Little Allegra Bakery, Ipoh – Café & Bakery

Little Allegra Bakery

Monica Tindall

It wouldn’t be a complete trip to Ipoh if we didn’t visit serial restaurateur Julie Lip to see what latest idea she has cooked up. There is always something creative in her kitchen and this round we discover Little Allegra Bakery in Taman Canning.

Little Allegra Bakery, Ipoh

Set in the residential street, Jalan Keliling, the café has a casual, cosy and happy feel. White walls and polished cement floors are the backdrops for the creative touches Julie is known for. Windows stream natural light and edibles sprout from giant coffee mugs. Julie’s personal collection of recipe books (over 600!) are on sale on a shelf in the corner and there’s an eye-catching wall mural of trees with tiny three-dimensional birds sitting on their branches.

All of this is well and good but only a moment’s distraction from the real showstopper – shelves and counters of sweets, pastries and savouries, all on the plump side and many with seductive sauces dripping down their sides.

Menu

Little Allegra Bakery is only open four days – Friday to Monday – and the menu changes weekly so you could make a regular visit and always find something new.

Racks of savouries, a counter of sweets, a chilled fridge of desserts and a blackboard menu of daily specials are for the pickings. Julie posts the menu daily on Instagram and there is a steady stream of clients who have ordered ahead coming in to collect takeaway goodies. We’re here at 9 am and every table has a reservation sign on it. It’s fully booked most days so well-worth calling ahead or settling for picking up goods to go.

Savouries

Julie has a decent selection of vegan options on the menu ensuring that even vegan butter is used in the making of these pastries. The Vegan Crostata (RM 14) is an excellent choice and packed with peas, tofu, carrots, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. The pastry it’s folded in has a nice crumbly texture. Delicious.

Hubby’s Turkey Croque Monsieur (RM 12) is another mouth-watering pick. Toasted sourdough disappears beneath leek, avocado, turkey pieces and cheese melted over the top. We both love this recipe.

There are no complaints about the generosity of filling in the Chicken Tomato Pie (RM 13) either. It is so full that no pastry top fits over the top. Kept in a metal case, it’s heated and turned onto the plate before serving, opening up the insides to the out. About 10 different types of pies are in Little Allegra Bakery’s repertoire – all of them are best sellers.

Sweets

Dessert lovers could go wild here with the sweet pastries and chilled desserts aplenty. I’ve lost my sweet tooth in recent years though and think I’ll just “have a little taste” of the Cronut (RM 10) for research purposes. With milk and white Valhrona chocolate toppings and moist, spongey layers, it is a ring of scrumptiousness. I end up eating more than hubby, which is quite a win for me if you know the man.

Coffee

Padre Coffee from Melbourne is served in pretty purple cups with canary yellow plates. The colourful crockery only serves to add to the happy buzz gifted by the well-balanced Cappuccino (RM 11). Another round, please!

Little Allegra Bakery, Ipoh

Café hoppers, pastry-lovers and dessert freaks should be sure to include Little Allegra Bakery on their agenda to any visit to Ipoh. The light, bright setting and intimate space have a cosy, cheerful feel and the food is, in one word, delicious.

Reasons to visit Little Allegra Bakery, Ipoh: cosy neighbourhood café with inspiring artistic touches; excellent baked goods; Padre Coffee.

Little Allegra Bakery, Ipoh
26a, Jalan Keliling,
Taman Canning, 31400 Ipoh,
Negeri Perak
Malaysia
www.facebook.com/littleallegrabakery
+6 010-941 5722

Little Allegra Bakery, Ipoh Opening Hours
Friday to Monday: 8:30 am – 5 pm
Tuesday to Thursday: Closed

Find more recommendations for Ipoh here, and stay up-to-date on the latest gourmet and travel happenings around Malaysia here and here.