Ipoh Station Kopitiam

Learnt about the new opening of Ipoh Station Kopitiam 怡宝站 whilst scrolling around social media one day; these folks are quite the latest addition to the Rochor neighbourhood, having found a space at the fourth level of Sim Lim Square which is situated away from the other dining establishments located at the second floor of the mall. Tucked around in a corner that is not too far away from the escalator, Ipoh Station Kopitiam occupies a shop unit situated in the corner of the row of shop units where they can be found — they should be quite easy to spot considering how one would immediately have sight of them the moment one enters the walkway leading up to that row of shops. The shop units looks deceptively small when seen straight-up from outside but turns out to be rather well-sized since it is L-shaped with the entire kitchen and also a majority of its dining space situated within the area. The dining establishment is rather simply decked within; the furniture and fittings being more for function than for form, though one can also find street views of Ipoh in the form of a wallpaper that is stickered on the feature wall; one can also find multiple illustrations of the food items in which they offer being hung on the wall as well. The food menu at Ipoh Station Kopitiam is split into sections such as Curry Noodle, Curry Chee Cheong Fun, Chee Cheong Fun, Dry Curry, Soup, Rice, Nasi Lemak, Snacks, Yong Tau Foo, Fried Rice and a couple of pastries and dessert items. Beverages offered at Ipoh Station Kopitiam includes the usual selection of Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh, some variants of Cincau, Ginger Tea etc.; just to name a few.

Noting how Ipoh-style Chee Cheong Fun is quite a thing on its own even in Ipoh, Malaysia, we had decided to opt for the Ipoh Curry Char Siew Roasted Pork Chee Cheong Fun from the Chee Cheong Fun section of the menu. For those looking for non-curry variants of Ipoh-style Chee Cheong Fun that Ipoh Station Kopitiam has to offer can opt for the Chee Cheong Fun with Mushroom Sauce and Chee Cheong Fun with Sweet Sauce. Whilst Ipoh Station Kopitiam does not describe on the elements that comes with their dishes on its menu, it can be observed from our order of the Ipoh Curry Char Siew Roasted Pork Chee Cheong Fun that the dish does feature rice vermicelli rolls that has been drenched in a curry gravy — all of which accompanied with elements such as Char Siew, Roasted Pork, Long Beans, Pig Skin, Beancurd Puffs and Sesame Seeds. There is also the basic version of the dish that comes without the meats — this being the Ipoh Curry Pork Skin Chee Cheong Fun, while there are also variants that come with only Char Siew or Roast Pork that Ipoh Station Kopitiam offers as well. Going straight for the curry gravy, we liked how the curry gravy here is sufficiently rich but not overwhelming; there is definitely a strong hint of curry spices that has been balanced well with the addition of coconut milk — that being said, we quite liked how the curry gravy here was not overly salty, and that the curry gravy does come with a reasonably spicy note that should be pretty manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. The addition of pig skin is definitely reminiscent to most of the authentic Ipoh-style curry Chee Cheong Fun dishes that we have come across from other dining establishments — the pig skin absorbing much of the curry gravy with a jelly-like and slightly chewy texture, while the inclusion of beancurd puffs sees them also absorbing much of the curry gravy whilst providing a flavour burst as it releases all of what it has absorbed when one chews into it. We also liked how the Char Siew that is being served here aren’t the absolutely generic sort with the red dye — while the Char Siew does come with lean meat here, it does come with an exterior with a sweet glaze; all that while the meat did not feel particularly dry whilst at it. Meanwhile, the crackling skin of the Roast Pork did retain some crispness while the meat comes with a saltish note from the marination process; suitably fatty and gelatinous in some parts, but also well balanced with the leaner meat that makes it really easy to eat. The long beans also provide an element of crunch for a contrast of textures at the same time.

The Kaya Butter Toast Bread is available ala-carte as well as in a set format; for our order, we went with the ala-carte version that is being served up as-is. The Kaya Butter Toast Bread can be observed to come with toasted white bread; the toast coming with a slab of salted butter in between the bread that is also accompanied by Hainanese-style Kaya that can be distinguished from the Nyonya-style Kaya with its brown hue. Taking a bite into the toast, the toast is best had when it is just served to the table; having the toast whilst it is still warm retains the crisp texture that it is being intended to be enjoyed in. As one sinks their teeth into the Kaya Butter Toast Bread, the Hainanese-style Kaya came surprisingly smooth; no lumpy bits that one would typically expect especially for Kaya that comes that are commercially-sourced / produced commercially — there is also this slightly caramel-esque sweetness that comes with hint of coconut-y fragrance that paired well with the salted butter that is portioned just about right for one to have a balanced taste of both.

We found ourselves also opting for the Coconut Egg Tart which is one out of the three (3) variants of tarts that Ipoh Station Kopitiam has to offer; the other two (2) being the Egg Tart and the Portuguese Egg Tart. The Coconut Egg Tart is lesser of an egg tart since the entire tart does come with a desiccated coconut filling rather than that of an egg custard. The desiccated coconut filling itself does seem to be pretty reminiscent to that of the sugary desiccated coconut fillings that we typically come across in the local-style Min Jiang Kueh, but packed in a way more compact form whilst it does carry a bite and doesn’t crumble down messily even when one takes a bite into it. The tart base was more akin to that of a shortcrust pastry that did hold up the fillings well and provided a cookie-like bite when one takes a bite into it; though we did find the underside to be a little bit on the greasy side.

Since we were already in a dining establishment that serves up Ipoh-style cuisine, it was needless to say that we would have to give their Ipoh White Coffee (Cold) a go. This would come in the same frothy and overflow aesthetic that one would typically expect out of iced Nanyang-style Kopi that is being served up at Nanyang Kopitiam-themed dining establishments recently. The mug that the Ipoh White Coffee (Cold) was actually quite large, and we liked how the Ipoh White Coffee (Cold) did carry quite a caffeinated kick alongside that roasty notes of Robusta beans that have been seemingly been roasted with butter for an additional fragrance. The Ipoh White Coffee (Cold) was suitably sweet; one that definitely paired well with the food items that we have opted for.

Overall, it does seem that Ipoh Station Kopitiam is recreating some pretty authentic Malaysian-style flavours from its various Malaysian dishes that they have to offer — while the focal point of Ipoh Station Kopitiam is definitely on their Ipoh-style dishes, Ipoh Station Kopitiam’s variety of dishes in their menu extends far out to even Penang-style dishes like their Penang Assam Laksa, and even local tzechar-style rice dishes as well such as the Creamy Salted Egg Chicken Rice and Cheese Custard Chicken Rice which we are also pretty keen to try if we were to make our return visits here. Prices of the dishes in the Curry Noodle, Curry Chee Cheong Fun, Chee Cheong Fun, Dry Curry, Soup, Rice, Nasi Lemak, Yong Tau Foo and Fried Rice sections of the menu do not surpass $11; the most expensive dish being the Petai with Shrimp Nasi Lemak, while the lowest-priced items are their range of dishes in the Chee Cheong Fun at $3. With its affordable price point, Ipoh Station Kopitiam does serve as a decent option to consider dining at if around the Rochor area!