Hakka Restaurant Ipoh Town

Although Ipoh is known widely as a Cantonese-speaking city with the majority of Ipoh residents and shop owners speaking Cantonese, there is actually a substantial Hakka community due to their tin mining history

In my previous trips to Ipoh, I have always tried the food at the popular coffee shops but I managed to chance upon a restaurant where only locals visit. Just 2 streets away from the bustling central street lies a heavily decorated restaurant which looks like a restaurant from the 70s

As I stepped into the restaurant, I was intrigued by the over-the-top yet befitting decorations and embellishments throughout the first floor of the restaurant. I felt like I was transported back in time and walked straight into someone’s wedding celebration at the Chinese restaurant. We were led to the 2nd floor which was much less eye-catching but calming to the eyes. Spotted with various calligraphy and Chinese paintings, the 2nd story has the air of a traditional Chinese teahouse in the ’60s

The menu was printed in the same aesthetics as the restaurant, with bright red paper and yellow font with lamination. There was quite a wide variety of dishes for both sharing and individual meals

We started off with the famous Hakka Abacus seed which is usually made of yam but they have another version which is made from pumpkin so we actually decided to order the more unique pumpkin version. The abacus seeds were bouncy and chewy with a nice light fragrance of pumpkin and a natural sweetness which was well paired with the savoury toppings of minced meat and black fungus. I could eat this as my main course alone

Another popular Hakka dish is the braised pork belly with yam which my mum cooks since she is Hakka. The meat was braised well with the fats and meat combining into a mouthful of juiciness without being overly oily. The yam was soft and creamy and extremely flavourful when paired with the braised pork. This was perfect to be eaten with white rice or it can be slightly salty eaten on its own

The next dish was the homemade beancurd in pumpkin sauce topped with vegetables and mushrooms. The tofu was soft and smooth with strong bean flavours just like the beancurd in all Ipoh stores. The differentiator here was really the sweet and savoury pumpkin gravy which gave the tofu so much more depth. While the tofu was perfect in texture, the gravy gave it the natural sweetness and tinge of savoury which made this dish extremely delicious

The next dish is something simple yet done extremely well. The stir-fried long beans were crunchy, fresh and juicy but without the raw vegetable taste. It was lightly flavoured without being too oily so it was a delight to eat with the rest of the dishes as it added a nice crunch to the meal

Last but not least was the soup which blew my mind away. We had the coconut chicken soup which was served in a porcelain pot just nice for sharing. There were chunks of chicken meat in the soups and strips of coconut flesh. While the soup did not look like the most appetizing, the first spoon made my eyes light up. The soup was so refreshing and sweet that it was pretty addictive to drink. In a spoonful, you could taste the natural sweetness from both the chicken and coconut with a light coconut fragrance. I don’t think there was any MSG since I did not get thirsty from drinking the soup. I highly recommend ordering the soup when you visit

Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Hakka Restaurant Ipoh Town as it tasted like a familiar homecooked meal and most of the dishes were on point in terms of flavours and ingredients. I would definitely visit them again even though their price point is slightly higher than some restaurant

Address: 8, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Opening hours: 11 am to 3 pm , 5pm to 9.30 pm ( Closed on Monday)