Cheap Orchard Road meals for those on a budget
Adapted from source: @iammelly
An Orchard Road get-together with friends can test whether your friendship can go the distance, unfettered by the single $10 note left in your wallet. There are two options: either you turn up, go bankrupt, and cry in your room after, or you pretend you’re sick and do a no-show (no M.C. needed).
Good news: you don’t have to put yourself through that excruciating dilemma any longer. Amidst the atas restaurants along our shopping belt, there exist a number of unsung eateries with meals below $10 – not limited to McD’s or KFC.
1. Yonehachi
Move over, plain white rice. At Yonehachi, okowa – sticky chewy Japanese rice cooked with meat or vegetables – is served instead. Choose from 5 different flavours to satisfy your tummy: red bean, chestnut, salmon, scallop and a special seasonal one.
Pair your choice of okowa with the various set meals available – from the Fried Chicken Okowa Set ($9.80) with crispy karaage to the Shio Saba Set ($8.80) that comes with a sizeable, fragrant saba fish. If you can’t decide on a single flavour of okowa, simply top up $1 for a mix of 2!
Address:391 Orchard Road, #B204-1/2 Ngee Ann City, Takashimaya, Singapore 238872
Telephone: 6333 8227
Opening Hours:Mon-Sun: 1130AM-10PM
Website
2. NamNam
This one goes out to all the morning people out there. Knock yourselves out at NamNam with the Value Breakfast Set ($5.90-$6.90) from 8am-10am everyday (except public holidays) – with your choice of pho or banh mi with coffee or tea.
Source: @yushie12
For a heartier breakfast, you can pile on more toppings such as steamed chicken or beef balls for only $2.90. The comforting warm noodles and the fragrant Vietnamese coffee are sure to make your early morning worthwhile.
Address:501 Orchard Road, #B2-02 Wheelock Place, Singapore 238880
Telephone: 6837 2234
Opening Hours:Mon-Sun: 10AM-930PM
Website
3. CRAVE
It’s godsent that CRAVE has brought the famous Adam Road Nasi Lemak to Orchard Road to satisfy everyone’s fried food cravings. Living up to its name, the Royal Rumble ($6.90) has every ingredient a good nasi lemak fanatic combo should have – including a fried chicken wing and begedil both battered with a solid crunch.
Address:2 Orchard Turn, #B4-58/59 ION Orchard, Singapore 238801
Telephone: 6238 7181
Opening Hours:Mon-Sun: 10AM-10PM
Website
4. Riverside Indonesian BBQ
Riverside Indonesian BBQ’s claim to fame is their signature Ayam Panggang Set ($6.80). The barbequed chicken meat easily peels off the bone – a true testament of its freshness. Coupled with rich BBQ sauce and curried vegetables, you’ll wish you had enough space in your tummy for 2 plates.
Address: 313 Orchard Road, #B3-44 313@Somerset, Singapore 238895
Telephone: 6733 1180
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 10AM-10PM
5. Yentafo Kruengsonge
The Yentafo Kruengsonge Dry ($8.50) here is not for the faint-hearted – especially at the third and highest level of spiciness. Tossed in a unique sauce made from Thai red rice and fermented red tofu, the dish might taste a little sour at first – but after the explosion of spiciness, the flavours start settling in.
Source: @thatgreedypig
If you can’t get enough of the fried salmon skin that is served with every bowl, you can get a plate of that for $7. Other side dishes like the Sesame Wings and Fried Seasoned Taro are worth a try too!
Address: 8 Grange Road, #02-06A/B Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, Singapore 239695
Telephone: 6736 0971
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 10AM-10PM
Website
6. I Want My Noodle
Source: @miffylia
The bak chor mee at I Want My Noodle is homemade and springy, and other than the usual mushrooms and minced meat, it also includes fried beancurd skin. If you’re not a fan of pork, you can have the option of replacing it with minced chicken or mushrooms – something you usually can’t do at hawker centres.
At $8.90, this costs twice as much as any kopitiam BCM, but the generous servings of liao justifies the price.
Address: 1 Scotts Rd, #03-14/15 Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208
Telephone: 6235 2331
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 11AM-9PM
Website
7. Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut
Source: @melianachandra
For lovers of duck dishes, the Original Crispy Fried Duck Rice ($9.90) served at Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut will be a good alternative to the more common duck rice and noodles you’ll find at hawker centres. Instead of the usual soy-marinated duck, the one served here comes with a thin layer of crispy skin – so addictive.
Address: 304 Orchard Road, #01-42/43/44 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863
Telephone:6734 4787
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 1130AM-10PM
8. Tsuru-Koshi Udon
Source: @iammelly
Unlike traditional udon that is usually just plain noodles with a few miserable slices of naruto (Japanese fish cake), the udon ($6.50 – $9) at Tsuru-Koshi Udon is topped with various ingredients of your choice, from minced pork to onsen egg and crispy tempura. There’s even udon infused with hot chinese sauce – something you won’t be able to get at most Japanese restaurants.
If you have a huge appetite, you should definitely get two bowls.
Address: 391 Orchard Road, #B2-01/02/03 Ngee Ann City, Takashimaya, Singapore 238872
Telephone:6733 3432
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 12PM-10PM
9. Fish Tales
Source: @qiaochh_
The combination of fish and cheese sounds jelak – but the Cheesy Affair ($9.90) at Fish Tales does it right. There’s a suitable amount of cheese which adds a certain moistness to the fried fish, and leaves an enjoyable aftertaste in your mouth.
To spice things up, there’s also the the Fiery Sambal ($9.90) version, perfect for advocates of all things spicy.
Students in NSFs are in luck as there is a Set Lunch Deal ($9.90) which a salad and iced lemon tea with your F&C.
Address: 2 Orchard Link, #02-27 *SCAPE, Singapore 237978
Telephone:6636 9960
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 12PM-10PM
Wesbite
10. Greenview Cafe
Source: @suyannie
When it comes to mee hoon kueh, it’s usually a hit or miss – with a risk of overly doughy, undercooked kueh made with too much flour. Greenview Cafe’s thick and chewy Fried Mee Hoon Kueh ($4.50) is a sure hit, soaked with sauce and chilli without being too wet.
Another must-try here is the Fried Mee Tai Mak ($4.50) with sweet black sauce.
Address: 14 Scotts Road, #04-95B/96 Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
Telephone:6734 2312
Opening Hours: 10AM-8PM (Closed on Sundays)
11. Tonkin Vietnamese Noodles Bar
While your squad is busy flocking to the nearest Topshop and snatching up clothes at 50% off, you can’t possibly be the only one taking your time to eat. If you’re looking for a quick meal that isn’t fast food, Tonkin Vietnamese Noodles Bar is one place you can head to.
The pho ($6.90 – $9.90) is served in a light soup and tastes more authentic than what you can find at other Vietnamese eateries here. Top it off with fresh spring rolls and you’ve got enough fuel for the rest of your shopping trip!
Address: 181 Orchard Road, #B1-02 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896
Telephone:6444 4406
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 11AM-9PM
Website
12. Cahaya Restaurant
Big-eaters often lament about paying over $10 for food that isn’t filling enough. At Cahaya Restaurant, dishes are priced between $4-$5, so you can get 2 main meals and still keep things within budget. For example, if you go for $4 hokkien mee, you can still squeeze in a plate of $6 orh luak, and chow to your heart’s content.
Address: 14 Scotts Road, #05-69/91/92 Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
Telephone:6734 8434
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 1130AM-9PM
13. Roost
Roost enjoys putting twists on local flavours – instead of shredded chicken strips, their Chicken Laksa ($7.90) has large chunks of chicken, something that’s more commonly seen in chicken rice. And speaking of chicken rice, theirs is tightly packed into rolls and drizzled with teriyaki sauce – to make up their signature Chicken Sushi ($4.90).
Address: 176 Orchard Road, #B1-17/18/19 The Centrepoint, Singapore 238843
Telephone:6909 0411
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 11AM-9PM
Website
14. Kushi Kushi
Kushi Kushi is a worthy challenger of other yakitori house brands. At around $1.80 per stick, their yakitori sticks are priced slightly higher than their competitors’, but it’s justified as the meat chunks are more generous here.
Their teriyaki sauce isn’t too sweet and doesn’t dry up easily even when you da pao these skewers to savour at home.
Address: 313 Orchard Road, #B3-45 313@Somerset, Singapore 238895
Telephone: 6702 1539
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 1130AM-9PM
15. New Station Snack Bar
Source: @arthurkinggggg
New Station Snack Bar takes pride in its Salted Egg Pork Ribs Rice ($6), and are unafraid to slather your rice in a pool of creamy salted egg sauce. The pork ribs that come with it are delightfully crunchy on the outside, yet soft on the inside.
Also worth trying is the Sliced Fish Hor Fun ($4.50), perfect for hor fun lovers who enjoy their noodles swimming in thick, flavourful gravy.
Address: 14 Scotts Road, #05-95 Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
Telephone: 6734 2862
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 10AM-10PM
16. Tok Tok Indonesian Soup House
Tok Tok Indonesian Soup House dishes out classic Indonesian flavours with every bowl of their signature slow-cooked soup. The Soup Betawi Set ($9.50) that I tried was flavoured with juicy Jakarta beef and vegetables. If beef gives is too strong for your preference, you can swop it out for oxtail, chicken or short ribs.
Address: 313 Orchard Road, #B3-10 313@Somerset, Singapore 238895
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 11AM-10PM
17. Kra Pow Thai Street Food
Good Thai food is characterised by the unsparing use of spices that works into a solid flavour – and the Basil Chicken Rice ($7.90) at Kra Pow Thai Street Food fits the bill.
The mound of chicken emanates a strong aroma of basil that will further whet your appetite. They are generous with chilli, so you might want to have a cup of water or Thai iced milk tea at hand.
And while it’s more common to have Thai basil dishes with rice, they’ve also got Drunkard Noodles Pork ($7.90), with the usual basil pork in thick-cut kuay teow. Some may find it a tad oily, but that’s what makes it so delicious.
Address: 14 Scotts Road, #03-89 Far East Plaza, Singapore 228123
Telephone: 6734 1946
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 1130AM-9PM (Closed on Sundays)
18. Pick A Boo
Can’t decide between Japanese and Western? The Teriyaki Seafood Aglio Oglio ($7.30) at Pick A Boo covers both bases, with sweet flavours from the teriyaki mixed with tangy seafood. This sounds like an utter culinary disaster, but the flavours blend together surprisingly well.
End off your meal with waffles and ice cream for only $4.90, which come with a choice of 2 toppings and 1 sauce.
Address: 304 Orchard Road, #B1-38 Lucky Plaza Asian Food Mall, Singapore 238863
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 9AM-10PM
19. As-Shifaa Cafe
The highlight of As-Shifaa Cafe is the deep fried, succulent chicken from their Nasi Ayam Goreng ($4). Served on the side are crunchy batter bits that are worth the extra calories. Queues here can get really long so if you think you’d want to bring some chicken home for a snack later, get an extra piece when ordering so you won’t have to queue again.
Address: 304 Orchard Road, #06-52 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863
Telephone: 9383 0329
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 11AM-4PM (Closed on Sundays)
20. My Favourite Cafe
This is the cheapest yong tau foo you can get in Orchard Road. My Favourite Cafe sells YTF liao at $0.60 for each item and you only need to order a minimum of 8 items. Add another $0.60 for noodles and you have a complete meal costing only $5.40. Psst, the juicy, deep-fried meatballs are highly recommended!
Address: 304 Orchard Road, #06-46/47 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 9AM-6PM (Closed on Sundays)
21. Fish & Chicks
Fish & Chicks champions the reputation of western food stalls found in hawker centres and food courts with cheap prices, good quality and generous portions.
Besides the range of flavourful fish fillet and grilled chicken cutlets, you cannot miss out on the signature Best of Both Worlds ($13.90), suitable to be shared between two people. You get a piece of creamy salted egg fish fillet and a tangy piece of chili crab sauce fish fillet, tossed in with crispy, spiced fries.
Another worthy mention is the Hawaiian Chicken ($8.90), which retains the perfect combination of rich cheese, ham and pineapples on top of tender chargrilled chicken.
Address: 8 Grange Road, #B1-01, Cathay Cineleisure, Singapore 239693
Telephone: 9828 3490
Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 11AM-930PM
Cheap food still exists at Orchard Road
Just as we thought the Jedi were all gone, there appeared A New Hope – turns out, there are still many hidden gems hidden among the many expensive restaurants and cafes that populate Orchard Road.
With a single red note, you can now enjoy a hearty meal in town, and with moolah issues out of the way, outings with your kakis will be all the more sweeter.
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