Plan B

Plan B opened in Ipoh's Kong Heng Square in 2013, the Ipoh outpost of Benjamin Yong's Kuala Lumpur restaurant group, The BIG Group. It sits in a restored 1900s shoplot off Concubine Lane, all exposed brick, steel and salvaged timber from the Studio Bikin fit-out. The food is Western-Asian fusion: big breakfasts, burgers, pastas and local-leaning plates like the Ang Mo Indomie. Mains land around RM30, and a plate with a drink runs closer to RM50. It is a cafe, not a fine-dining room, and one of the better-designed spaces in Old Town.

The Kitchen

Plan B is run by The BIG Group, the Kuala Lumpur restaurant company founded by Benjamin Yong, and the Ipoh branch opened in Kong Heng Square in 2013. There is no celebrity chef at the pass; this is a group concept executed consistently, and the kitchen does an all-day menu of Western-Asian fusion.

Breakfast runs long, from avocado toast to a full set, and from late morning the kitchen turns to burgers, sandwiches and pastas alongside fusion plates: the Ang Mo Indomie, the Pan Mee Impasta, a Korean Fried Chicken burger, Kam Heong pasta and the much-ordered dirty fries. Mains sit around RM30, and a main with a drink comes to roughly RM50 a head, which keeps it firmly in casual-cafe territory rather than fine dining. The room is at 75 Jalan Panglima, in the restored Kong Heng Square block just off Concubine Lane in Ipoh's Old Town, with a Studio Bikin interior of exposed brick, steel and reclaimed wood. It opens daily from late morning to late evening, and it works as well for a solo laptop lunch as for a casual group dinner.

The Room

The room is the draw as much as the food. The Studio Bikin fit-out keeps the bones of the old shoplot, with exposed brick, steel-framed windows and reclaimed timber, and opens onto the greenery of Kong Heng Square. It is bright and airy by day, warmer in the evening, with a mix of communal tables, bar seats and smaller two-tops that make solo dining easy. The noise level is cafe-busy rather than hushed, especially at weekend brunch. There is no dress code; people come in shorts off the Old Town heritage trail. Long opening hours make it a place you can settle into for a few hours rather than turn quickly.

Best for Solo Dining

Plan B is built for solo dining. The mix of bar seats, communal tables and small two-tops means a single diner never feels parked at the worst table; the long all-day hours let you come at an off-peak lull and linger; and the casual menu lets you eat lightly or properly without ceremony. Bring a laptop for a late-morning flat white and the Ang Mo Indomie, or read over dirty fries in the afternoon. The Kong Heng Square setting gives you something to look at when you glance up. For more rooms that welcome a table for one, see Best for solo dining and the Ipoh dining guide.

Frequently Asked Questions