Saturday June 14, 2008
Thrifty treats
By ALICE CHING
Eateries that dish up good food at palatable prices are not hard to find for budget-conscious food lovers.
Trying times call for savvy measures. While the recent rice and fuel price increases have left many with a bad taste in the mouth, all is not lost for ardent foodies. Besides being more prudent in our food choices, another way of stretching our hard-earned ringgit is to patronise eateries that have menus with “easy–to–stomach” prices. We went incognito and unearthed four outlets.
Susan’s Bistro
Pork-free
No.6 Jalan Temenggung 3/9 Seksyen 9
Bandar Mahkota Cheras
Cheras Selangor
Tel: (03) 9010 4588
Scrumptious set meals
This cosy Italian-style family bistro serves two weekly set meals from Monday to Saturday. The first usually comprises a pasta dish such as Spaghetti with Sautéed Onion, Eggplant, Red Chillies, Minced Chicken and Tomato Sauce priced at RM9.80, inclusive of a glass of iced lemon tea. Alternatively, diners can expect either a Grilled Chicken Steak with Saffron Cream Sauce (pic) priced at RM13.80 or a fish course at RM15.80 inclusive of a glass of iced lemon tea. Susan’s also serves noteworthy pizzas – a regular 9-inch diameter thin crust pizza costs RM11 onwards while its delicious pasta dishes are priced from RM10.50 onwards. The food portions are ample enough to satisfy a hearty diner or to be shared among two or three light eaters.
Sri Nirwana Maju
Pork-free
85A Jalan Berangan
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 2148 7445
Currying for cheap favours
This family-run restaurant has certainly come a long way from its maiden outlet in Rawang. Its second branch in Bangsar which opened in 2002 has packed in the crowd at all hours of the day. Now Sri Nirwana Maju’s third and newest KL outlet looks set to be another surefire hit with banana leaf rice enthusiasts and lovers of South Indian cuisine. One can feast like a king here for less than RM20 – its delectable banana leaf rice lunch starts from RM5 and increases according to the type of main dishes one selects. Budget-conscious diners will do even better if they plump for simpler options like Indian breads – thosai, chappati, roti canai, appam or one-dish meals like mee goreng and fried rice.
Turning Japanese: Hokano Roll and Chirashi Sushi (below) are two items that are great value for money. 
Hokano Japanese Restaurant
Pork-free
74, Jalan SS21/35
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya
Tel: (03) 7729 5325
No-frills Japanese
With no fancy décor and expensive rental to bear, this small, nondescript outlet is able to offer die-hard Japanese food lovers a plethora of affordably priced sushi, sashimi and other imported specialities. We love the wholesome set lunches such as the Saba Shioyaki (Grilled Mackerel) or Sashimi Set with pocket-friendly prices that hover between RM15 and RM20. You can also sample scrumptious sushi rolls that display the resident chef’s creative streak – the signature Hokano Roll (RM16.95), for instance, comprises vinegared rice rolled with crabstick, tempura prawn, grilled unagi (eel) and avocado slices. Other great value dishes include Chirashi Sushi (RM21.50), Chicken Katsu Don (RM11.95), Cha Soba (RM8.50) and Sukiyaki (RM20.95).
Salero Negori
Halal
247, 249, 251 & 253
Level 2, Amcorp Mall
18 Persiaran Barat
46050 Petaling Jaya
Tel/Fax: (03) 7956 6968
KL branch
Lot SF 012, 2nd Floor
BB Plaza, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (03) 2145 8868
Frugal Malay feasting
Salero Negori is known for serving homely Minang/Padang and Negeri Sembilan delights at reasonable prices. Some of their hottest specialities include Masak Lemak Cili Api (bird’s eye chilli in coconut milk), Daging Salai (grilled beef slices), Ayam Kalio (red chicken curry), Gulai Tunjang (braised beef tendon with spices and coconut milk) and Sambal Petai Goreng (stir-fried stink beans with ground chilli and spices). We can’t think of a nicer or more tantalising way to “burn up” RM20 for a meal!
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