BY TREMOR CHRIST

A halfway home between a wannabee city and a shantytown on the outskirts of WTF, Ipoh is seen mostly as a stop on the road between KL and Penang. Like most places on earth, it does deserve a little exploration, and the food scene alone is worth a long weekend for.

Specialty coffee is well represented in a city of such small population, and there are enough differences for anyone to find their preference.

In no order whatsoever, here are the places to hit if you like third-wave coffee.

KUSAMU

125 serves solid pourovers in a quiet old house with just enough decay to make you feel like you're not in a coffee shop designed by a venture capitalist. There are a few specialty beans on display to choose between, or you can settle for the house blend if you're bad at decision making.

They also sell beans for those that have the means and the ways to brew on the road.

OMNI

Purveyors of Light-Medium roast beans to the local caffeine flock, this coffee shop slightly out of the central bend is a "must do" stop on the coffee grind. Talk to the staff about where your temptations lie, and they'll conjure up a cup.

AUDS CAFE

Who said random locations can't throw up great coffee? Not us. Double Dose is your little neighborhood gem specialising in choice pourovers from the 3-4 rotating bags, plus all your regular espresso and milk based drinks.

THE COFFEE JAR

Roasting beans in-house, and recently moved from next door due to the inevitable rising rents, this sleek home of concrete and calm serves pourover, espresso and sells beans fresh from the machine parked by the window.

WA COFFEE & ROASTER

Another renegade caffeinator roasting his own beans and preparing tasty pourovers at this fairly new cafe. Worth a visit if you're in these parts of town.

SIN SEE TAI

For those missing the taste of Parisian boulangerie's, pop by for a delectable croissant (and other pastries), order a coffee and head upstairs, or buy some beans by weight from the counter. A little gem that operates under the Daily Fix umbrella.