BEN & LYNETTE

A cafe that occupies a beautiful bungalow in Ipoh, Ben & Lynette is reputedly named after the children of one of its owners.

The place teems with nostalgic flourishes, including tables constructed out of vintage sewing machines

and shelves lined with copies of The Guinness Book of Records and Marvel comic issues dating back to the 1980s

Ben & Lynette focuses on serving teatime treats such as strudels, scones, mushroom pies and lemon pound cakes

paired with fruity smoothies made with bananas, raspberries, oranges and strawberries.

Poached eggs with smoked salmon & asparagus form a reasonably satisfactory open-face sandwich; hot & heartier meals like spaghetti turkey carbonara & beef pepperoni pizzas are available too.

But the main culinary curiosity here is a massive burger that’s meant to be shared, comprising six (!!!) chicken, lamb and beef patties, topped with onion rings, gherkins and a fried egg for basically RM50.

Coffee is available at prices that seem scarily similar to Kuala Lumpur's. No escape from inflation.

Ipoh's local white coffee for RM10? It's a sign of the times for this northern city that's now booming with new cafes.

Ben & Lynette

42, Lorong Cheah Cheang Lim, Ipoh, Perak

Daily, 9am-midnight