Best cheap restaurants in the East
While hawker centres are synonymous with budget-friendly food, the East is home to an array of restaurants challenging the notion that dining out means breaking the bank. If you’re an Eastie looking for restaurants that offer good and affordable food, we’ve got you covered with these 15 cheap restaurants in the East, each offering mains under $15.
1. Cheeky Bee Hoon
Located in Katong, Cheeky Bee Hoon is a retro-looking restaurant opened by an ex-JIDAI Restaurant chef. There are only four mains on the menu, all of which comprise bee hoon dishes. We recommend the Signature Cheeky Bee Hoon Set ($13.80), featuring a robust, flavourful broth with meatballs, minced meat, cabbage, and lala, accompanied by a drink and charcoal you tiao. If you prefer dry noodles, get the Dry Cheeky Bee Hoon with Braised Pork ($8.80) instead. This gets you tender pork belly slices coated in a sweet sauce, complemented by sambal chilli. Side dishes are also available for sharing, including Mala Crispy Pork ($3.80), Charcoal You Tiao with Otah ($4.80), and Crab Dumpling Soup ($4.80).
Read our Cheeky Bee Hoon review.
Address: 37 East Coast Road, Singapore 428755
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm
Tel: 8644 2108
Website
Cheeky Bee Hoon is not a halal-certified eatery.
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2. La Saigon
Here’s another affordable East-side gem to add to the list: La Saigon. This popular Vietnamese cafe offers coffee and sourdough banh mi in the day, and turns into a moody bar by evening. Try their Fluffy Egg Banh Mi ($12++), where a light sourdough baguette is filled with scrambled egg, kombucha pickles, fresh greens, and mayo. You also get a side of crisps! If you’re a small eater, they offer a petite size at $7++ too. Alternatively, seafood lovers can order their Soft Shell Crab Banh Mi ($10++), generously stuffed with deep-fried soft-shell crab and pickles.
Read our La Saigon review.
Address: 914 East Coast Road, #01-04, The Domain, Singapore 459108
Opening hours: Mon-Tue, Thurs-Fri 10am to 10pm, Sat-Sun 9am to 10pm
Tel: 8509 5950
Website
La Saigon is not a halal-certified eatery.
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3. Mrs Hen
Mrs Hen, an Indonesian restaurant in Bedok known for their ayam penyet, AKA smashed chicken rice, offers customisable meals from $7.80. Diners can choose between a rice or salad base, pick their protein, and preferred sambal topping, along with additional ingredients. Also on the menu are their signature dishes, such as Ayam Geprek Sambal Signature ($9), featuring smashed fried chicken topped with their signature red chilli, served with a mound of white rice and a side of achar. For something non-spicy, try the Ayam Geprek Salted Egg ($11), which comes with tender fried chicken drenched in a piquant salted egg yolk sauce.
Check out our Mrs Hen review.
Website | Full list of outlets
Mrs Hen is a halal-certified eatery.
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4. Tamoya Udon & Tempura
Image credit: @tamoya.sg
Popular udon joint Tamoya Udon & Tempura has just opened their second outlet at Paya Lebar’s SingPost Centre. The restaurant, founded by Chef Tamotsu Kurokawa, the “Sanuki Udon Champion” of a Japanese reality cooking show, specialises in fresh udon that’s hand-pulled daily. Give their tangy Tomato Cream Udon ($13.40+) or Ankakae Udon ($14.40+) a try; the latter features thick soup made from fish broth, seasoned with soy sauce.
Alternatively, you can try the Black Garlic Tonkotsu Udon ($12.30+), consisting of al dente udon in a rich tonkotsu broth, complemented by house-made black garlic oil, chashu slices, crunchy bamboo shoots, and an ajitama egg.
Read our Tamoya Udon coverage.
Address: 10 Eunos Road 8, #01-149, SingPost Centre, Singapore 408600
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 11:15am to 9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:15am to 10pm
Website
Tamoya Udon & Tempura is not a halal-certified eatery.
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5. Daniele’s Pizza
Image credit: @danielespizza
Daniele’s Pizza, founded by Italian chef Daniele Colaiacomo, brings an authentic taste of Italy to Changi Business Park. The menu showcases a variety of offerings, including tomato sauce-based and cheese-based pizzas. On weekdays from 11am to 2:30pm, diners can also enjoy affordable 10-inch pizzas priced between $11+ and $15+, with classic flavours including Marinara, Quattro Formaggi, and Capricciosa.
Address: 1 Changi Business Park Crescent, #01-19, Singapore 486025
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11am to 2:30pm, 4:30pm to 9pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 2:30pm, 4:30pm to 10pm
Tel: 6974 6030
Website
Daniele’s Pizza is not a halal-certified eatery.
6. Butahage
Hokkaido chain Butahage has a few outlets in Singapore, one of them located in Tampines’ Century Square. Here, it’s all about hearty grilled pork donburi bowls, AKA butadon. The Obihiro Meibutsu Pork Loin Don comes highly recommended and costs $11.80+ for the regular size. It features charcoal-grilled Canadian pork that’s marination in their secret tare dipping sauce, served atop fluffy Hokkaido rice. Another affordable option is the Tendon ($9.50++) donburi, comprising the same short-grain rice crowned with two prawns, a crab stick, Japanese mountain yam, and pumpkin.
Read our Butahage review.
Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #01-625/626, Suntec City, Singapore 038983
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website
Butahage is not a halal-certified eatery.
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7. Nangfa Thai Kitchen
Image credit: Danny Yeo
At Nangfa Thai Kitchen, many of their dishes are priced below $10, making it a budget-friendly spot for Thai food lovers. Popular orders include the aromatic Pandan Leaves Chicken, Stir-Fried Minced Chicken with Hot Basil Leaves, and Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab with Chicken Floss. Don’t miss out on their Thai curries too—get the Green Curry ($8), similarly priced Red Curry, or Pineapple Curry with Prawns ($8) for a good balance of sweet and savoury.
Address: 136 Bedok North Avenue 3, #01-166, Singapore 460136
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10pm
Tel: 6245 5548
Website
Nangfa Thai Kitchen is not a halal-certified eatery.
8. Tokyo Shokudo
Tokyo Shokudo is a halal-certified Japanese restaurant specialising in ramen dishes. The menu goes beyond the classics, featuring more unique options such as Chicken Cha Shu Tom Yam Ramen ($10.90++), Duck Ramen ($12.90++), and Beef Shabu Spicy Ramen ($14.90++). While the mains are substantial enough, consider getting a side of Chicken Gyoza ($6.90++) to share, which features a set of five dumplings.
Unit: 4 Tampines Central 5, #04-02, Tampines Mall, Singapore 529510
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Tel: 6786 3221
Website
Tokyo Shokudo is a halal-certified eatery.
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9. Yakiniku Like
Yakiniku Like is a popular yakiniku restaurant with multiple outlets across the island, including one at Pasir Ris Mall. You’ll find a great selection of yakiniku sets, well-priced from just $9.90 for the Pork & Chicken Set (100g), which comes with rice, soup, and kimchi or salad. If you love beef, get their Sukiyaki Karubi Set ($12.90) AKA beef short ribs instead. What’s more, prices are nett, so you definitely won’t break the bank here!
Check out our Yakiniku Like review!
Unit number: 7 Pasir Ris Central, #B1-31, Pasir Ris Mall, Singapore 519612
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6931 2161
Website
Yakiniku Like is not a halal-certified eatery.
10. Alley Wei
Another halal-certified restaurant in the East is Alley Wei, located in the basement of Tampines Mall. Among their offerings, the Pan-fried Chicken Pau ($4.80) stands out, featuring three thick buns with a slightly crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. Another popular choice is the Scallion Pancakes ($4.20) with savoury diced scallions, and Beef Noodles ($9.90), featuring a light-tasting broth filled with boiled carrots, radish, and thick slices of beef.
Read our Alley Wei review.
Address: 4 Tampines Central 5, #B1-K21, Tampines Mall, Singapore 529510
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Website
Alley Wei is a halal-certified eatery.
Alley Wei Review: Halal Beef Noodles, Taiwanese Dumplings, And Scallion Pancakes In Tampines
11. Daily Mujo
Daily Mujo is an under-the-radar cafe in the Bedok heartlands offering affordable mains, coffee, and chill vibes. Their Laksa Hokkien Mee ($11) is a hearty and delicious dish comprising thick bee hoon tossed in a rich and umami-packed laksa sauce, topped with tiger prawns. They also have other wallet-friendly dishes under $15, including Chicken Katsu Don ($14), Black Pepper Chicken Chop ($14), and Spicy Nasi Goreng with Chicken ($12). What’s more, prices are nett here!
Read our Daily Mujo review.
Address: 84 Bedok North Street 4, # 01-27, Singapore 460084
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8:30am to 9pm
Website
Daily Mujo is not a halal-certified eatery, but does not use pork or lard.
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12. Ne Ne Neko
Ne Ne Neko is a relatively new addition to the Paya Lebar neighbourhood. If you’re here for lunch, the Japanese cafe has affordable rice bowls from $8.90++ for a small serving, including Mapo Tofu Don ($8.90++), Chicken Katsu Don ($11.90++), and Dashi Chazuke ($12.90++). If you prefer a lighter bite, try their shokupan too, served as open-faced toasts. There’s the Oishi Mentai Shokupan ($14++), where charcoal-toasted milk bread is topped with torched mentaiko mayo, furikake, and seaweed.
Read our Ne Ne Neko feature.
Address: 10 Paya Lebar Road, #01-K7, PLQ Plaza, Singapore 409057
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11am to 11pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 12am, Sun 11am to 10pm
Website
Ne Ne Neko is not a halal-certified eatery.
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13. Ipoh Town Kopitiam
Ipoh Town Kopitiam is a fairly new restaurant at Jewel Changi Airport with affordable mains and snacks. Try their signature Ayam Berempah ($11.90++), where fragrant coconut rice is accompanied by a deep-fried chicken leg, hard-boiled egg, peanuts, anchovies, cucumber slices, and sweet sambal. Otherwise, for something more comforting, get their Ipoh Chicken Prawn Hor Fun ($12.90++), which sees Ipoh hor fun noodles, shredded chicken, fishballs, and prawns in a light broth.
Check out our Ipoh Town review.
Address: 78 Airport Boulevard, B1-299, Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore 819666
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website
Ipoh Town Kopitiam is not a halal-certified eatery.
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14. Godaime
Image credit: @godaimesg
For halal maze soba that doesn’t break the bank, look no further than Godaime, which has an outlet at Changi City Point. Their Aburi Chicken Maze Soba is well-priced at $11.90++ for a serving, and comes with dry ramen, char-grilled chicken and an onsen egg. Alternatively, go for the popular Chicken Cutlet Maze Soba ($11.90++), served with a large piece of deep-fried chicken! If you prefer rice to noodles, they have maze don options too, priced from $11.90++ a bowl.
Address: 5 Changi Business Park Central 1, #01-48, Changi City Point, Singapore 486038
Opening hours: Sat-Tue 11:30am to 9pm, Wed 11:30am to 10pm, Thurs 11:30am to 12am, Fri 12pm to 9:30 am, 11:30 am to 9:30 pm
Tel: 6443 0334
Website
Godaime is a halal-certified eatery.
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15. The Hainan Story Coffee House
If you reside in the East, you’re in luck: The Hainan Story, a popular local eatery, has outlets at Jewel Changi Airport and Pasir Ris Mall! The latter is the brand’s newest opening that offers all-day breakfast such as Baked Hainanese Rice Cake Lasagna ($9.80), a fusion dish of Hainanese rice cakes in tomato sauce, parmesan, white sauce, and stewed eggplant. Their signature Crispy Pork Cutlet ($14.80), served with fries, is said to be delicious too. Otherwise, opt for their Gula Melaka Kaya & Cold Butter Toast Set ($5.80), great for brekkie or tea time.
Read our The Hainan Story Jewel coverage!
Unit number: 7 Pasir Ris Central, #B2-36, Pasir Ris Mall, Singapore 519612
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 9:30pm
Website
The Hainan Story is not a halal-certified eatery.
Restaurants in the East for affordable food
If you’re an Eastie who loves cafe food, read our list of best cafes in the East for breakfast platters and Wagyu sando. If you don’t live in the East, check out our guide to cheap restaurants in Singapore instead, including a hidden gem Korean eatery in Orchard and a Japanese restaurant with affordable katsudon at Suntec City.
30 Must-Try Cheap Restaurants In Singapore, Including Those With Mains Under $10
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