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Ipoh white coffee: what it is and where to drink it

Ipoh white coffee is made from beans roasted in palm-oil margarine without sugar, giving a lighter roast. It is usually served with sweetened condensed milk, hot or iced. The name translates the Chinese 白咖啡. The classic places to drink it are Sin Yoon Loong and Nam Heong, opposite each other on Jalan Bandar Timah in Old Town.

By D Eastern front desk · Updated 2026-11-06

Ipoh white coffee is the city's best-known drink. It is not made from a special white bean, and it is not pale because of the beans. The beans are roasted with palm-oil margarine instead of sugar, and the coffee is served with sweetened condensed milk. The result is smooth, mild and sweet. You can drink it hot or iced in the old kopitiams (coffee shops) of Ipoh Old Town, about a 10-minute walk from D Eastern Hotel.

What is Ipoh white coffee?

  • The roast. Ordinary Malaysian black coffee (kopi-O) is traditionally roasted with sugar, margarine and wheat. White coffee beans are roasted with palm-oil margarine only, with no sugar, which gives a lighter roast.
  • The beans. There is no native "white coffee bean". Sources describe a blend of Arabica, Robusta and Liberica, slow-roasted in margarine.
  • The milk. It is sweetened with condensed milk rather than sugar, and served hot or cold.
  • The name. "White coffee" is a literal translation of the Chinese 白咖啡. Most accounts say "white" refers to the milk, or simply distinguishes it from black coffee. It does not describe the colour of the beans.

Where does white coffee come from?

The usual story starts with the tin boom. In the 19th century, Perak was British Malaya's most valuable state because of its tin, and Chinese migrants, many of them Hainanese, came to Ipoh to work the mines. According to Citizens Journal, they found Western-style coffee too bitter and acidic, so they adapted the roast and sweetened it with condensed milk.

Sin Yoon Loong, opened in 1937 on Jalan Bandar Timah by the brothers Wong Poh Chew and Wong Poh Ting, is commonly credited with refining the recipe and naming it "Ipoh White Coffee". Accounts of exactly who invented it, and when the name first appeared, differ, so treat any single origin claim as one tradition among several.

The drink's reputation has spread well beyond Ipoh. Lonely Planet named Ipoh among its top three coffee towns in 2007. In 2024, TasteAtlas placed Ipoh white coffee 10th in its list of the world's top coffees.

Where to drink white coffee in Old Town

Distances are straight-line estimates from the hotel using OpenStreetMap, so the walk is a little longer. Most of these places open early and close by mid-afternoon, and weekend mornings are busiest.

Sin Yoon Loong, 15A Jalan Bandar Timah

This is the 1937 shop credited with naming Ipoh White Coffee, and it is still trading in 2026. Recent guides list it as open daily, about 6.30am–2.30pm (checked Nov 2026), though one 2026 guide says it closes on Wednesdays. Citizens Journal suggests arriving before 8am to avoid the queue. About 820 m, roughly 11 minutes' walk.

Nam Heong, 2 Jalan Bandar Timah

Directly across the road from Sin Yoon Loong, Nam Heong is the other classic. It is known for iced white coffee and house-made egg tarts, and other stalls inside sell noodles and Nyonya kuih. Open 6.30am–4.30pm daily (iPackTravel, March 2026). About 810 m, roughly 11 minutes.

Kedai Kopi Kong Heng, 75 Jalan Bandar Timah

One of Ipoh's oldest surviving kopitiams, also known for its charcoal-grilled satay and popiah. Open about 7am–5pm (checked Nov 2026). Sources disagree on its rest day, so check before you go. About 600 m, roughly 8 minutes.

Thean Chun, 73 Jalan Bandar Timah

Next door to Kong Heng, with a mirror-lined interior. It serves white coffee alongside kai si hor fun and caramel egg custard. Open about 8am–4.30pm, closed Wednesdays and Thursdays (checked Nov 2026). About 600 m, roughly 8 minutes.

Kong Fu Kopitiam, 39 Jalan Panglima

A newer, martial-arts-themed kopitiam in a 1928 building, converted in late 2024. It serves Ipoh white coffee, butter kopi and caramel custard, and is one of the few air-conditioned cafés in Old Town. There is a free museum upstairs. Open 8.30am–4.30pm, closed Wednesdays (iPackTravel, March 2026). About 510 m, roughly 7 minutes.

Traditional kopitiam or modern brand?

You will see "Ipoh white coffee" in two very different settings.

The traditional kopitiams above are independent shops in Old Town shophouses, and most close by mid-afternoon.

The OldTown White Coffee brand grew out of the same tradition. It was founded in 1999 by Goh Ching Mun, Tan Say Yap and Lee Siew Heng, and Goh had worked at Nam Heong from the age of 12. It began with 3-in-1 instant sachets and later became a café chain. Jacobs Douwe Egberts bought it in 2017. In 2024 the brand opened the OldTown White Coffee Experience Centre at 2 Jalan Panglima, at one end of Concubine Lane. It has a café, a free heritage gallery on Ipoh's coffee culture, and 3D murals by Ernest Zacharevic. It is open 8am–9pm daily, so it is an option in the evening, when the old kopitiams are closed. About 570 m, roughly 8 minutes.

Instant "white coffee" sachets, sold in supermarkets and souvenir shops, are a mix of instant coffee, non-dairy creamer and sugar. As Citizens Journal puts it, the instant version is convenient, but the original is a different experience. If you are curious, try both: a fresh cup at a heritage shop in the morning, and the brand's gallery later in the day.

Tips

  • Go before 8am, especially at weekends, to avoid the longest queues.
  • Order kopi putih (Malay for white coffee), or ask for it iced.
  • Pair it with kaya-butter toast and soft-boiled eggs for a classic kopitiam breakfast.
  • Check rest days before you go. Many shops close one day a week, and the day varies.

Sources

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