Some ideas for cheap and good food..
Eat more for less
Quality Cafe
Time: 11am - 2.30pm
Where: Quality Hotel Level 1, 201 Balestier Road
Go if you: Must have rice at every meal. There's pineapple, yam and chicken rice to choose from. Also available are a variety of unpretentious local fare like stir-fried vegetables, mee siam, yong tau foo and Chinese soups.
Go for: Laksa, chicken rice and chilli flower crabs with 'mantou' (buns).
Cost: $11.80++ (Mon - Thu) $13.80++ (Fri - Sun, eve of PH, PH)
Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe
Time: 11am - 2.30pm
Where: Northbridge Commercial Complex, #01-02, 470 North Bridge Road
Go if you: Like authentic Peranakan cuisine, rich in coconut milk and generous amounts of chilli. One of the highlights must be the desserts - a bright confetti of kuehs, durian chendol and pulut hitam (black glutinous rice paste).
Go for: The lontong, fish maw soup and, of course, the desserts.
Cost: $13.30+, no tax. (Mon - Fri) $14.30+ (Sat, Sun, PH)
Rice Table Indonesian Restaurant
Time: Noon - 3pm (Last order at 2.15pm)
Where: International Building #02-09/10 (Beside Shaw Centre), 360 Orchard Road
Go if you: Detest walking to and fro during buffet meals. Here they serve samplers of all 13 dishes once you sit down, and you simply order more of those you've taken a shine to. Meat and vegetable dishes are hearty, flavourful and often spicy.
Go for: The chicken satay with its addictive peanut sauce, sambal prawns and full-bodied chicken soup.
Cost: $14.80++ (Daily)
Bombay Cafe Xpress
Time: Noon - 2.30pm
Where: Suntec City Mall, #B1-020
Go if you: Love spicy food and Hindi movies, which play constantly on several wall-mounted TVs. It has eight different curries, so you can expand your horizon beyond 'curry chap chye' (mixed vegetable curry) in this vegetarian restaurant. Naans (free flow) are freshly made upon ordering at the counter, and there is a variety of Indian street snacks at the counter too.
Go for: The paneer masala (a curry), the fluffy, buttery naans and the DIY yoghurt salad.
Cost: $14.90++ (weekdays) $16.90++ (weekends)
This article was first published in The New Paper on July 14, 2008