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first sip. A friend of mine told me that it
would feel as though silk is sliding down
my throat … he was spot on! The drink
was smooth and sweet, but still retained
its strong coffee flavour.
Sin Yoong Loong is run by three broth-
ers who have taken over their father’s
coffee legacy. One of the brothers, K.M.
Wong was kind enough to share with me
the origins of his family’s coffee business.
According to him, their father, Wong Chin
Choong was a young lad when he made
his way to Malaysia from Hainan Island.
He had a dream to get rich by working in
the tin mines, but luck wasn’t on his side.
Instead, he and his friends opened a local
coffee shop in 1937.
As his friends still had family back
get
away
Arththi Sathananthar
goesbehindthescenesof Ipoh’sfamousWhiteCoffeeto learnthe
story of this precious elixir.
Coffee Heritage
THE FIREFLY OPTION:
Firefly flies to Ipoh
from Johor Bahru
and Singapore. For
flight, hotel and
tour bookings,
visit www.
fireflyholiday.com
W
hen
it comes
to tasting one
of the world’s
best coffees,
one may not
need to travel
as far as Italy.
The grass may always seem greener on
the other side, but right here onMalaysian
soil, you can also find what I would
call the crème de la crème of Malaysian
coffees. Even the premium priced coffees
have got nothing on Ipoh’s crowning
glory of beverages. Despite not being a
coffee aficionado, I would never miss
out on a chance to track down the best
authentic coffee establishments in the
quaint little town.
During my visit, I was told by Ipoh
locals that if I wanted to find the best white
coffee, I’d have to drop by Jalan Bandar
Timah inOld Town. There’s an abundance
of coffee shops along this street, but on the
corner of this street is where you’ll find
two of the oldest and best coffee shops –
better known as
kopitiams
– that are Nam
Heong and Sin Yoon Loong. So I decided to
take a sip at Sin Yoong Loong first.
I ordered their white coffee and a toast
with kaya and butter – the locals swear by
this combination. It came in an antique
looking porcelain set with green floral
motives gracing the white backdrop of
the cup and saucer. The rim was filled
with airy, frothy foam and a strong rich
aroma wafted from the cup. I took my