Ipoh Chicken Rice

Ipoh’s famous chicken rice – otherwise known as Ipoh taugeh chicken rice, should be on every foodie’s list of Ipoh food to try!

Many vendors have made it their specialty as the business is lucrative. This healthy competition means that the standard of chicken rice in Ipoh stays high!

Don’t know where to begin? We have 9 places where you can find the best chicken rice in Ipoh! Lou Wong and Ong Kee are not the only ones who serve this iconic Ipoh staple!

Table Of Contents:

  1. Lou Wong Chicken Rice
  2. Onn Kee Chicken Rice
  3. Buntong Chicken Rice
  4. Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau Restaurant
  5. Restaurant Sam Ma Chicken Rice
  6. Yoon Kee Bean Sprouts Chicken
  7. Restoran Nasi Ayam Pak Kong
  8. Restaurant Huat Chicken
  9. Liao Fan Hawker Chan Ipoh Branch

9 Best Chicken Rice In Ipoh

While some shops serve rice to accompany their delicious chicken, others serve hor fun (rice noodles) instead. Or both!

Yoon Kee Bean Sprouts Chicken At Ipoh Stadium
Yoon Kee Bean Sprouts Chicken At Ipoh Stadium

Try both versions while you’re in Ipoh! There are restaurants open from morning till midnight!



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1. Lou Wong Chicken Rice Ipoh

It’s easy to want to make a beeline straight for this establishment in Ipoh New Town:

After tourists knew about Lou Wong, other Ipoh chicken rice establishments soon spread in Ipoh New Town. All wanting to cash in on the overflowing success of Lou Wong!

Lou Wong Bean Sprout Chicken (老黃芽菜雞)
Lou Wong Bean Sprout Chicken (老黃芽菜雞) – photo credits to bg_r8 (Instagram)

Lou Wong’s chicken may be a little oily but that’s normal.

Together with crunchy bean sprouts, chicken rice or horfun, the simple seasoning and fresh garnish is enough to bring out the succulent taste of the chicken!

Address: 49, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Taman Jubilee, 30000 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: 10:30am to 12am

Contact: +605-254 4199

Remark: Don’t expect top service as the staff is often overwhelmed!

2. Ong Kee Bean Sprouts Chicken Restaurant / Onn Kee Chicken Rice Ipoh

Lou Wong’s main rival is almost directly across from them! Their sauce comes off a little saltier than Lou Wong’s while the chicken, hor fun and sprouts are just as delightful!

安记芽菜鸡沙河粉 Restoran Tauge Ayam Ong Kee
安记芽菜鸡沙河粉 Restoran Tauge Ayam Ong Kee – photo credits to wooichinlim (Instagram)

Some locals swear by the chicken rice here instead of Lou Wong’s!

Oh, and they do have pork meatballs that are worth trying!

Address: 48, Jalan Yau Tet Shin Taman Jubilee 30000, Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: 10:30am to 2am

Contact: +605-253 1562

3. Restaurant Ayam Tauke (文冬口芽菜鸡) / Buntong chicken rice

Most tourists have yet to hear of this place and their tender and juicy chickens! The restaurant is actually in a house in a residential neighborhood.

Restaurant Ayam Tauke (文冬口芽菜鸡) Chicken Rice Stall In Ipoh
Restaurant Ayam Tauke (文冬口芽菜鸡) Chicken Rice Stall In Ipoh – photo credits to ong_ko_hoong (Instagram)

There are just about 20 tables altogether – some inside and others outside.

They make a unique chili sauce to go with their chicken – thicker than those you would find in other Ipoh chicken rice restaurants. Both rice and hor fun are available.

Chicken Rice At Restaurant Ayam Tauke (文冬口芽菜鸡) In Ipoh
Chicken Rice At Restaurant Ayam Tauke (文冬口芽菜鸡) In Ipoh – photo credits to ong_ko_hoong (Instagram)

As well as pork bolls and of course, the quintessential taugeh (bean sprouts)!

Address: 849, Jalan Guntong, Guntong, 30100 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: 5pm to 9pm (Monday to Wednesday Closed)

Contact: +605-255 7469


Read more: 11 Best Ipoh Dim Sum Restaurants That You Have To Try


4. Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau Restaurant

Equally famous for their nga choy kai and their penchant for irregular opening hours:

Perfectly Cooked Chickens At Restoran Cowan Street Ayam Taugeh
Perfectly Cooked Chickens At Restoran Cowan Street Ayam Taugeh – photo credits to gfoochen (Instagram)

Locals don’t mind queuing up for the Ipoh chicken rice by Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau Restaurant! And they will start queuing before it opens!

The chicken rice here costs less than the more touristy venues. And the taste is consistently good.

Their hor fun stands out from other places due to a thick broth that combines the taste of chicken and prawn!

Full Meal At Restoran Cowan Street Ayam Taugeh
Full Meal At Restoran Cowan Street Ayam Taugeh – photo credits to doreenysy (Instagram)

For those who enjoy this delicacy, chicken innards are exceptionally tasty here!

Address: 44, Jalan Raja Ekram, Kampung Jawa, 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours:

Monday to Wednesday – Closed
Thursday to Sunday – 6pm to 10pm

Contact: +6012-520 3322

Remark:

  • Already packed at 6pm.
  • Call ahead to make sure they are open on the day you want to go!

5. Restaurant Sam Ma Chicken Rice

Still the new kid on the block:

Restaurant Sam Ma opened in ~2016 in Ipoh Garden South.

The Front Of Restaurant Sam Ma Chicken Rice
The Front Of Restaurant Sam Ma Chicken Rice

What’s special about their chicken rice is that they use garlic rice (though not very strongly flavored) rather than the usual chicken oil rice.

And you can upgrade to kampung chicken for an additional ~RM4!

Customers can buy just quarter chicken or half chicken instead of a whole chicken! The house chili is the cherry on top for the meal! They’re also very generous with the cucumber slices!

Poached Chicken At Restaurant Sam Ma
Poached Chicken At Restaurant Sam Ma

You can order the following side dishes to go with your meal:

  • Bean sprouts
  • Lettuce
  • Braised chicken feet
  • Meat balls in soup

Address: 3, Jalan S. A. Lingam, Taman Ipoh Selatan, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: Daily except Wednesdays from 11am to 3pm and again at 6pm to 9pm

Contact: +6017-756 8562

Remark: Service is slow if the restaurant is more than 50% full.

Read more: 5 Famous Ipoh Peanut Candy Stores To Check Out


6. Yoon Kee Bean Sprouts Chicken (润记)

Only open for dinner:

Another place you can get savory Ipoh chicken rice (and hor fun) from is none other than Ipoh Stadium!

Poached Chicken At Yoon Kee Ipoh Stadium
Poached Chicken At Yoon Kee Ipoh Stadium

Which is great because there’s a lot of other must-try Ipoh food here like wanton mee, fish head noodles, rojak, kuay teow, etc!

Address: No 23, Medan Selera Stadium Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: Daily except Thursday from 5pm to 11:30pm

Contact: +6016-440 3160

Remark: You may have to park at the other end of the stadium if it’s too crowded

7. Restoran Nasi Ayam Pak Kong

Just when you think we’ve run out of chicken rice shops to write about:

Restoran Nasi Ayam Pak Kong is another deserving contender on this list!

Restoran Ayam Nasi Pak Kong 白宮雞飯
Restoran Ayam Nasi Pak Kong 白宮雞飯 – photo credits to coffee.asia (Instagram)

It’s often crowded during lunch time as it’s not open for breakfast or dinner.

Along with their poached chicken, roasted chicken and char siew is for sale too. All are equally yummy so be sure to bring a buddy with you!

Their meat mains pair well with their “oil rice” and the following side dishes:

  • Bean sprouts
  • Chap geok – this is a Chinese vegetable dish that involves dried chili and vinegar – a sour and spicy combination that few restaurants serve!

Address: 27, Jalan Theatre, Taman Jubilee, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: 11:15am to 4pm

Contact: +6012-588 6618

Remark: Not open for dinner

Read more: 9 Famous Salted Chicken In Ipoh


8. Restaurant Huat Chicken (滑鸡皇) Temporarily Closed

Compared to the other Ipoh chicken rice shops, this restaurant seems like a fancy place – Marble top tables, decorative paintings and air-conditioning! Open for dinner too!

滑鸡皇 Restaurant Huat Chicken
滑鸡皇 Restaurant Huat Chicken – photo credits to bearbellykitchen (Instagram)

As with many other chicken rice restaurants, most of the side dishes will use their same blend of soy sauce and garnish that was present in the main dish, the poached chicken.

However, you can get other side dishes here besides bean sprouts:

  • Chicken feet
  • Tofu
  • Innards
  • Fish ball
  • Fried pork belly

Address: No.4, Jalan Medan Ipoh 1C, Medan Ipoh Bestari, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: 12pm to 4pm & 6pm to 10pm

Contact: +605-541 7917

Remark: Go for the rice instead of the hor fun which has a strange aftertaste.

9. Liao Fan Hawker Chan Ipoh Branch

The style of cooking and taste of this Michelin chicken rice in Ipoh is a little different from the other chicken rice shops in this list but:

Liao Fan Hawker Chan Ipoh Branch is none other than the first Malaysian outlet by the Ipoh-born Michelin star chef who found success in Singapore!

Signature Dish At Liao Fan Hawker Chan Ipoh Branch
Signature Dish At Liao Fan Hawker Chan Ipoh Branch – photo credits to cn_lee (Instagram)

Despite the pictures, it’s not roast chicken that they serve here in the clean and comfortable restaurant. But rather, the chicken is stewed in soy sauce!

While you’re here, you ought to try their char siew too! Or fish ball curry noodles!

The common verdict among locals is that it the chicken rice has been tuned to Singaporean taste buds – sweeter than what you would normally find in Ipoh.

But it’s still worth checking out if it’s not a peak business day for them!

Address: 26, Jalan Theatre, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Negeri Perak

Opening Hours: 10am to 7pm

Contact: +6016-720 9132


Read more: 15 Best Western Restaurants In Ipoh


BONUS: IPOH Hainan Chicken Rice (Halal)

This halal certified restaurant with an old-school kopitiam ambiance offers Muslim visitors a chance to try Ipoh chicken rice!

Aside from poached/ steamed chicken, they have other renditions like roast chicken and Siamese chicken (sweet and sour).

Ipoh Hainan Chicken Rice
Ipoh Hainan Chicken Rice – A Halal Chicken Rice Shop In Ipoh – photo credits to Faiz Dusuki or faizdusuki (Instagram)

End your meal with some fried ice cream as dessert!

Address: 107, Jalan Raja Musa Aziz, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours: N/A

Contact: +605-254 5591

Getting To These Ipoh Chicken Rice Restaurants

To make things more convenient, you can include a stop to a chicken rice restaurant in a flexible Ipoh tour itinerary with RayTheTour, a private tour service.

During your tour, you can ask your local experienced guide which Ipoh chicken rice restaurant is their go-to!

Book or inquire more about our tours via WhatsApp or Facebook messenger.


Further reading:


Conclusion

Going for Ipoh chicken rice means having to join the locals at their favorites chicken rice haunts. Luckily, there’s many to choose from!

Most of these restaurants prepare the chicken in more or less the same way.

But some places offer additional delicacies like chicken feet, innards, fishball soup or the like. Others have a different take on their chili sauce!

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