[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Star meals that pack the punch while going easy on the wallet (exceeding no more than RM7!) – by Jessica Liew” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Come noon time, the question “what to have for lunch?” lands on everyone’s minds or lips. Unlike breakfast and dinner, the option of having lunch at home is almost out of the question. Most Malaysians prefer eating out for several reasons: to take a break from work, to socialise with their colleagues or to try different food.
Eating out is undoubtedly a daily treat but can turn out to be quite costly at the end of the month. For this very reason, most people stick to a daily budget for lunch, which isn’t difficult at all considering the vast options of affordable food courts, coffee shops, hawker stalls and value lunch sets offered at restaurants. The most popular budget lunch options are of course hawkers stalls, with their variety of stalls dishing out no-frills local comforts that are delicious and cost as cheap as RM4.50! If you look hard enough, though, pocket-friendly and filling meals can be had at shopping malls or restaurants for just RM5, too!
Whether your favourite dish is a flavourful banana leaf rice, hearty pasta, or warming kuey teow th’ng, here are some budget-friendly picks worth checking out. The best part? None of them go beyond RM7![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1750″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_outline” title=”Kuey teow th’ng “][vc_column_text]This dish commonly starts from RM5 onwards, but the version at this old food stall at Jalan Penchala, Petaling Jaya is at a steal of RM4.50. The stall is tucked away between rows of tin roof hawker centres and when you do eventually find it, the dish will make your mouth water at first sight. Silky noodles of your choice (kuey teow is recommended) tossed with crunchy bean sprouts and ladled with clear chicken broth, then generously topped with melt-in-your-mouth shredded steam chicken strips, sliced fish cake and springy fish balls. It’s comfort food at its best, when eaten piping hot. Even the sweltering midday heat will not deter you from devouring your noodles to the last drop of soup. You can even order a second bowl and still spend less than RM10!
Address: Corner of Jalan Penchala and Jalan Othman, Petaling Jaya
Tel: –[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1747″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_outline” title=”Pasta”][vc_column_text]Pasta for RM5? Too good to be true. Even better, this pasta is yours to savour in the comfort of a shopping mall! We’re talking about the special value ‘pasta of the day’ at Little Fat Duck that cost a mere fiver. Their RM6 Bolognaise, Sausage Spinach Béchamel, Carbonara and Chicken Mushroom Mornay each take turns for the RM5 price tag four days a week, except for Friday when the Chicken Confit goes for RM15. It’s perfect for those days when you crave western food but are on a budget. For the price, the pasta makes for a fancy yet satisfying lunch, and to make it a complete meal, add on a pudding or brownie and a glass of ice lemon tea for just RM9.90. Refreshing drink and yummy dessert, too? We say this is one of the best gourmet lunch deals in town.
Address: Express gourmet stalls located at LG 201A The Gardens Mall, LG 102A-103 One Utama, LG45 Da:Mén Subang Jaya, EV-G-K04 Evolve Concept Mall, LG 43 Tropicana City Mall
Tel: 03-7887 1859[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1751″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_outline” title=”Banana leaf “][vc_column_text]Believe it or not, a toothsome and satisfying banana leaf rice set that only sets you back for RM5.50 is yours to enjoy. Sharing the same lane as the Deutsche Schule Kuala Lumpur and Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital is a cosy, airy and bright restaurant in the clubhouse of Australia New Zealand Graduates Association of Malaysia (ANZGAM). Patrons are served rice, four types of vegetables, dhal and curry, punchy dips and freshly fried papadum, that when mixed together, conjures a homey medley of spices and herbs. Rasam and yogurt comes with the set, too. There are also different meats as side orders that are priced separately, with the mutton stews, fish and duck curries as highly recommended.
Address: Lot 3, Lorong Utara B, Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7931 3380[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1752″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_outline” title=”Duck rice”][vc_column_text]Just like chicken rice is a staple street side dish, so is duck rice a rare and welcoming addition as part of the lunch scene. Imagine our delight when we spotted a stall selling not just duck rice, but the Teochew braised duck rice, a healthier alternative to the usual roast duck, cooked in a special concoction of Chinese spices. This braised duck rice from Paramount Garden yielded tender and savoury duck meat, and the rice was particularly tasty, having been flavoured with duck dripping and a splash of the gravy that’s made from duck broth, Chinese wine, soy sauces, Hoisin sauce, orange peel, and cinnamon, to name a few. The taste was nostalgic as it was gratifying, but the savoury duck gravy took the limelight.
Address: 55, Jalan 21/1, Paramount Garden, 46300 Petaling Jaya
Tel: –[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1748″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_outline” title=”Wonton noodles “][vc_column_text]A classic Cantonese hawker dish, the wonton mee is loved for morsels of meaty pork and prawn dumplings, crisp and chewy egg noodles, and rich seafood broth. Wontons typically contain pork, making the dish out of bounds for Muslims. Thankfully for this coffee shop in Bangsar, wonton mee is available in a halal version of prawn dumplings, deep fried till the wonton skin is crispy and golden, served with a plate of dry, soy-tousled noodles, topped with handfuls of blanched greens and tender, shredded chicken, and the essential pickled green chili as dip. This dry version, which is a favourite order at every table, comes with a bowl of soup cooked in an anchovy-based stock that patrons rave about, giving the famous crunchy wontons a run for their money.
Address: 44, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 016-292 5578[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1749″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_outline” title=”Chicken cheese naan”][vc_column_text]Somedays you’ll feel like mamak fare. But before you make for the customary order of roti canai, thosai or chapati, let us entice you with a word-of-mouth creation known as the chicken cheese naan unique to ChaCha Briyani at Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya. For a price of RM7, you’ll get a huge serving of freshly baked naan, stuffed lavishly with cheese and minced chicken. The regular pizza-sized naan is sliced into wide strips, and each bite stars a crispy, buttery naan bread, warm melted cheese and morsels of hearty mince. To heighten the experience are sides of dhal and curries as dips, a nice touch to the fusion mamak-Pakistani ‘pizza’ invention. For portion, flavour and heartiness, this dish is worth every single penny.
Address: Jalan 14/24, Seksyen 14, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 016-314 7160[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]