Possible or impossible? Japanese tourist tries to find food for under $5 in Singapore

Singapore has the reputation of being an expensive city and some tourists have even complained that it isn't a wallet-friendly destination. 

But is it really impossible to travel here on a budget? 

One Japanese tourist and YouTuber, who goes by the name Tabi, wanted to see if he could find affordable eats in the city without breaking the bank. 

So, he set a budget of $5 per food item and documented the one-day experience in a YouTube video last Saturday (Sept 23). 

$1.30 porridge and $2.50 nasi lemak for breakfast 

Tabi started off his day with breakfast at the bustling Chinatown Complex Food Centre, which was nearby his accommodation. 

The first stall he visited was Chang Ji Gourmet, which sells a variety of dishes for just $1.30. 

There, he procured a bowl of fish and peanut porridge, as well as a plate of economic bee hoon, for a total of $2.60. 

"That is so, so reasonable," Tabi remarked, adding that the portions were decent. 

It wasn't just cheap, it was delicious too. 

"That is comforting!" Tabi said as he slurped down the porridge. 

While still at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, he also ordered a plate of nasi lemak from a stall called Chinatown Nasi Lemak & Economic Bee Hoon. 

This cost him just $2.50 and came with rice, sausages, fried fish cutlet, a fried egg, cucumber and a dollop of sambal. 

"Super, super reasonable," he said before tucking in. 

Upon first bite, he was blown away by the rice. 

"That is super, super fragrant. So much flavour! The rice is cooked in coconut milk," said an impressed Tabi. 

He also found the fish cutlet delicious and even said that it looks a little like Japanese tonkatsu (fried pork). 

After trying everything, he mixed in the sambal to spice things up. 

"Mmm! That sambal makes all the difference," he said, adding that it reminded him of miso. 

Tabi's next breakfast destination was Amoy Street Food Centre, which was a little quiet as he was there on a weekend and the office crowd wasn't around. 

"I guess this place must be busier during the weekday," he said. 

There, he visited just one stall - Swan City NoodleHouse - and ordered the Kampua Noodles for $5. 

"This is the first time I've ever heard of this dish but it looks very good," commented Tabi. 

And it was. 

"Very, very satisfying. Pretty hearty meal. It's a pretty nice portion so this will definitely fill me up," he said. 

Lunch and dinner 

For lunch, Tabi headed to Maxwell Food Centre. 

There, he ordered a plate of nasi goreng ikan bilis from Hajmeer Kwaja Muslim Food and this cost $5.

"This is a very nice fried rice. It tastes just like fried rice but a little spicier," he described. 

He also "splurged a bit" and got himself a teh cino for $2.20 from a stall called SMH Hot & Cold Drinks. 

Tabi's final stop was Tiong Bahru Market, where he had his dinner. 

Upon reaching around 5pm, he noted that his food options were quite limited. 

"Maybe I'm a little bit early. A lot of the stalls are not open today," he explained. 

He did manage to snag himself a plate of fried kway teow for $4 from Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Teow. 

Tabi really enjoyed how the two different types of noodles used in the dish provided it with varying textures. 

He also noted that while the dish looked like it would be "intensely flavoured", it was "perfectly balanced". 

"This is one of the better char kway teows I've had," he praised. 

After that satisfying fish, Tabi wanted to find an ice cool dessert for a sweet ending to his meal. 

But instead, he came across another noodle stall and was tempted by their offerings. 

So, he ended up getting a bowl of gan lao mian for $4 from stall #02-50. 

"That is a pretty big portion," he said enthusiastically. 

And it tasted good too. 

"Once again, it's not too strong. The sauce itself looks really, really dark but surprisingly, it doesn't taste that salty," he shared. 

Finally, he got his dessert fix from Tian Tian Yuan Dessert House. 

There, he ordered an ice kachang for $2, which he felt was very reasonably priced. 

"That is refreshing!" he said as he took his first bite. 

After a day of stuffing his face, Tabi said it was "unbelievable" how he had found so many affordable options. 

"I really enjoyed eating my way through Singapore. Everything I had was $5 or less," he said. 

And his favourite dishes of the day? The peanut and fish porridge, as well as the fried kway teow. 

"Those two really stood out, very, very delicious." 

ALSO READ: How expensive is Singapore? 2 tourists try to survive on a $50 budget for a day

melissateo@asiaone.com