Seong Man Teahouse

We randomly picked a cafe to wait for our check-in timeslot on the day of our arrival in Ipoh and I wanted to ensure the cafe was within walking distance of our accommodation. Looking at their Google reviews, we decided to go for Seong Man Teahouse which was 5 to 10 minutes away from our apartment

Nestled along a row of shophouses, Seong Man stands out with its cultural and artsy entrance. A mix mash of traditional Chinese lanterns with a marble table and wooden chairs set against an attention-seeking blue facade. We had to press a bell to get entry into the cafe

The interiors of the cafe were very laid-back and relaxing, with many pieces of antique furniture setting the atmosphere like your grandmother’s house. One of the most interesting pieces of furniture is the main counter which is used as the cashier and drinks counter. The counter reminded me of the ancient wooden counter shelves used in traditional medicinal halls. There were also ancient-designed study desks, a make-up counter and a kitchen pantry cabinet which were all used as part of the decorations of the cafe

The menu was also no fuss with simple printouts and pictures pasted over an old booklet. There was nothing fancy in this cafe at all. The cafe was filled with a Chinese Literatry atmosphere from the soft-spoken owners who took our orders to the background music. There were times I felt like I needed to whip out a brush to do some calligraphy

Although the atmosphere calls for sipping hot tea, the extreme temperatures outside made us reach for iced teas immediately. We had honey pu-erh tea and osmanthus flower oolong tea which were both refreshing and very delicious in the hot weather. I like that it was not overpowered by any sugar as the honey pu-erh was sweetened but not too sweet and the osmanthus has the nice fragrance of the flower well combined with the oolong tea flavours

We ordered a grass jelly dessert and ang ku kueh which were surprisingly delicious. Unlike normal ang gu kueh, this was very light and chewy without being too oily or sticky. The peanut filling was also caramelised coconut which is sweet and packed with fragrance. The sweet potato balls and grass jelly dessert was milky and sweet which was great for the hot weather. An unsuspecting delicious item was their vegetarian char siew steamed bun which came highly recommended by the owner. We ordered this on our 2nd visit before we flew home as we loved their drinks too much. This time around, most of the desserts were unavailable, so we ordered the vegetarian steamed bun with a nice soft fluffy skin and savoury mock meat. The bun almost tastes like a meat bun but much lighter without the oily feeling

The drink which really stood up was the roasted oolong latte which was creamy and nutty with a refreshing yet unique flavour. This was one of the reasons why we returned to Seong Mun before going to the airport. The cheesecake has a light pumpkin sweetness which was quite different from usual cheesecakes

Overall, I love the tranquillity of Seong Man and the exquisite drinks and desserts offered at the cafe. Unlike other Instagrammable cafes, the peacefulness of the Seong Man draws me in for repeated visits

Address: 124, Jalan Sultan Iskandar, Taman Jubilee, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Opening hours: 11 am to 6 pm ( closed Mon to Wed)