Ipoh is an interesting city in Malaysia which is best known for its excellent local fare. People from as far as Singapore come to the city just to get a taste of its local dishes from Ipoh’s “Hor Fun” (a complete one-dish rice noodle meal) to “Nga Choi Kai” (chicken with beansprouts in soy sauce). I visited a friend who lives in Ipoh, and stayed at her beautiful house in one of the newly developed townships within the city. The city has changed so much, and it is fast becoming one of the best places in Malaysia to visit.
Row of old shophouses in the Old Town area turned into cafes, restaurants and specialty stores. Old coffee shops and mom and pop stores still coexist among the new ones, though they are slowly dwindling away. As soon as I arrived, my friend, Annie drove me to a coffee shop for “Nga Choi Kai”. Delicious and half the price for the same dish in Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia.
Ipoh is surrounded by limestone hills, so it is not hard to find limestone caves turning into temples notably Sam Poh Tong. The temple is the oldest and most famous cave temples in Malaysia. The temple facade dates back to the 1950s and a stiff climb of steps will lead you to an open cave with an excellent view of Ipoh and its surroundings. There are a few other famous temples in Ipoh, and it is quite impossible to see most of them in one day.
Annie suggested I see a new condominium development which is near completion. Price range from RM300,000 to RM450,000. Impressive design, almost as lovely as those in Kuala Lumpur and probably cost RM200,000 more. Later we stopped by an old coffee shop for lunch. An old man in his 90s’ was selling peanut pancake at RM1 a piece. It was delicious, and he was so active for his age. Looked like he enjoyed what he was doing, and also the place gave him space to get together with his friends. I bought the local biscuits and ‘heong beang’ (fragrant biscuits) to take home at the old town area. My dessert for the day was soy drink. It was a corner store that sells only soy drink (cold and hot) and “tau foo far”, soybean curd with liquid ginger or gula melaka. There was a bee line of people and cars waiting for their orders to be taken.
Concubine lane is rumored that wealthy Chinese merchants and British officers kept their mistresses away from the prying eyes of the wives. Abandoned for a number of years, today the row of shophouses are preserved and revived into a beautiful place, selling gifts, souvenirs and other knick knacks. Cafes too are slowly cropping up.
Ipoh may not have the elegance of a big city like Kuala Lumpur or as culturally rich as Penang, it does has its charm and delight. As I head to the train station for my departure back to Kuala Lumpur, I could sense the pride of the majestic building influenced from the British Indian colonial architecture. The Town Hall which is directly opposite the Main Train Station is another fine example of the neo-classical style by the British. If you take time to either walk, bike or drive, you will be able to see and experience a lot more in the once quiet town.
It’s no wonder Ipoh is voted by Lonely Planet as one of the top places in Asia to visit in 2016.
