Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter , or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates. In a nation as diverse as Malaysia, it’s not always easy to find a place where people from different backgrounds can come together and share a meal. But nestled in the bustling streets of Ipoh’s Canning Garden, the New Hollywood Cafe has been quietly bridging the gap between cultures for nearly half a century.
This unassuming Hainanese kopitiam, run by second-generation owner Chan Jit Keong and his family, has become a rare gem in a culinary landscape where Chinese kopitiams are often deemed not halal, making them inaccessible to Malays. But at the New Hollywood Cafe, things are different. Speaking to TRP, Chan said it all started in the 1970s when Chan’s mother was approached by college students looking for pork-free dishes.
Seeing an opportunity to bring more people together, she convinced the hawkers to adapt their recipes, replacing pork with chicken. The move was a resounding success, and the kopitiam has been a beacon of inclusivity ever since. Today, the New Hollywood Cafe is a melting pot of cultures.
Malays, Chinese, and Indians can sit side by side, bonding over steaming plates of curry noodles, hot cakoi, roti canai, and an array of other mouth-watering dishes. Seeing such diverse groups dining together is a testament to the power of food in breaking down barriers and fostering unity. A short trip to Ipoh.
Breakfast @ Restoran New Holly Wood makan chee cho.