9 places where you can get a full meal for less than $9 near Orchard MRT that's not the food court

Most people think that having a meal in Orchard means forking out a pretty penny.

Well, it doesn't always have to be an expensive affair as though this may be the case for the bulk of the food options, it is also possible to find places that sell wallet-friendly menu items. And you won't have to venture very far for them.

Less than 10 minutes from Orchard MRT station, you can find paad thai for just $7 and yummy salted egg pork ribs with rice for $6.50, and more. Here are some eateries to check out in town if your tummy's rumbling and you're in the area.

1. Ayam Penyet Ria

For authentic Indonesian food, check out Ayam Penyet Ria at Lucky Plaza. The family-owned restaurant has been around since 2004 and is halal-certified, making it a great dining option when you're out with Muslim friends.

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A must-try item here is their Ayam Penyet, which is smashed fried chicken in Bahasa Indonesia. When they say smash, they mean it literally as the protein is smashed with a wooden mallet to loosen the flesh from the bones. This makes the meat softer and easier to pull apart when eating.

One plate of Ayam Penyet with rice costs just $7.90, and there are also other dishes such as Bakso Penyet (smashed fried beef balls) for $5.90 and Cumi Ring Penyet (smashed fried calamari) for $8.

Prices start from $5.90.

Address: 304 Orchard Road, #01-45/46/47 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863

2. Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut

Another Indonesian option that's also located in Lucky Plaza is halal-certified Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut. They too are popular for their ayam penyet, and a plate of their Original Smash Fried Chicken with rice will set you back by $7.90.

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They also have other menu items like Grilled Chicken with rice and Duck Soup, both of which costs $7.90.

Prices start from $7.90. 

Address: 304, #01-42 Orchard Road, Lucky Plaza, 238863

3. Greenview Cafe

Far East Plaza is a treasure trove filled with cheap eats and one eatery to check out is Greenview Cafe. Here, you can find affordable local dishes such as Seafood Hor Fun for $5, Hokkien Mee for $5 and Salted Fish Fried Rice for $5.50.

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The cafe's bestseller is their mee hoon kueh, which is available with different ingredients such as minced pork, prawns or fishballs.

The eatery also has daily specials from Mondays to Saturdays. This includes Chicken Macaroni Soup on Wednesdays and Thai Style Chicken Cutlet Rice on Fridays.

Prices start from $4.50 

Address: 14 Scotts Road, #04-96, Far East Plaza, 228213

4. Hainanese Delicacy

This stall has a reputation for being one of the more famous chicken rice places in Singapore. Situated on the fifth floor of Far East Plaza amongst the slew of other eateries, Hainanese Delicacy has been dishing out plates of chicken rice for over 30 years.

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One plate of Chicken Rice costs $4.50, or you can opt for the Drumstick Chicken Rice for $6. They also sell Salted Vegetable Duck Soup for $5 and Vegetables with Oyster Sauce for $3 you can add to your meal.

Prices start from $4.50 

Address: #05-116 Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road, Singapore 228213

5. Kra Pow Thai Restaurant

Get your Thai cravings satisfied at Kra Pow Thai Restaurant. Tucked away on level three of Far East Plaza, the establishment dishes out an array of authentic Thai dishes that are reminiscent of the Land of Smiles.

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You can get yourself a plate of Drunkard Pork Noodles for $7.90 or Thai Style Fried Rice with Pork for $6.90. Dining in a group? Get a bowl of Tom Yum Seafood Soup for $7.90 or Green Curry Chicken for $7.90 to share.

Prices start from $5.90

Address: 14D Scotts Road, #03-26/27, Singapore 228217

6. Lucky Chicken Rice

Amongst the Indonesian and Filipino eateries at Lucky Plaza is Lucky Chicken Rice, a restaurant that serves up, as its name says, plates of chicken rice. You can opt to get boneless roasted or steamed chicken rice for $5 per serving, or boneless roasted or steamed chicken drumstick rice for $5.50.

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Not feeling chicken rice? They also have other menu items like Shredded Chicken Hor Fun for $4.50 and Century Egg Porridge for $3.80.

Prices start from $1.

Address: 304, #02-110 Orchard Road, Lucky Plaza, 238863

7. My Favourite Cafe

On the sixth floor of Lucky Plaza is My Favourite Cafe, an eatery that specialises in hearty bowls of yong tau foo. Be forewarned that long queues are to be expected, especially on weekends. While their official operating hours are till 6pm, they close when they sell out so visit them earlier in the day to avoid being disappointed.

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Diners can opt to have their yong tau foo served to them in either soup or dry form with their choice of noodles and rice.

The variety of items here is quite extensive. While you'll find the usual tau pok, sausages, eggplant and greens, the must-try items are their mushrooms and handmade meatballs, which are the two most popular items.

Prices start from $4.90. Each additional items cost 60 cents each.

Address: #06-046/47, Lucky Plaza, 304 Orchard Road, Singapore 238863

8. New Station Snack Bar

This small zi char restaurant in Far East Plaza has been around since 1964 and is popular for its Salted Egg Pork Ribs Rice that costs just $6. This dish alone garners the eatery long snaking queues, even during off-peak hours.

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The other food options are actually pretty good too. Their extensive menu filled with zi char dishes such as Marmite Chicken Rice for $6, Sliced Fish San Lu Hor Fun for $6 and La La White Bee Hoon for $6.50.

Prices start from $5.

Address: Far East Plaza 14 Scotts Road #05-95 Singapore, 228213

9. Thai Tantric

It's located a little further out compared to the other places on this list, but it's worth the hike if you are looking for authentic Thai food. Thai Tantric in Orchard Towers specialises in no-frills, Thai dishes that taste similar to what you'll find in Thailand. They also have quite a substantial range of menu items for diners to choose from.

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Some dishes to try include the Pork Belly Rice which costs $7, Khao Paad Kra Pow (stir-fried chilli basil pork rice) for $7 or Paad Thai with seafood for $8.

Prices start from $7.

Address: 400 Orchard Road, #03-44 Orchard Tower, Singapore 238875

melissateo@asiaone.com