The Old Town coffee is one of the few local coffee brand that made it beyond the city confine of their origin. It all started from a small coffee shop in Ipoh “old town”, hence the brand name, and ingenuity made them into the house hold coffee name that we know of today. Their famous “white coffee” is now marketed through the supermarket shelves in the form of small instant packets. Their ingenuity have brought them to the next level, they now have a new “Malaysian style” coffee shop at the Penang e-Gate business park. Most interesting of all, they are located next to “Seattle’s best” Starbuck.

The Place
Occupying one shop lot, the décor reflects the “Malaysian style” yesteryears Kopi Thiam but, with a splash of modern design. This place screams Kopi Thiam with their white marble table, and yet whispers 2006 with the laminated flooring and monster digital prints replacing tile flooring and walls. The settings doesn’t really portray comfort, and yet there is a certain appeal that is very inviting. It could be the strong coffee aroma or the friendly smiling faces, nevertheless, the place do give a good run to Starbucks next door.

The Food
Is deliciously local, from all the local coffee blend to toasted bread with kaya and butter to Nasi Kunyit and Hor Fun Sup (koay teow sup). The food is relatively simple and not overpriced. As this is a premium type of coffee shop, the food is not cheap either. A set of Omega soft boiled eggs and a double oldtown kaya and butter toast would set you back RM3.60. The nasi lemak special is priced at RM5.80 and the Ipoh Chicken Hor Fun is priced at RM4.80. The drinks on the other end, is a motivation to visit the kopi thiam. The famous oldtown white coffee(hot) is priced at RM2.00 cup, and would leave you asking for more. At this price, one could get stoned with coffee without burning a hole in the pocket. The ice blended is a little pricey for a kopi thiam. An oldtown ice blended white coffee original for instance, is priced at RM5.50, nevertheless, it is still affordable compared to the competition next door.

With the right mix of food and drinks offering, it makes a good place to visit all day round. The price is reasonable, and the drinks leave patrons asking for more. I for one is a fan, mainly for the affordable coffee, and most of all, I do not have to travel to Ipoh for an authentic cup of Oldtown white coffee anymore.

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