7 Must-Try Chinese Restaurants in Ipoh
As a place that’s known for its famous cafes, dim sum restaurants and other must-visit places, Ipoh’s selection of Chinese restaurants has taken a backseat in travel guides. As a lifelong visitor of the city, I won’t take this sitting down—hence this list!
Join me here as I gush over some of Ipoh’s best hidden restaurants that offer the best and most authentic Chinese food. Whether you’re craving dumplings, dim sum, Kung Pao chicken or anything in between, you’re bound to find something here that will entice your taste buds!
Greentown Dimsum Cafe
— Media credit: imanabdulrahim
Address: 10, Persiaran Greentown 4
Contact details: +60 12-398 2010
Operating hours: Wednesday to Monday: 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM
Cost: $$
Greentown Dim Sum Cafe is a halal Chinese restaurant that we’re sure both kids and adults will love. It features an overall fun and modern vibe as opposed to those traditional oriental-themed restaurants, which instantly makes it more welcoming, especially for newcomers.
Upon entering its doors, you’ll immediately be captivated by its menu because of its wide array of halal-friendly Chinese staples like bao buns, gyozas, paus and more. However, the biggest draw here is undoubtedly the wide selection of steamed dim sum.
These dim sum come in various flavours like black pepper and tom yam but if you ask us, the best one is their classic siew mai. The best thing about this is that you can order them in packs so you can bring a taste of Chinese cuisine at home!
Pro tip:
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something that would be more familiar to your tastebuds, we recommend ordering one of their Malaysian staples! They serve dishes like curry mee, nasi kukus, chee cheong fun and more!
Lim Ko Pi
— Media credit: ipohlimkopi
Address: 10, Jalan Sultan Iskandar
Contact details: +60 5-253 2898
Operating hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Cost: $
Lim Ko Pi should be on your radar if you’re looking for a place that serves amazing Chinese and local food. It features an expansive menu that offers Chinese staples such as stir-fried glass noodles and pork noodles as well as Malay classics like chicken kuay teow and prawn mee.
We also love how the restaurant doubles as a chill cafe that serves amazing coffee as well as light meals! For instance, you can pair a nice cup of joe with their delicious butter and kaya toast or a normal sandwich.
Furthermore, they’ll let you end your meal on a sweet note by offering decadent banana cakes, mixed fruit cakes and butter cupcakes. Meanwhile, you can replace your cup of coffee with their milk tea if you’re not too fond of caffeine.
Pro tip:
We recommend visiting on weekdays to include their special lunch set where you only have to add RM1 to add coffee or milk tea to your meal. Furthermore, you can get ice kacang or ice cendol just by adding RM1.50!
Sun Marpoh Restaurant
— Media credit: raveliew
Address: 67 & 69, Jln Dato Lau Pak Khuan
Contact details: +60 5-545 5127
Operating hours: Daily from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, 5:30 to 10:00 PM
Cost: $$
Sun Marpoh is more than just your typical Chinese restaurant, as its offerings span beyond the country’s cookbooks. This is because aside from authentic oriental delicacies like sweet and sour pork, steamed bass and spicy crabs, the restaurant also offers Indonesian and Malay food!
You can’t go wrong with anything from their menu but if it’s your first time and you want to get the best bang for your buck, we recommend the prawn mee. The prawns are gigantic and the curry sauce that they’re drenched in features the right balance between sweet and spicy.
While you’re at it, we recommend adding more seafood into the mix by ordering their delectable salted egg-fried squid! Don’t worry though, you can always order some of their rice wine-fried vegetables to add some nutrients to your meal.
Pro tip:
One of the cheapest ways to get to Sun Marpoh Restaurant is by riding the bus and dropping off at the Taman Bandaraya bus stop. From there, you only need to cross the street to get to the restaurant!
Sin Hup Kee
— Media credit: vinx94you
Address: 17 19 & 21, Jalan Leong Sin Nam
Contact details: +60 5-242 3128
Operating hours: Wednesday to Monday: 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Cost: $$
When it comes to offering one of the most varied Chinese menus in the city, Sin Hup Kee is definitely among the best! From smoked kampung chicken to lamb stews and more, this place offers some of China’s best staples.
One thing that locals can’t get enough of, however, is their braised pork belly, which comes in this amazing taro sauce. If you really want to get down and dirty, we recommend getting their braised pork trotter!
You can throw some seafood into the mix by ordering their prawns and crispy pork belly in king’s soy sauce, which is exactly what it sounds like! Furthermore, you can always make your meal healthier by ordering their fresh vegetables of the day.
Pro tip:
You can also accompany your meal with something sweet by ordering one of their ice-blended drinks! If you want our advice, we recommend getting the black forest green tea Oreo flavour.
Souper Tang Restaurant @ Ipoh Parade
— Media credit: soupertangreserve
Address: 105, Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil
Contact details: +60 4-228 5637
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Cost: $$
Nestled in one of Ipoh’s most famous shopping malls, Souper Tang Restaurant is the go-to spot for many locals who are craving some authentic Chinese dishes. It’s one of the more comfy and fancy spots in the city but don’t worry because you won’t have to break the bank!
Here, you can choose from a wide array of Chinese favourites, ranging from pork noodles to stewed chicken, sweet and sour fish and more. If you’re looking for something more exotic, however, you can order their delicious fall-off-the-bone chicken feet!
One thing you have to try if it’s your first time, however, is their famous Eight Treasures Nourishing Soup. This classic dish helps improve one’s Qi as well as physical stamina and blood thanks to its wide array of vegetables.
Pro tip:
While you’re here, be sure to check out the other attractions in Ipoh Parade like its cinemas and other restaurants. Furthermore, it houses a great bowling alley where you can extend the fun with your loved ones!
Pusing Public Restaurant
— Media credit: ohlins
Address: 59, 61, 57, 63 & 65, Jalan Veerasamy
Contact details: +60 5-253 3428
Operating hours: Daily from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Cost: $$$
You can’t leave Ipoh without stopping by Pusing Public Restaurant, especially if you love seafood or Chinese cuisine, in general.
For starters, they offer a wide variety of seafood delicacies from groupers to prawns, crabs and more! It also helps that these delicacies are prepared superbly by featuring tangy sauces and flavourful broths.
If you’re not a huge fan of seafood, however, you can opt for their famous steamed chicken with ginger. You can also order a side of rice to go along with this dish for a more filling meal!
Pro tip:
Avoid visiting around Chinese New Year, as this place will almost always be packed with patrons.
Hibiscus Cuisine
— Media credit: hibiscus_cuisinee
Address: 163, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah
Contact details: +60 10-820 2696
Operating hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM
Cost: $$
If you’re looking for the best dim sum in Ipoh, you can start your search at Hibiscus Cuisine. It’s home to delicious halal dim sum that’s reasonably priced!
Although they’re classified as a dim sum restaurant, they offer far more than this classic Chinese dish. For instance, you can also find some amazing bowls of wonton beef noodles here that are as hearty as a soup-based dish can be.
Moreover, they also offer amazing local dishes like nasi lemak!
Pro tip:
You can save money on your favourite dishes by ordering one of their lunch sets, which are only served during weekdays from their opening hours up to 6:00 PM.