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

April 30, 2009 | 14,878 views
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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?
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Ipoh Food
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Indian Food, Ipoh Food, Old Town, White Coffee
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« The Twins’ Chee Cheong Fun in Menglembu, and It’s Buntong’s Kacang Putih Yee Fatt Dry Curry Noodles @ Jln Kampar, Ipoh »

38 Responses to “The Old Town Coffee Face-Off : Sin Yoon Loong White Coffee vs Madras Coffee”

  1. SimpleGirl says:
    April 30, 2009 at 9:49 am

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

    [Reply]

  2. Selba says:
    April 30, 2009 at 9:51 am

    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.

    [Reply]

  3. soo sean says:
    April 30, 2009 at 10:17 am

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

    [Reply]

  4. fbb says:
    April 30, 2009 at 10:20 am

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

    [Reply]

  5. ck lam says:
    April 30, 2009 at 10:33 am

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

    [Reply]

  6. New Kid on the Blog says:
    April 30, 2009 at 11:41 am

    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

    [Reply]

  7. "Joe" who is constantly craving says:
    April 30, 2009 at 11:55 am

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

    but i do like my masala tea..

    [Reply]

  8. worldwindows says:
    April 30, 2009 at 12:46 pm

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

    [Reply]

  9. backStreetGluttons says:
    April 30, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    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 !

    [Reply]

  10. Nic (KHKL) says:
    April 30, 2009 at 1:22 pm

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

    [Reply]

  11. mimid3vils says:
    April 30, 2009 at 1:32 pm

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

    [Reply]

  12. Bangsar-bAbE says:
    April 30, 2009 at 3:04 pm

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

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

    [Reply]

  13. Joanna says:
    April 30, 2009 at 6:19 pm

    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

    [Reply]

  14. ahlock says:
    April 30, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    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!

    [Reply]

  15. YilingL says:
    April 30, 2009 at 8:04 pm

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

    [Reply]

  16. ~Christine~Leng says:
    April 30, 2009 at 10:11 pm

    I would definitely love to try the CCF with mushroom gravy 😛

    [Reply]

  17. Sugar Bean says:
    May 1, 2009 at 12:14 am

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

    [Reply]

  18. FCOE says:
    May 1, 2009 at 1:08 am

    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.:)!

    [Reply]

  19. adeL says:
    May 1, 2009 at 8:31 pm

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

    [Reply]

  20. sakaigirl says:
    May 2, 2009 at 12:20 am

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

    [Reply]

  21. Agnes Cheong says:
    May 3, 2009 at 4:55 pm

    wow…the Madras coffee looks so special!

    [Reply]

  22. sc says:
    May 3, 2009 at 5:59 pm

    any tea/ coffee with cow’s milk wins me over 🙂 love creamy thick drinks..

    [Reply]

  23. New Kid on the Blog says:
    May 3, 2009 at 7:41 pm

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

    [Reply]

  24. Elin says:
    May 4, 2009 at 7:03 pm

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

    [Reply]

  25. gill gill says:
    May 4, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    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.

    [Reply]

  26. foongpc says:
    May 5, 2009 at 1:14 am

    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?

    [Reply]

  27. Big Boys Oven says:
    May 5, 2009 at 7:08 am

    I still prefer ipoh white coffee! 🙂

    [Reply]

  28. CUMI & CIKI says:
    May 7, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    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:)

    [Reply]

  29. J2Kfm says:
    May 7, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    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.

    [Reply]

  30. Cheah says:
    August 7, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    I’ve linked this post of yours on Sin Yoon Loong’s signature Kai Da Kou to my blog post on ‘Steamed Sponge Cake’ on 2/8/10. Perhaps you may drop over for a visit!

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    August 8th, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    Hi cheah, will sure do.

    [Reply]

  31. Ultimate Ipoh Food List by J2Kfm | Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog says:
    August 9, 2010 at 9:54 pm

    […] Sin Yoon Loong White Coffee, Old Town […]

  32. Ipoh Dim Sum @ Ying Fa Restaurant, Old Town | Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog says:
    September 2, 2010 at 8:40 pm

    […] restaurant is a stone’s throw away from Sin Yoon Loong and Nam Heong; the original white coffee pioneers in Ipoh. So if you simply can’t find a […]

  33. Ipoh Old Town Famous Golden Char Kuey Teow @ Sin Lean Lee Restaurant | Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog says:
    December 1, 2010 at 9:13 pm

    […] Chang Jiang’s white coffee more than the other milder/milkier white coffee favourites (Sin Yoon Loong, Nam Heong). Sin Lean Lee’s white coffee possesses that intense bitterness masked by the […]

  34. Ju says:
    January 2, 2011 at 5:24 am

    Wow this brings back memories of my dad taking me to this coffee shop on Saturdays before sending me to school…

    [Reply]

  35. Soy Sauce Chicken Rice @ Sun Kam Wan Restaurant, Ipoh Garden - The 3rd Year Anniversary Post | Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog says:
    March 5, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    […] don’t see teenagers nowadays meet up and chat over coffee at Sin Yoon Loong, lunch of a hearty meal at Concubine Lane, or even vague recollections of Cowan Street being the […]

  36. Kedai Kopi Ah Chow @ Old Town, Ipoh - Another White Coffee Specialist | Motormouth From Ipoh - Malaysian Food & Travel Blog says:
    August 1, 2011 at 5:35 pm

    […] Sin Yoon Loong started this white coffee craze way back then; probably more than half a century now? Nam Heong took things to a whole different level; capitalizing on the potential of white coffee and the concept of old school kopitiams in general; rebranding the franchise into something so BIG nobody thought the idea would work, initially. […]

  37. art says:
    February 21, 2018 at 7:54 am

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    however good topic. I needs to spend a while learning much more or working out more.
    Thank you for excellent info I used to be searching for this
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    [Reply]

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