Subscribe to my RSS Feeds

Motormouth From Ipoh

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Old Town Coffee Face-Off : Sin Yoon Loong White Coffee vs Madras Coffee

Old town of Ipoh is forever bustling with activities come morning until evening, a nostalgic part of Ipoh that's far from forgotten, and no doubt a dream come true for all food lovers on a gastronomic trail; From north to south, and vice versa.

The one that started it all ....
Previously, I blogged about Sin Yoon Loong white coffee, the oldest joint serving the now legendary white coffee of Ipoh. Though no doubt Nam Heong, or rather, Old Town White Coffee (those Kopitiam outlets that are mushrooming everywhere) is responsible for putting Ipoh's white coffee on the map, both domestically and internationally.

The same old setting, albeit plastic chairs being used now, instead of those classic wooden ones from days of yore
Sin Yoon Loong has been in business probably in my past life. Right until today, they've managed to retain the authenticity of their forte; the white coffee brew, a secret handed down from generations to generations.
Realise that having breakfast in Ipoh's Old Town can be a stressful endeavour. Searching for an empty parking lot is one, while fighting for a seat is another. Thankfully, the row of white coffee shops consists of 3 shops in a row, and Nam Heong on the opposite side. So there is backup after all.

Chee Cheong Fun with Mushroom Gravy


Toast with Kaya and Butter

All this while, I never had a full meal at Sin Yoon Loong. Only coffee and toast. Or their famous "Kai Dan Kou", or egg-flavoured roll with kaya.
The Chee Cheong Fun passed the test, at least to Mr Z anyway. He of course, was comparing to Sin Lean Lee's version, which is nothing to shout about in the 1st place. Sin Lean Lee is the coffee shop with that infamous stall serving Kam Chau Fan aka GOLDEN Fried Kuey Teow.

A hot, frothy cup of good old Ipoh's white coffee. THE original taste.

But nothing beats spending precious time chatting away with acquittances over a cup of rich, and fragrant white coffee. Feeling peckish? Order a serving of toast, buttered yet not overly cloying although substantial 'kaya' (coconut jam) is spread on the thin slices of crisp bread.
Location : Sin Yoon Loong @ Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. The corner lot, before reaching the towering 20-storeys flat of Old Town.
But what IF you've waited for hours (slightly exaggerated, but you get my drift), yet you found NO empty seats? And with your craving for a shot of caffeine at an all-time high; runny nose, jittering teeth, sweat beads forming on the temple and all?

Another one of those famous banana leaf outlet in Ipoh .....
A hop and a skip away, you'll seek Nirvana. Your light at the end of the tunnel. Your solace, your requiem, your COFFEE. @ Sri Ananda Bahwan Restaurant.

Madras Coffee (thanks to yikyang for the heads-up)

The sweet Indian desserts of Ladoo, Palkova, and Mysore pak. Spelling may be off though.

So you're wondering what's Madras coffee? Also known as Indian Filter Coffee, not many might have heard, let alone tried this saltish, milky brew. I for one, was completely oblivious to its existence until duly notified by a reader.
Firstly, you gotta know how to drink it. Yup, you'll be served with not one, but TWO separate steel container, a cup with the thick & frothy coffee, and another smaller steel bowl of fresh cow's milk. Tastewise? Not too strong to jolt up that draggy system in the mornings, but pleasant and smooth, with a tinge of saltiness. There's a faint hint of herbs/spices which is not overwhelming, but leaves a fragrant note after you slurp down a mouthful. Not bad, definitely a beverage I'll come back for.

Whazzup, Matcha?!!!!

The desserts at Sri Ananda Bahwan were not sickeningly sweet, unlike most. The Palkova or milk sweet in particular, is creamy, soft and sweet enough to leave a lingering taste, yet not tooth-numbing terror. The ladoo was disappointing though, Samy's was far better.
Location : Sri Ananda Bahwan @ 7, Persiaran Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh. It's the row of shops perpendicular to Sin Yoon Loong. Turn right at the crossroads with Nam Heong and Sin Yoon Loong, and you'll see this shop on your left.
SO, WHICH ONE'S RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY?

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love Indian Madras / bru coffee...somehow with the cow's milk it has a different blend as compared to local white coffee...

Selba said...

The food and drinks look so good!

I really want to try the white coffee... wonder why it's called white but the color isn't white.

soo sean said...

I used to order chee cheong fun in mushroom gravy, but lately I like the soy sauce version(白油,油). You tried before? :p

fbb said...

this post very deja vu la...didnt you blog once about wanting to have kopitiam and ended up having mamak?

ck lam said...

I will go for the white coffee. Have tasted a few in pg but most of them have not reach to its similarity.

New Kid on the Blog said...

dont you find the white coffee is a bit too sweet??? I've tried once, I didn't quite like it, as it's too too too sweet

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

i dun think i want anything up my alley thank you hahaha

but i do like my masala tea..

worldwindows said...

I am pining for Ipoh food but I am going to have a busy instead of a long weekend.

backStreetGluttons said...

Sad to say , none. Because both are hypes and too far from the scale of the golden brew , even the lowly mis-ranked toddy in Teluk Gong beats them coconut down ! But we have to give due credit to the power of Old & Ipoh's other real offerings , some of which you have corrected flattered !

HairyBerry said...

and the thing is, makan places like these usually serve good food as well! beats some wannabe cafes, anytime! i likez!

choi yen said...

Never have Indian dessert b4 but I heard that they are very sweeeeet~~?

Bangsar-bAbE said...

I've never tried Madras coffee...I always order Bru coffee. =P

I'm so trying Sin Yoon Loong when I'm in Ipoh!

Joanna said...

I remember once walking through Little India in Ipoh and I saw this shop with its vast array of Indian desserts. Extremely colourful they were. Alas didn't get to try any. Hehe, yet another thing to add to my list. Yumz

ahlock said...

Given a choice, I'll definitely try madras coffee and the desserts, or kuih. Hmm...I've acquired a taste for Indian cakes and would nip to Little India come Deepavali to hunt around for some sweet cakes. Yummy!

YilingL said...

I love Ipoh's version of CCF... Either the plain one with sesame oil or the mushroom sauce. yum yum.

~Christine~Leng said...

I would definitely love to try the CCF with mushroom gravy :P

Sugar Bean said...

Looking at the food makes me miss Malaysia so much. Aww... How I wish I can have those food as breakfast now!

FCOE said...

not bad still could post an article!madras coffee..hmm wonder wat was i doing all these while in ipoh..will give it a try.the dessert with raisins..i think it's not mysore pak..that's for sure..sorry ya.have to figure out:)and by the way..ur macha will be so proud to see himself here.:)!

adeL said...

thanks for bringing back to me the memories of white coffee scene in Ipoh..ah..if only i could have a cup now...

sakaigirl said...

Never tried Chee Cheong Fun with Mushroom Gravy and Madras Coffee bfr.. wish to taste it,Mmmm..

Agnes Cheong said...

wow...the Madras coffee looks so special!

sc said...

any tea/ coffee with cow's milk wins me over :) love creamy thick drinks..

New Kid on the Blog said...

hey, check out today's Sunday Star... You're in it. Congratulations!!!

Elin Chia said...

Wow,i missed reading that on Sunday Star. Congrats..you are now famous :)) do write about it and share with us.

gill gill said...

my hubby, jason saw you in the Star too, congrats!

anyway, we've discovered a good white coffee in Menglembu. Is definitely better then those name that you've mentioned in this post...heee.

foongpc said...

I've never tried the Madras coffee before. Interesting! Can you find it in KL?

For now, I'll stick with the Sin Yoon Loong White Coffee. Btw, this shop is also found in KL right?

Big Boys Oven said...

I still prefer ipoh white coffee! :)

Ciki said...

chee cheong fun with mushroom/mince pork gravy, extra chili sauce, a dash of sweet sauce, and heaps for chee mah and green chilies! ipoh does it the best:)

J2Kfm said...

thanks for the wishes, I was surprised as well, being featured again. the irony was that, it was Faridah who picked my post. :)

on curry pig's skin chee cheong fun, no less. LOL.