Normally I will select a dish with fish slices like this stir-fry kam heong (curried) fish slices with curry leaves (MYR3), bittergourd (MYR2), brussel sprouts leaves (choy tam - MYR2), and rice MYR0.60 so it costs MYR7.6 in total.
There were times when I went late and all the fish slices dishes were sold out so it would be a whole fried fish then as I prefer to eat fish than other types of meat (this is a halal eatery so no oink oink). Deep fried promfret in sweet and sour sauce - MYR3, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots - MYR2, lotus roots - MYR2 and rice (small portion) MYR0.60 so a total of MYR7.6 again.
Fish slices dishes sold out again so fried fish again - deep fried fish marinated in turmeric - MYR3. The fish is very crunchy so I ate it all, tail and fins. Rice - MYR0.60, yin choy - MYR2, pak choy - MYR1.50 so MYR7.1 this time.
To eat lunch in a comfortable and clean environment, I think this price is quite reasonable. For a max of MYR8 a day which makes it MYR40 a week (5 workdays), I don't think I can cook different types of fish and 2 different types of vegetable dishes to bring to work for lunch everyday with this price so eating here is definitely worth it.
Is it even possible to cook 5 different types of fish and 10 types of vegetables inclusive of fuel and effort for MYR40 for 5 one-person meals?
Ahhh fish, I like fish too but I dont cook it everyday.. I only cook fish for the kids or boil soup with them.. Everyday after work we tapao chap farn and not everyday we buy fish.. Yes I agree, RM8 per day is good..RM40 is not impossible for 1 week supply, but there would be no fish everyday, just vege and chicken and pork..And provided you can rush home to cook dinner everyday, then pack some to work for lunch the next day..
ReplyDeleteRush home to cook - no way cos no energy after long day at work.
DeleteSo cheap!!! Wait for my post on our fish dinner yesterday - some of the things at these Malay stalls here are quite ridiculously priced. Maybe not so many of them in our town, business not so good, so have to jack up the prices to keep them going. :(
ReplyDeleteOh I thought prices in Sibu is cheaper.
DeleteI'm still learning about all of the wonderful greens Malaysia grows. This is a new one for me.
ReplyDeleteThere way too many leafy greens here that I only know the cantonese names and no english name because I don't see these vegetables in supermarkets in UK.
DeleteI seldom or even rarely take fish if I have chap fan.. dunno why, just don't really fancy that.. either I am worry about the price or I actually prefer to have other meats that I don't need to mess about with the bones, hahaha!!! and for me, always less rice, 1 meat, 1 veggie or beans and then 1 egg or tofu.. just very boring kind of habit :D
ReplyDeleteBut chicken or pork meat also has many ways of cooking them.
DeletePossible, but difficult. You need to do intense portion control when you cook. I think my cooked dinners nowadays are hovering at about RM10 per meal.. but then, my ingredients are more expensive, organic vegetables, more chicken since no rice..
ReplyDeleteYou use organic vegetables. Sure is more expensive.
DeleteI think you can definitely keep to a budget of RM40 for 5 meals if you buy cheap (and smallish) fish...but then you have the hassle of frying fish, so why bother. Anyway, I always end up buying fish steaks which cost more :(
ReplyDeleteFrying is no no at home. Too smelly and what to do with the used oil?
DeleteOne person meal is hard to cook... Will possibly cost more cos we cannot buy less than a ringgit vege in the market... Yesterday I packeted my dinner..three dishes..minced meat , potatoes and loh hon chai with rice, it cost 3,40 only...how am I to cook with that amount? :)
ReplyDeleteNo way to cook your own meal for only MYR3.4 for one person.
DeleteEating out like that for one person is actually more worthwhile than cooking. If you think of the time, preparation and washing up...ugh! I also tapau my food for lunch.
ReplyDeleteI don't like washing up to be honest.
Deletedefinitely worthy to eat here since it saves all the hassle of cooking (especially fish). The pomfret in sweet & sour sauce is a great deal for RM3. I dun mind eating it a few times in a week.
ReplyDeleteYou like to eat fish too I guess.
Deleteohh.. i love it... I'm mouthwatering right now. I totally want to be there!
ReplyDeleteAny food like this at your end?
DeleteDefinitely it is cheaper than doing our own cooking. The three plates of chap farn look very appetizing.
ReplyDeleteBest is grow own vegetables like you do.
DeleteVery 'balance' meal, got fish got greens ;)
ReplyDeleteGot meat got vege sure is balanced.
DeleteThat's really cheap! Fish for RM 3!
ReplyDeleteThe place I usually go likes to charge RM 4 but I convince them to charge RM 3 sometimes, but the size is totally different. Yours is probably twice the size since it's a full, whole fish!
Hmm...good question, I think so since chap fan places actually earn quite a lot of money, it's not a huge amount per person but rather they rely on volume. I heard this from the famous Baba SS2 outlet (which has a slightly different model - they're famous for being expensive and you can't take the meat or veggies yourself, it's portioned out by the wife or the daughter - cook is the husband).
Economy of scale at work here.
DeleteYeah, true that!
DeleteThat's why I don't cook at home. No economy of scale when there are only 2 persons eating.
Delete