Lim Ko Pi 啉咖啡. Ipoh version of Edelweiss Café !

Edelweiss Café  in Penang reputable to be a cafe that preserve heritage building and  the interior are decorated with antiques like a mini museum that have antique stuff like building, furniture, iron, clock, tiffin, etc for it customer to view, provide "good food and drink in heritage environment". The Cafe also features in a documentary.  Now, in Ipoh, We also have a similar Kopitiam that with heritage theme, despite not yet like a mini museum like Edelweiss Café. But you can have food and drink at much cheaper price comparativelt to Edelweiss Café  . The Kopitiam call Lim Ko Pi 啉咖啡, which just opened for business on 30 April 2011.  The entrance to Lim Ko Pi 啉咖啡

The Kopitiam operate by Lim Family, which spend approximately RM5million to acquired 12 pre-war buildings in Ipoh for conservation as they are passionate about everything vintage.The family decided to “start small” by restoring the shop next to Oversea Building, formerly occupied by an insurance company, into a kopitiam.

The shop’s name means Drink Coffee in Teochew, the clan which Lim Chai Hock belongs to.

The building had housed the Bank Of Malaya, the first Chinese bank in Ipoh founded in 1920 until it was forced to close in 1930 due to the Great Depression. Later, it was taken over by Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd. “Restoration works and the starting of Lim Ko Pi cost about RM450,000,” said  Lim Chai Hock 52. Perak State EXCO Dato' Dr Mah Hang Soon also visited the Cafe after knowing the family invested such amount to preserve heritage in Ipoh. The family also offer 1st floor of the building as a venue of meeting for those who passionate about vintage, antique and heritage to meet regularly.

Busy time at Lim Ko Pi 啉咖啡 ( The Star )

The special feature of this kopitiam is that at the back of the shop, there are 2 separate enclosures which can accommodate 2 kopitiam tables. It is open air and has a garden theme at the back of the shop, with port holes and airwells characteristic of turn-of-the-century shophouses, gracefully set off by potted plants.

Menu

Their bread and homemade Pao ( Buns) is reputable. Oversea Building next to it would be restored and made into a budget hotel.

Partners in business: Chai Hock helping his wife Lee (at the till) to operate Lim Ko Pi 啉咖啡 whenever he is on leave. ( The Star )

Below are Excerpt from Nanayang dated 2 Aug 2011:

City council analysing possibility of assessment reduction as an incentive for heritage perservation

市厅研究保育古迹奖励 老建筑物或扣门牌税



（怡保１日讯）维护与保育怡保古迹建筑物历史真貌的业主接获好消息！怡保市政厅正研究通过扣减门牌税率的方式，奖励市民保护古老历史建筑的努力。

市长拿督罗西迪最近接见怡保旧街场啉咖啡东主夫妇林财复及李玉珠时，向他们透露，市政厅有意通过回扣门牌税，表扬怡保市内被鉴定属于古迹以及保护古迹不遗余力的业主。

助旧店翻新成酒店

他说，市政厅也将尽量协助翻新旧店成为经典酒店（Boutique Hotel）的业主，与消防及拯救局研究，是否可以和其他国家乃至国内州属如马六甲和槟城一样，豁免拆除木板楼
面，惟多装置防火配备，让历史真迹向游客讲述历史。

盼设古风情饮食店

罗西迪也希望私人界开设饮食店，尤其是具有古雅南洋风情的复古老店，业主可考虑推销清真美食，不仅迎接国内各族游客，也可招徕及款待来自世界不同宗教背景的客人。

市长是最近获知啉咖啡东主林财复在海外攻读博士学位的女儿林倍斯建议下，一口气购置怡保新、旧街场11间老店屋，一家五口（爸妈和三名女儿）默默付出让百年古迹逐渐还原的
用心后，马上指派三名官员，盛意拳拳到啉咖啡邀请东主家人到市长办事处洽谈，共同研究官民维护古迹的心得。

林家感激本报独家报道 啉咖啡获州内高官垂注

李玉珠向《南洋商报》透露，她和丈夫及小女儿倍慈，趁周一休业，拜会市长时获得市长告知上述佳音。

她非常感激本报独家报道林家创设啉咖啡，使到霹雳州大臣顾问拿督郑可扬、高级行政议员拿督哈密达以及市长拿督罗西迪格外关注，也曾微服前往了解实况。

检讨增加旧街场车位

李玉珠表示，市长了解他们一家人默默耕耘，发挥自己有限的力量来保育怡保市内百年老店后感到欣慰，因此提出建议，市政厅将会研究是否可以通过扣减门牌税，鼓励怡保业主保育
古迹的运动。

她说，市长也听取她要求地方政府检讨增加旧街场路旁停车位，平衡车流及商业利弊的建议，表示市政厅会将收集实况及进行研究。

迎接明年霹州旅游年 老店受促装修门面

市长拿督罗西迪希望各行各业，尤其是业主和商家准备就绪，做好门饰功夫，准备迎接明年引爆的“2012年霹雳州旅游年”。

市长接见林财复夫妇时，向来客说明身为市长的愿望，希望怡保市内的各业商贩及建筑物业主能够配合州政府对外吸睛与吸金的目标。

李玉珠说，市长欣慰林家已开始着手复新啉咖啡右邻的三间旧店，包括怡保开埠后，其中第一间开设的华侨银行（OCBC Bank）以及益和当店。

此外，林家在新街场购置的另外六间旧店，已经完成修葺工程，让怡保过去的历史风貌再次呈现。

他要求林家尽快装修华侨银行，最好在今年杪之前将它改装成为迎接背包游客的廉价酒店，迎接来自世界四面八方的游客，带动怡保经济活动。

要求保留木楼板

提到林家购置微露菲街的三层角头建筑D-Selva，李玉珠表示，林家打算在华侨银行与益和当铺完成装修后，继续把这间老店建设为高档的经典酒店。

她赞扬市长愿意就此类装修，直接向消防及拯救局商讨是否可以豁免拆除楼上木板楼板，以免破坏原迹。

据知，消防及拯救局为确保住户安全，已通过法令强制所有建筑物，包括战前老店，一旦建设酒店之类的公共场所，必须拆除木板楼面，以钢骨水泥取而代之，以防一旦祸患，火焰不
会切断房客逃生之路。

独家报道：冯国芳

Excerpt from nanyang