Ipoh Kong Heng @ Old Town – A Timeless Story Retold
July 9, 2011 | 21,001 views
Ipoh Kong Heng Restaurant – Upgraded from a coffee shop (kedai kopi) status recently, yet still fondly recognized as a downright kopitiam in the heart of Ipoh’s old town.
I still remember my first visit to Kong Heng back in the 80’s. With late grandfather in tow; we would scrambled for a seat amongst the sea of people for breakfast on a Sunday morning. If you’re curious as to whether Kong Heng has changed from then and now?
A resounding NO would be an affirming answer.
Although not as aggressive/pushy like the days of yore, some of the hawkers still swarm your table once you’re seated comfortably and recommending food items from their respective stalls before you can even give the charming kopitiam a quick 360 degrees glance.
Let me take you for a stroll down memory lane, and rejoice in the fact that Ipoh is still blessed with priceless gems like this. But for how long more?
The Popiah aunty was not the same from when they first started, but she is making hers almost exactly the same way as the original one.
Some of the stalls still remain until this very day. The satay stall for instance; what could possibly be the ONLY stall in Ipoh serving pork satay since the 70’s (?). The others have changed owners, some items even reworked to fit in a fanciful 90’s/noughties (2000’s) era. The beef noodles for instance, was not what I remembered from the 80’s, but I could be wrong since Mum was not an advocate for anything with beef when we were small.
Not so much for religious standing, but more so because we should not eat red meat as much.
And just imagine the rebellious nature taking over this corrupted soul now. But I digress.
At RM1.80/USD0.60 per roll, the wet/fresh popiah (left) and the fried version (right) are equally as good, so highly recommended for you to order one of each.
We were still frequent customers to the popiah (spring rolls) stall back when I was still working in old town of Ipoh. Within walking distance were all these magnificent coffee shops; rendering breakfast almost a pre-requisite to a good and productive working day ahead.
I do miss the crunchy fried popiah stuffed with various julienned ingredients, then served with a dollop of chili sauce on the side. Though Mum was not impressed with the omission of the previous auntie’s signature ‘tim cheong’ (sweet sauce). The fresh one was good too; still packed with juicy fillings albeit not stuffed with crunchy fritters or crab meat like say …. the grumpy Canning Garden uncle’s version.
But on a personal level (don’t judge me, taste is subjective remember?), I prefer Kong Heng’s version for more reasons than one.
Intensity over the charcoal flames. Pork and chicken satay are available for choosing, as well as their infamous offal satay.
The same satay uncle was not to be seen that morning. Instead, a few unfamiliar faces were manning the stall. Though still unmistakably the same ‘Kong Heng’s satay’, down to the selection, the peanut sauce with a dark, brooding legacy (shall not tell unless necessary), and the eat-all-you-can concept (you only pay for what you ate, and the extras would be returned to the grill at no extra charge).
Nothing much has changed since their inception; but it’s never change in the ambience, food or the culture that we should be appreciative for. The institution should not make way for development/commercialization purely because of revenues and aggressive adaptation to modern times. Instead the younger generations should be taught and trained to admire such a timeless piece of history.
Succulent pieces of pork skewered and grilled with charcoal-fueled flames, with minimal burnt bits and practically NO fatty cuts of meat.
The same modus operandi applies for the satay stall, rojak and wantan mee stalls. The popiah, beef noodles, chicken rice, chicken kuey teow soup and lor bak stall operators no longer participate in the ‘campaigning’ for your order.
A far cry from Penang’s extensive lor bak mix, yet the fried pork spring roll wrapped in beancurd sheets; also known as Lor Bak or Ngoh Hiang is still served with their signature sweet and spicy sauce with sesame seeds.
Beautifully cut pieces of Lor Bak served with their signature dipping sauce.
The ‘Kai See Hor Fun’ (chicken kuey teow soup) commands a strong following too, but just a notch below Thean Chun‘s version from next door. Bear in mind that you can cross-order between these two shops; except for drinks and the chicken kuey teow soup. A pity, since if you can, then seated in Kong Heng would be a far more pleasant breakfast experience.
Why? Because Thean Chun’s (also known as Hall of Mirrors) drinks are but some of the WORST in old town. Don’t go for their coffee, tea, Milo etc. But then again, Thean Chun’s caramel egg custard is the BEST that you can ever hope for in Ipoh. A catch 22 situation, really. Just so you can revisit again and again to compare between the pros and the cons of both legendary institutions.
Wrapped glutinous rice with pork, beans, mushroom and salted egg yolk; also known as ‘Bak Zhang’. A staple when Dumpling Festival is around the corner.
The chicken rice and beef noodles are negligible from my humble experiences. And the popiah stall sells laksa too; the famous Penang style of Assam Laksa with a pungent hint of shrimp paste and sour tinge from the tamarind slices. Me? Not a fan of assam laksa … thus, no comment. But this stall in Gunung Rapat is seemingly popular for their version of the fish-based spicy rice noodles soup.
Ipoh style Chee Cheong Fun – Pick from a variety of sauces and gravy, then have a blast slurping on those slippery smooth rice noodles.
And here’s how you can capitalize on the inter-changeability of orders between the shops. If you’re seated in Kong Heng, remember to order the satay and chee cheong fun from Thean Chun. If you’re in Thean Chun, go for the popiah and rojak from Kong Heng. That should do the trick.
Crispy fried shallots in abundance on top of the pile of fresh, steamed rice noodles with dried shrimps. The pickled green chillies are a MUST, though I still prefer my noodles to come tossed only in soy sauce and shallot oil (‘pak yau sook yau’)
And to the Michaelians out there, do you know that the same uncle supplies his CCF to St.Michael’s secondary school’s canteen? Now you know.
What sweet memories, when a plate went for 60 cents (not too long ago lah … about a decade or so) and we would gladly walloped a plate or two on the spot.
Milk tea from Kong Heng – The sudden surge in beverage prices got us shell-shocked, almost dumb-founded. Now a cup of tea or coffee (hot) can go up to RM1.30, while the iced version can come to RM1.80. Still, if you’re in Kong Heng, go for the tea more than the white coffee. For coffee, hop over to Sin Lean Lee or Nam Chau.
Still exuding the aura that blends in so well with old town’s heritage ambience. But not for long, it seems.
Word on the street is, Kong Heng will be refurbished or relocated. A hotel might be build next to this, or on the same ground. Thus, reinventing the coffee shop seems imminent; possibly turning this into another Old Town White Coffee style of modern kopitiam.
But that would be wrong. One of the many charms this place still possess since the olden times is the haunting allure of being seated and dining on the same table that your grandfather might be enjoying his cup of tea from the 70’s. The marble tables, wooden chairs, mosaic tiles and window panes all date back to the pre-modernization era.
Do you see a glimmer of hope, or a flash of history wiped out by development?
Today is the 9th of July 2011. At this time of writing, we are 4 hours away from a peaceful rally that might change lives and shakes the very foundation that has built this sturdy country since Independence. Do not lose hope, for I believe that if you stand strong by your beliefs, someone somewhere somehow would be listening to you.
IPOH KONG HENG RESTAURANT
75, Jalan Bandar Timah,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Opens for breakfast-late lunch daily.
Closed on Wednesdays.
Google Map to Ipoh Kong Heng
GPS Coordinates : 4.596966,101.078134
Oh yum! And the memories! My dad used to take us here…And for dinner in the shop opposite the road…for Steamed 3 Yolk Egg (sam wong tan) and roast pork with watercrest! Miss it all…
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:15 am
Wong Koh Kee?! I don’t think they’re opened for dinner now. Only lunch, if I am not mistaken.
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hey, from your tone, you are a Michaelian too? Hehe… I do enjoy the CCF in the school canteen, didn’t know its source is from the renowned Kong Heng =)
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:14 am
Yeah … I was, for 2 years. Did my Form 6 in SMI.
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thomasHoong Reply:
March 17th, 2013 at 10:51 pm
I start to eat the CCF in the year 1966..at the old SMI Tuck Shop as we call in the olden days..till now..The boss facing the camera is call Ah Piew of which I call him Piew Kee…
It’s a must for me to go to Thean Chun and hv the CCF and also the pork satay whenever I go back… Will be going back end of this April for it again…
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This is my favourite kopitiam at old town . I like those food in your first photo ! Yummy !
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:14 am
This, Nam Chau and Sin Lean Lee …. complete the package. Best coffee shops in Ipoh; bar none.
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Memories. Haven’t been there for a decade after coming to KL. Miss the satay uncle who always yelled “don’t let it stop” with its eat-all-u-can satays.
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:13 am
Haha … wait, you’re from IPOH too?! I did not know this. Though it kind of make you think whether the other patrons dropped bits of their satay onto the gravy or the other untouched sticks.
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their popiah is my favourite….
is it true that this place will be refurbish soon??
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:13 am
I heard about this last year before I moved to KL. It seems that a hotel will be built next to this.
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wish the establishment will be standing through times and welcomes the Ipoh-ans to the corners of the world and back
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You had me at popiah. I just adore our old coffee shops and wish we could do better to preserve them.
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:12 am
Yeah …. like Yut Kee, and how it’s counting down to its demise, from the current premise of course.
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Pork Satay! That sounds amazing. I’ve never tried that before, would love to visit Ipoh when I’m back just for a makan trip!
By the way, I’m Wen Ching from Sugar Bean. I’ve moved from the old blog to http://www.eatonlylar.com/. Can you please add us to your blogroll? Thank you very much!
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:11 am
Oh Sugar Bean …. okay okay. moved to dotcom together with Christine eh?
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those were the days where my schoolmates and i used to stop there for morning breakfast
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:11 am
Haha .. yeah. Michaelians right?
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*gasp! The popiah aunty is not the same anymore? Satay too? Where are the elders??
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:10 am
Satay maybe the uncle went off a while gua .. usually he’s there.
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The Kong Heng popiah is the best! I wasn’t a fan of popiah before I tried Kong Heng’s and I was a convert! I hope they won’t do anything to change Kong Heng’s outlook, interior, shops, modus operandi, ANYTHING!
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This brings back good old memories for me..sigh..always there for our brunch or lunch with my late grandpa. Without fail, he would always order the satay from Uncle Satay. I did feel Uncle Satay’s std did drop a tiny bit :O. My favourite is from Uncle Chee Cheong Fun, my ‘pak yau chee cheong fun’, simple and good!!!! Can’t believe that Aunty Popiah is changed…must be a lot quiet, she would usually speaks quite loudly.
Haha….I remember I dreaded going there and being seated cos all of them would ‘swarm’ to your table to ask what you want to eat..those were the days.:)
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 12:23 am
Sweet memories right? That’s why I went all out and braced the (supposedly) heavy Saturday morning traffic for a shot at Kong Heng, before all’s lost. And almost instantaneously memories of few years old came back. How we spent valuable time eating popiah and chee cheong fun before kick-starting the day’s work.
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A bit tangential here – what’s this about popiah with crunchy fritter filling ? Are they still made somewhere in Ipoh ? Where would I find them ? I had them years ago when my office had folks w Ipoh meetings who would buy back these special popiah. The specialness was the crunchy filling – somehow crunchy even after the 2 hour ride back to KL. Never asked back then where they came from and had thought they were lost and gone forever, so would be very happy if you know where they may still be had.
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 12:21 am
There are several, if you ask me. I used to like the ones in Bercham (noon to late evening only) near to the field in Taman Desa Kencana. But not as good as Kong Heng’s. The Canning Garden popiah uncle makes his with fritters too, but his chili sauce is the killer here …. being spicier than most.
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Su Sian Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Many thanks and so sorry to be so persistent but … Kong Heng’s popiah have the crunchies as well ? Or just Bercham and Canning Garden ?
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Bushido Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
The Canning Garden popiah uncle’s son now run his stall every night at the coffee shop in Leong Sin Nam Street, at the Anderson Road end.
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I’m one of the ancient dinosaurs who whacked the Uncle’s CCF at SMI canteen at only 30cents.
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oh where can i find this type of CCF in sg..
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@TallGal I don’t think there’s any such CCF in SG… do let me know if you come across any.
No to refurbishment, Yes to preservation!
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The same CCF was also sold in MGS Ipoh canteen. Used to buy at 30 sen as well. Does this stall also still sell the version with fillings (“hum”)-carrot, jicama & French beans? Coz I noticed you didn’t mention about this…
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 19th, 2011 at 9:02 am
Hi 5candles. Oh …. all this while I have never tried the other version with stuffed fillings. Sorry I am not sure about this.
A CCF stall in Sin Lean Lee (the one with GOLDEN CKT) serves CCF in both ways, and they do a passable pulut kaya too.
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5candles Reply:
July 21st, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Where is that? Sorry if I am asking a question should the answer be obvious. Am new to your blog. “CKT” means char kuey teow, right? Anyway, people also say that Kong Heng was where a Nescafe tv advertisement was shot back in the late(?) ’90s. True?
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 21st, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Hi 5 candles. Do you know old town of Ipoh, where there’s Padang Ipoh (a huge field facing St. Michael’s secondary school), a few banks (HSBC, Maybank, etc), and various old landmarks. If you do, then Kong Heng’s within walking distance on Jalan Bandar Timah.
Not sure about Nescafe ad, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Hi J2Kfm,
Kindly be informed that this post has been reprinted on JoinMe.com.my, thanks.
P/S: We have put your name and link credit back to this article.
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 19th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Please stop taking my posts from my blog and republish on your website. Respect my decision and do ask BEFORE you publish them instead of after. Thank you.
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An old boy of ACS Ipoh still remembers the good old days when my dad usually took to Kong Beng for lunch.
From Toronto with God’s Blessing.
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