang Kalsom serves nasi kandar, rice with curries and sides such as ayam merah, listed by Wikivoyage and Time Out as a lunch stop.
48, 51 and 53 Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh
Ong Kee is a Jalan Yau Tet Shin restaurant serving poached chicken with rice or hor fun and beansprouts, across the road from Lou Wong. Free Malaysia Today called its chicken rice possibly Ipoh's best.
54 Jalan Bandar Timah, Old Town
A vintage coffee shop at 54 Jalan Bandar Timah serving dry curry noodles, Chinese tea, coffee and kaya toast, reported open mornings and closed Saturdays.
73 Jalan Bandar Timah, Old Town
A coffee shop at 73 Jalan Bandar Timah, known for kai si hor fun, chicken and rice noodles in clear broth, with other stalls selling satay and egg custard.
34 Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar, near the Central Market, Ipoh
A self-service vegetarian Chinese buffet on Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar, with mock meats, tofu and vegetables, priced by weight. Vegan status is disputed, so ask.
15A Jalan Bandar Timah, Old Town
A coffee shop at 15A Jalan Bandar Timah, listed by Time Out for white coffee roasted with palm oil margarine and for its steamed egg cake.
Jalan Sultan Ekram, next to Sam Tet High School, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh
Tong Sui Kai on Jalan Sultan Ekram is an evening food street of about 50 stalls, mostly desserts such as rojak and ais kacang, with some Malaysian dishes.
12 Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh
A vegan cafe on Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun serving Asian and Western dishes, with a reputation for cakes and affordable meals.
