I

poh, the capital of Perak state in Malaysia, historically refers to the Old Town and New Town areas divided by the Kinta River at its heart, from which the city grew.

From the late 1980s, Greentown, located near the New Town, was transformed from old government quarters to an administrative and commercial center of Ipoh, often overshadowing both Old Town and New Town.

Famous for its food, the residents of Ipoh claim that the town's water, which is relatively "hard" (high alkali content) owing to Ipoh's location on top of a large karstic formation, makes the food particularly tasty.

Visitors are recommended to sample Sar Hor Fun - a dish with fl at white rice noodles that locals believe is best served in soup with shredded chicken meat and prawns.

Most Ipoh residents, particularly the older generation, are known to enjoy dim sum, consisting of various Hong Kong-style cuisine including small Chinese dumplings and hors d'oeuvre-style delicacies. All these are savored with generous servings of Chinese tea.

Other popular dishes include Hor Hee - a dish with flat white rice noodles served with fi sh cakes and/or fish balls; Nga Choi Kai, which is chicken fillet with soy sauce, beansprouts and pepper spread on top of it; Hakka Mee, consisting of yellow noodles served with mince pork sauce; and Heong Peng, which is a type of biscuit.

Ipoh is also famous for Malay and Indian cuisine, such as satay served with peanut sauce, tempoyak (preserved durian extract commonly eaten with chili), banana leaf rice (Indian cuisine served on a banana leaf ), and a variety of northern Indian food. However, a visit to Ipoh is not complete without trying the "Ipoh white coffee", which was introduced during the time when Ipoh Old Town was established and the many small coffee shops that serve this aromatic beverage have remained in this part of town, hence the moniker "old town white coffee".

A 15-minute drive from Ipoh toward Tanjung Rambutan town leads you to the foot of a limestone hill where visitors can rejuvenate at hot baths from the Tambun hot natural spring. Ulu Chepor - a well-known recreational place for picnics in a remote yet nature-friendly place - also has a wonderful waterfall camping area located 10 km from Ipoh; other such waterfalls include Lubuk Timah in Simpang Pulai, and one in Falim.

The highlight, however, is Ipoh Old Town, which has many interesting attractions. In fact, Ipoh was the fi lming location for Ang Lee's controversial 2006 fi lm Lust, Caution; and the fi lming of award-winning film Indochine (starring Catherine Deneuve and Vincent Perez) took place here in 1992.

Moving images aside, you're recommended to check out the historical Anglo-Chinese School, which is the oldest and one of the most prestigious schools in Perak. The school has facilities including a swimming pool, indoor badminton stadium, gymnasium, an extensive library and computer and science labs. The St. Michael's Institution at Clayton Road (now Jl. S.P. Seenivasagam) offers arresting architectural features. The school was established in 1912 by Father J.B. Coppin and served as the Japanese administration headquarters in Ipoh during WWII.