$1 nasi lemak and more: Ghib Ojisan tries the cheapest meals in Singapore

Singapore is an expensive city, there's no denying that. With rising food prices, a hawker meal (with a drink) can easily cost up to $10 or more. 

But if you look hard enough, you can find affordable meals. Singapore-based Japanese YouTuber Ghib Ojisan proved that in a video posted on Thursday (April 13).

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2FvbaGV0lM[/embed]

After living in Singapore for more than four years, he shared that "food can be shockingly affordable".

His first jaunt led him to Toa Payoh for a plate of nasi lemak that only cost $1.

The stall was Kedai Makan Muhajirin, and it's located at Blk 20 Toa Payoh Lorong 7. 

What does it consist of? You will get a mound of coconut rice topped with a slice of omelette and cucumber, a handful of ikan bilis and peanuts, and a generous amount of sambal on the side.  

But of course, Ghib upgraded the meal by adding fried fish and a chicken wing. The total meal added up to a total of $3, which was still "crazy cheap".

"Mmm, it's so good," he said approvingly after the first bite. He loved how all the components of the dish paired well together. Interestingly enough, he found the rice packed with umami flavour. 

"This is probably one of the best nasi lemak I [have] had," he said. 

This stall may sound familiar to some. The story behind this family-run business has been told before, with a history that goes back 36 years. 

Encik Tahir, the 76-year-old patriarch of the family, shared that the $1 pricing for the nasi lemak was based on the family's philosophy of not putting money first. 

"There are people who are in need, the low-income among us, who should continue to have options, good options [for food]," said Encik Tahir. "I'd rather be rich in deeds and virtues than material wealth."

The hunt for cheap eats continues

Up next was Yan Fried Bee Hoon at Redhill Market. Ghib got the $1 bee hoon and added cabbage and ngoh hiang, totalling up to only $2.90. The stall is popular as he showed the snaking queue. Even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong once queued for 30 minutes.

Then the food hunt continued at 20 Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre. Ghib got a bowl of laksa from 63 Laksa for only $2.80.

As to whether the stall serves the most affordable laksa in Singapore, the uncle at the stall mentioned that it's the cheapest. However, he also told Ghib that the portions are "not the biggest". 

Last but not least is the $3.50 Chicken Rice at Yong Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice. Ghib got it as a takeaway and shared it with his family. He did point out that it might not be the cheapest, but the price point is definitely hard to come by.

Where can you find the cheapest meals in Singapore? 

Last month, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) published the Makan Index 2.0. The study investigated the cost of eating out in Singapore. 

After visiting 829 food establishments across 26 neighbourhoods, the findings noted that Food Courts generally had the highest prices, followed by Kopitiams and then hawker centres.

Breakfast seems to be the cheapest meal at $4.81, followed by lunch and dinner at $6.01 and $6.20 respectively.

On average, the cheapest meal during lunch can be found in the Bukit Timah region. Over at Sembawang, a meal can set you back $6.38, making it the most expensive neighbourhood for a lunch meal. 

The total average cost of three meals a day in hawker centres, food courts and Kopitiams was $16.89.

READ ALSO: Japanese tourists try Singapore's kaya toast, here's what they think of it

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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