Ipoh’s Concubine Lane draws foodies and tourists

The narrow alley is a major attraction known for its heritage value, which has been turned into a mini Jonker Street of sorts, with various food, beverage and souvenirs being sold there.

Engineer Ho Wei Bin, who returned here for the holidays, said Panglima Lane had changed a lot since his visit last year.

“There were only one or two souvenir shops and an eatery then.

“Now, there are over 10 stalls selling souvenirs and food on both sides of the lane,” he said.

“The place is so crowded that I could only see a sea of heads from one end of the lane,” he added.

Ho, 36, said he would usually avoid tourist spots as the roads leading to these areas would be congested.

“I thought it was better to drop by at Panglima Lane for a walk,” he said.

Drink seller Soon Ee Hoon, 53, said she anticipated a bigger crowd over the weekend.

“Business is already beginning to be brisk,” she said.

Soon said she believed that with Ipoh being named as one of the top destinations to visit by Lonely Planet, the interest of visitors from all over the country had been piqued. “It has certainly put us on the map. There are a lot of hipster cafes near here,” she said.

A businessman, who only wants to be known as Chai, said he and his family came to the city for the food.

“Ipoh is famed for its hawker fare like the nga choy kai (bean sprouts and chicken) and taufu fah (soya beancurd), so we’ll be looking for these.

“It’s going to be a short trip. We are staying for two days and will visit several places here, including the cave temples,” said the 46-year-old from Kuala Lumpur.