5 Pan Mee Spots in Ipoh You’ll Want to Keep Coming Back to!
We all have that one dish that becomes synonymous with our childhood. Some people would say nasi lemak, while others may cite famous street food like satay, but for me, a bowl of pan mee was enough to comfort me until adulthood.
There’s just something about its silky noodles and spicy kick that immediately made me fall in love to the point where I search for it everywhere I go. Recently, I discovered that Ipoh is a haven for pan mee lovers like me, which gave me the idea for this list!
To help you find the best pan mee in the city (and for me to keep tabs on what I’ve visited so far), I’ve compiled some of my favourite spots here. Keep on reading to find out why you should check out these must-visit places in Ipoh!
Facey Noodle House
– Media credit: mkmaykuan
Address: 25, Persiaran Greentown 7
Contact details: +60 11-3562 2800
Operating hours: Daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Cost: $
Facey Noodle House is one of those proven and tested humble eateries in Ipoh. It offers a wide array of local dishes, among which is their authentic chilli pan mee that’s equal parts spicy and rich!
One of the highlights of this dish is its springy noodles, which do a great job of holding the chilli flakes. This allows every slurp to have that distinct kick that’s perfect to pair with a sip from their rich and clear broth.
The place itself doesn’t offer anything fancy to make the dining experience feel lavish, but that’s what makes it charming and authentic. Moreover, we still appreciate them offering air conditioning and ceiling fans to keep us cool while slurping on their spicy noodles.
Pro tip:
If you’re looking for something to balance out the spiciness of their pan mee, we recommend ordering their signature Ipoh white coffee as your drink! It’s cold, slightly sweet, and creamy, which helps dampen the kick of the dry chilli flakes.
Restoran New Hollywood
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Address: 38, Lorong Cecil Rae
Contact details: +60 12-290 8887
Operating hours: daily from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Cost: $
Restoran New Hollywood is a traditional no-frills eatery consisting of multiple hawker stalls that offer various Malay cuisine staples. Some of their best offerings here include fish balls, char kuay teow, chee cheong fun, and, of course, pan mee!
As a pan mee gal myself, I can’t help but gravitate towards this dish! Biases aside, however, this dish is worth trying because of its abundance of ingredients, from the fried anchovies to the poached and runny egg and the springy noodles.
The dish also packs a punch because of the dry chilli flakes, which also add some crunchiness to the dish. If that’s not enough spice for you, they also offer chilli oil and sambal to make sure that you REALLY break a sweat during your dining experience.
Pro tip:
If the umami flavours and spiciness of the pan mee left you craving something sweet, we recommend crossing the street towards Être Patisserie. This bakery houses deliciously sweet pastries like macarons, cakes, croissants, and more!
You & Mee Ipoh Noodle
– Media credit: maykwan
Address: 474, Jalan Pasir Puteh
Contact details: +60 17-595 5701
Operating hours:
- Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Cost: $
If you’re looking for a quick pan mee fix, then You & Mee Ipoh Noodle should be right up your alley! This humble eatery offers cheap but hearty dry chilli pan mee, complete with crunchy anchovies, some greens, and a perfectly poached egg.
These delicious ingredients make for an interesting flavour and texture combination that pairs well with the springy noodles. Speaking of noodles, they’re silky, flat, and drenched with the restaurant’s signature dark soy sauce—just the way we like it!
We also love dining here because the place doesn’t take the form of your typical eatery in Malaysia. It feels more like a cafe with its wooden furniture, minimalistic white walls, and variety of plants.
Pro tip:
If you’re visiting with a picky eater or you’re simply looking for something heavier, you can opt for the traditional Western breakfast. This dish comes with toast, sausages, eggs, and beans!
Famous Rice Cafe
– Media credit: m4rcu5kam
Address: 44, Jalan Foo Eng Lin
Contact details: +60 16-528 5845
Operating hours: Friday to Wednesday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Cost: $
Famous Rice Cafe is one of the most Instaworthy pan mee spots in Ipoh, offering a simple vintage interior decor. It’s decorated with charming wooden decor that you’d typically see in a childhood home—but I digress.
The real highlight here is the pan mee, which I could say is an accurate depiction of the recipe you’ll find in cookbooks. For starters, the noodles are perfectly firm, or as our Italian friends like to describe them, al dente!
Moreover, the broth they come with (if you order the soup pan mee) is perfectly rich, with room for spiciness—that’s where the sambal comes in! Lastly, we love how they offer different variations of this dish, like curry pan mee, dry chilli pan mee, etc.
Pro tip:
You can also pair your noodle soup with their signature braised pork with rice if you’re feeling hungry. Moreover, we recommend ordering their old-school chee cheong fun with kaya toast to top your meal off with something sweet and heavy.
Kedai Makanan Nam Heong
– Media credit: danielfooddiary
Address: 2, Jalan Bandar Timah
Contact details: +60 12-588 8766
Operating hours: Daily from 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Cost: $
Whether you’re looking for authentic pan mee or not, visiting Kedai Makanan Nam Heong should be on your list of things to do in Ipoh! They’ve been around since the late 1950s, being known as one of the best spots to get Ipoh’s iconic white coffee.
However, if there’s a close second to what this place is known for, we can argue that it’s for their pan mee! They’ve nailed this dish to a tee, from the springy and firm noodles to the dark sauce, poached eggs, and umami anchovies.
Moreover, they serve a wide variety of other noodle-based dishes like curry chicken and prawn noodles, both of which feature delicious tangy broths. Also, we’re huge fans of their char kway teow because it’s overloaded with bean sprouts and Chinese sausages.
Pro tip:
While you’re here, be sure to stop by Little India, Ipoh, to discover hidden restaurants and cafes that serve authentic dishes like pani puri and chicken biryani. You can also find humble stores that sell Indian clothing and jewellery!