Tidofish: Glow-In-The-Dark Ipoh Cafe That Looks Like The Set Of A K-pop Music Video

Tidofish cafe in Ipoh

Mention Ipoh to Malaysians and most of us will think of heritage shophouses, street art, and white coffee. But there are plenty of trendy cafes tucked away here that are worth hopping to while touring this bustling town.

This includes Tidofish, a Instagrammable glow-in-the-dark cafe that serves Malaysian comfort food and bubble tea from its family-friendly, neon-lit space.

Glow-in-the-dark cafe with neon signs

Tidofish Ipoh - entrance
Entrance to Tidofish
Image credit: Tyler Feng

Don’t be fooled when you first come across Tidofish. While the front of the cafe looks like the entrance to a hip bar, it doesn’t serve any alcohol or pork at its premises. And you definitely want to get past its front doors, because the cafe’s interior boasts glow-in-the-dark fixtures and aquarium-inspired motifs that’ll make you feel as if you stepped into a neon-lit fish tank.

Image credit: Tyler Feng

Out-of-towners will be glad to know that this cafe is easily accessible from familiar landmarks in town too. It’s just a 17-minute drive from Ipoh’s well-known Concubine Lane, and a stone’s throw from AEON Mall Kinta City.

Once you’re here, you’ll find several cosy corners to grab a seat at. At the front of the cafe is a dining area with just a touch of natural light, and a bar-seating overlooking a quiet street and row of shops.

Tidofish has plenty of fun touches, including seats fashioned out of buckets painted fuschia pink
Image credit: @fiz_fizzo

But walk a little further inside for a spot at the cafe’s unique dining area, with seats, lights, and industrial fixtures in different glowing neon colours. The floors and walls of this area are also decorated with fun and hip decor that features illustrations of fishes and underwater motifs.

Image adapted from: @fatinshahzana & Tidofish

If that’s not enough neon for you, there’re also neon signs with fun sayings such as “Laksa bihun or me???” and “We believe in the power of laksa” on the walls in both dining areas.

Image adapted from: Tidofish & Tidofish

Comfort Malaysian food offerings

You’ll find a simple menu of Malaysian comfort food at Tidofish to fill your belly when you drop by. Have your pick of Mee or Mee Hoon Laksa (RM10.90 each) or Rojak (RM9.90), that comes with generous portions of prawn crackers, fruits, cucumber, and turnip.

Image credit: Mikiy Wong

Find a series of Snow Ice drinks and desserts (from RM15.90) to cool off after wolfing down the spicy dishes. You can also get bottled versions of Bubble Tea (RM6.90) here, including a healthier version called Liang Shui With Bubble (RM6.90), which has sakura boba with refreshing winter melon tea.

Image credit: Shirine Yen

Tidofish is a glow-in-the-dark cafe in Ipoh

Image credit: Tidofish

We can’t help but get excited over anything glow-in-the-dark because the visuals look so striking on our social media feed. This is why Tidofish in Ipoh is a must-visit cafe for us, with their glow-in-the-dark fixtures in its entire premises, even at its entrance. If you do plan on dropping by Tidofish, be sure to adhere to SOPs and social distancing measures.

Address: 85, Jalan Jambu, Taman Teh Teng Seng, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
Opening hours: 12PM-10PM, Daily
Tidofish Facebook

Check out other openings in Malaysia:

Cover image adapted from: Tyler Feng, Shirine Yen & Tidofish

This article was updated on 13th October 2021.