Surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and dotted with colonial-era buildings, the Malaysian city of Ipoh—capital city of the state of Perak—blends old-world charm with modern energy. It’s more “Pittsburgh than Portland,” former industrial towns balancing old world comforts with new exciting tastes. Locals may have a fiercely loyal relationship to traditional recipes, but are equally open to new ideas and experiments. This transition can tell us much about the the Ipoh specialty coffee scene.
Starting with the traditional, “White Coffee” famously hails from Ipoh. A drink invented at Sin Yoon Loong Kopitiam in the 1930s, it went on to conquer the rest of Malaysia, and has found ardent fans as far away as Seattle, New York City, London and beyond. Prepared using beans roasted in margarine, then topped with condensed milk, it’s a great introduction to the old Kopitiam (local cafe) traditions. But for specialty coffee fans, the city has an exciting mix of micro-roasters, pour-over bars, espresso retail shops, and even high-end laboratory-style cafes. There’s much more than White Coffee to enjoy here.
We recommend walking between the downtown coffee shops, and then venturing to the suburban cafes to see a different side of Ipoh. The outskirts can prove difficult to navigate on foot, so make sure you download the Grab app (Asia’s version of Uber).
Kusamu
Tucked behind the Tambun Inn Hotel carpark, Kusamu is a delicate mix between a cafe and a specialty coffee hideaway. An introverts dream, you can hide in a corner reading a book, sipping your pour-over. Owners Shin and Yi Vern are warm and passionate, radiating a genuine love for coffee, and it translates in their loyal customer base.
The counter is jam-packed with filter coffee options, showcasing both Malaysian and International specialty roasters. They source some of Asia’s more obscure brands, which makes it a great opportunity to widen your net. Homemade cakes and cookies are baked in-house, and there is a selection of halal food items. In our opinion there isn’t a better place in Ipoh to spend a morning tasting a variety of coffees and finding your favorite.
JLN Theatre
“Our philosophy is to spend money on important things, such as equipment, and sourcing great coffee. The interiors are just a room in which you focus your attention on the beverage.”
The sparse interiors of JLN Theatre mirror co-owner Kenneth Eng’s career as a designer. A few plants splash verdant colour on proceedings, but the over-riding theme is uncluttered. Sourcing, roasting, preparing, and promoting beans is the foundation here. They roast a variety of single origin beans, and compete at the national level. The philosophy is a simple one, but in today’s environment, an important one. Never forget the coffee comes first.
Espresso drinks are prepared on a (white) La Marzocco, and filter coffee via ceramic Hario V60 drippers. A symmetrical line-up of beans with tasting notes helps nudge you along. The coffee is terroir-driven and roasted a touch closer to medium. Under the glass counter lie a host of delicious pastries, and they have a solid breakfast menu and a range of Matcha drinks.
Aud’s Cafe
Ipoh locals have a whole lot of love for Aud’s. As one of the first places in the city to start selling specialty beans, this refurbished shopfront helped change the tide away from commodity coffee. Switching between their favorite roasters in Malaysia, you can expect well-prepared drinks from Cloud Catcher, The Roast Things, and Tongue Mission, to name a few.
“Invitingly decrepit” (or perhaps “international shabby chic”) seems to be the vibe they have gone for, and the ramshackle ambiance sits between Berlin’s sweet spot and Havana’s faded glory. Brunch is the thing to order here, with a lovely cup of coffee on the side. Being located in the historic old town makes it the perfect stop to fuel up before a walk down the heritage lanes.
Omni Coffee Roasters
Omni prides itself on being a micro-roaster and specialty cafe. Perched on top of a betting shop in the suburb of Bandar Cyber, Omni is quite a detour for people staying downtown. A taxi will get you there in 20 minutes, but if you try your luck with public transport, you could be in for a frustrating day.
Omni pour a range of espresso drinks, and have a substantial filter selection. Great small-batch roasted coffee is the name of the game here, with quality and origin at the forefront. They are known for a medium-light roasting style, which works well for milk-coffee lovers, and their dirty latte is a surefire winner. If you are a light-roast fan, try one of their Ethiopian coffees for a floral hit.
Cold Blue Specialty Coffee
Though barely a block from Aud’s, the contrast couldn’t be greater. When coffee becomes a science is where Cold Blue rests, with interiors so minimalist, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a laboratory. Rest assured, behind the sparse environment lies a haven for specialty coffee.
Leaning heavily into the upper-tier varieties, Cold Blue is a great place to stretch the budget and ruminate over a clean Panama Gesha. Catering mostly to locals seeking a cleaner profile coffee, the staff are drilled on their recipes. It may not be suitable for those looking for a cosy hangout, but if you want to try some micro-lot beans, then head here.
Should you have a travel set-up, then you can purchase small vials of select coffees to take home and brew.
Moffee Coffee Roasters
Both a cafe, and a reseller for coffee equipment, Moffee is a great focal point for suburbanites dipping their toes into the specialty scene. A newbie can walk in and leave with everything needed to start their pour-over journey, along with freshly roasted beans. As is often the case in Malaysia, the staff are utterly charming. They roast their own coffee which is a mix of origins, and favour a more developed profile, which can be enjoyed as espresso, pour-over, or batch brew.
Moffee is the only specialty coffee in the Medan Ipoh Bestari neighborhood. The surrounding blocks are famous for food, so a morning spent at the cafe can easily turn into a gastronomic crawl afterwards. The famous Sam Ma chicken rice is a 10 minute walk. You know what to do.
Benjamin Sand is a freelance journalist and the creator of The Mouth. Read more Benjamin Sand for Sprudge.
