TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The city-state of Singapore is known as one of the high-cost tourist destinations. Many have things to say about the price points of the Singapore food scene and admit to eating only once a day to save money. But not all food in the country is expensive. There are affordable dining options with prices below S$10 (Rp128,000) as recommended by Time Out magazine.
1. Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe
This vintage-style coffee shop is attractive with its nostalgic atmosphere and delicious local dishes. The interior is decorated in the style of an old kopitiam from the 50s to the 80s. The menu consists of local favorites, such as dry Siamese noodles starting from S$8.90 (Rp114,000) and hor fun with egg for S$6.90 (Rp88,000), as well as unique options like curry leaf fries for S$4.80 (Rp63,000) and thick shredded chicken toast for S$4.80 (Rp61,000).
This restaurant is located at Craig Rd, 111 Somerset, Geneo, and Changi City Point.
2. Killiney Kopitiam
Known as the oldest coffee shop in Singapore, this dining place offers a plate of nasi lemak starting from S$2.80 (about Rp36,000). Other local favorites include boiled noodles, Siamese noodles, and laksa, all priced at S$10. Don't forget to try grass jelly, longan, and coffee.
This kopitiam is located at 67 Killiney Road and opens daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
3. Prince Noodles
This store offers a simple menu with a main focus on their signature noodles and two types of wontons. A serving of noodles starts from S$6 (about Rp77,000), with options of you mian, mee hoon kueh, or ban mian. The store is located at 380 Jalan Besar and is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
4. Ba Buong Banh Mi
This Vietnamese-owned store has branches in Jurong East and Yishun. The food offered includes banh mi starting from S$5 (Rp64,000). Additionally, the food can be combined with authentic Vietnamese coffee, which costs about S$8.5 (about Rp109,000) for a traditional Vietnamese coffee. For a sweeter coffee, try the coconut milk coffee for S$2.50 (Rp32,000).
The Jurong store at 132 Jurong Gateway Road is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the Yishun store at 920 Yishun Ave 2 opens from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
5. Tangled Pasta
This store serves fresh pasta priced at less than S$10. Options include squid ink spaghetti, mushroom or beetroot pappardelle, and spinach penne. They also use natural ingredients without food coloring and preservatives. Visitors can make their own pasta starting from $6.90 (about Rp88,000) with over 20 choices, or try their homemade pasta starting from $9.90 (about Rp127,000).
This store has five branches, located in Suntec City, Northpoint City, Republic Plaza, Marina One, and Bugis Junction.
6. Tenya Singapore
This restaurant chain has been around since the 1980s in Tokyo. They have over 100 outlets in Japan and four in Singapore. Their uniqueness lies in a special tempura frying machine that can produce over 1,000 pieces of perfectly crispy tempura in less than an hour. With this efficient and reliable speed, properly prepared tendon bowls can be produced quickly and in larger quantities. That's why they can sell food at a lower price, only $9.90 (about Rp127,000) for a portion complete with shrimp, red fish, squid, pumpkin, and green beans.
This store is located in Orchard Central, Ion Orchard, Parkway Parade, and Hillion Mall.