Ipoh Kopitiam — Restaurant in Alhambra

I saved this place a couple years back during their soft opening and tried them shortly after. I thought the food was solid. I’ve only been to this place three times total including this review. It’s always so busy so the previous two times my wife and I usually got take out. We finally had a chance to dine in. It was incredibly convenient. We checked in on yelp about 40-50 mins before we were hungry. We arrived within a 10 min time window. Checked in with staff, and within a few minutes the table was ready. We had the laksa and the rotti canai with beef rendang, their steamed choy sum, and shared a lemon tea. We also go some to-go orders for lunch next day.

Food: definitely recommend the laksa, the flavor of the broth was immense and not overly salty. The noodles had this interesting texture for a round noodle but had a chewiness like a distant cousin of udon or knife cut noodle but it was a little firmer. The fried tofu cubes and shrimp were all great, paired excellent with the broth. (I am not a huge fan of shrimp, still was great)

Rotti canai portions were a little concerning at first (cuz I failed to notice it was an appetizer). Though sharing the food with my wife the portions were nothing to be worried about. The beef rendang was spiced but not necessarily super spicy, and it was very tender. The other curry, although it looked like the broth from the laksa had a very heavy citrus flavor profile, maybe some of their anchovy-like paste, but was a nice refreshing contrast. The rotti was flaky and wonderful.

Their steamed choy sum was excellent, it was cooked perfectly, very tender with a slight crunch. No indelible fibrous bits. Also it was not our first choice but they ran out of their stir fried vegetable options.

Service: it was super busy they had a whole wall of tickets that I noticed when I checked in. The staff was busy but in no way did I feel like I was rushed during their dinner service despite the line out the door. The staff was insanely attentive, offering water, refills, and extra bowls to share the food at almost mere single word or a point of the finger. The staff seemed to really know what they’re doing, and really doing their job well. I was really impressed.

Last thing I noticed for the night was that they had a Michelin bib gourmand award after we had left. I was surprised to find out only having ate at this place a couple times but not surprised at all after having left and paid. To put things into perspective… What I’m basing this off of is, we spent an equal amount of money at an Italian restaurant the other night compared to this restaurant where we got dinner and lunch for the next day for the same price. The food at Ipoh was exponentially better. Well deserved, a step above the...

Ipoh Kopitiam is hands down my favorite Malaysian restaurant in Los Angeles — and honestly, one of my favorite restaurants, period.

In the past two years, I’ve eaten here over 100 times, and that should tell you everything you need to know. The consistency, depth of flavor, and heart in every dish are what keep me coming back — again and again.

The Hainanese chicken rice is truly the best I’ve had in the U.S. — perfectly poached, tender, and flavorful, served with fragrant rice and a trio of sauces that complement it beautifully. It's comfort food at its finest.

If you're looking for a lighter, healthier double-protein, lower-carb option, order the Ipoh-style chicken with bean sprouts — it’s the same delicious chicken, but served with crisp, juicy sprouts instead of rice. It’s clean, satisfying, and still packed with flavor.

The BBQ pork (char siu) is easily the best in LA — incredibly tender with a beautifully caramelized, smoky edge. Absolute perfection - but it's only available at 3pm. Come early to make sure they don't run out!

Some of my other must-order dishes include:

Char Kway Teow – Stir-fried flat noodles with excellent wok hei. Ask for their house hot sauce on the side — it’s a deadly combo that takes the dish to another level.

Singapore Curry Laksa – A rich, spicy, coconut-based noodle soup that’s bursting with flavor.

Roti Canai with Chicken Curry – Flaky, warm roti paired with a deeply savory and satisfying curry.

Kaya Toast with Butter – A sweet, nostalgic bite with creamy kaya and cold butter sandwiched between crispy toast.

Fried Chicken Wings – Crispy, juicy, and packed with flavor — a sleeper hit on the menu.

Steamed Choy Sum – Simply prepared and done right — fresh, tender greens with a touch of garlic, the perfect complement to any meal.

Malaysian Milk Tea – Reminds me of Hong Kong-style milk tea, but with a distinct Malaysian twist. Rich, creamy, and comforting.

What truly sets Ipoh Kopitiam apart is the warm and attentive team. Jackie and Tina always greet me with a smile and go above and beyond to make every visit feel personal. Their hospitality adds so much warmth to the already amazing food.

If Google would let me, I’d give this place 8 out of 5 stars. That’s how much I love it.

Whether you’re Malaysian or just a lover of great food, Ipoh Kopitiam is a gem in LA’s food scene. Authentic, consistent, and always made with heart — it’s the restaurant I return to more than any other, and the one I...

Tl;dr was missing Malaysian food, was just in Malaysia 8 months ago. Came here with high hopes based on a friend. Left pretty disappointed.

Came on a Saturday night for dinner and there was a big line outside already. They utilize the Yelp wait-list so you can use the app to join the wait-list or get wait times before you get there. I joined the wait-list and waited about 15 minutes before a lady came out yelling about checking in. This set off alarm bells because there were at least 3 people who arrived after us, who got seated before us, and they had the same number of people as our group. So apparently, you have to both join the wait-list AND check in with a waitress. This is the only place that I've seen do it this way because this is asinine. Nowhere do they have a sign saying that, and if you're going to manually handle the wait-list then why not use that as your only list? Why use TWO methods?

After we were seated, we ordered and got drinks. Our water came in prefilled plastic cups, which is fine, but we were never offered refills. The Malaysian milk tea was tiny, even by Malaysian standards, and it was nothing special. Tastes closer to Hong Kong style milk tea to me.

The food came really quick which was weird considering how busy they were. Char kway tiao came first. Looked good but a few issues. $16 noodles - 3 shrimp and 3 paper thin slices of tofu, although a bunch of lap cheong. Also, food was only lukewarm? That's definitely bad considering this dish is supposed to have wok hei! Nasi lemak with rendang beef was next. This dish was pretty good, beef was tender, rendang and sambal taste was spot on. Boiled egg, which is fine with me. Overall very good! Bak kut teh came last, also lukewarm. Taste decent, and extra points for coming with the Chinese donut and the proper meat dipping sauce on the side.

I am pretty confused regarding the temperature of the food. Either it was cooked fresh and sat waiting for the waiter to bring it to us, or these dishes were all precooked and sitting around in a big tray. For the money, neither is acceptable and I'm not sure I'm going to come back for another shot. Maybe I'd come back to try the Hainan chicken rice, the table next to us got it and it smelled very fragrant. Also maybe if I need my 100 Plus fix, which is hard to...