Our team is always on the lookout for wallet-friendly eats, as proven by our curated guides to the best cheap restaurants and cheap cafes in Singapore. This time, we’ve compiled the best cheap food places in Dhoby Ghaut, with all dishes priced under $20.
Fans of Taiwanese food would know of Typhoon Cafe, a popular restaurant with a total of three outlets in Singapore. We recommend starting with the Signature Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua ($12.90++) for a warm, comforting combination of thin vermicelli noodles and fresh, plump oysters. Pair this with the incredibly delicious Claypot Sanbei Chicken ($15.90++), which was a collective favourite during our visit. It’s made using soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine, with flavourful notes of ginger and basil. The claypot chicken goes well with the Crispy Chicken Cutlet with Typhoon Egg Fried Rice ($14.90++) too, if you prefer rice to noodles.
Read our Typhoon Cafe review.
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #04-63/67, Singapore 238839
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Website
Typhoon Cafe is not a halal-certified eatery.
Korean food is infamously expensive in Singapore, but that’s only because you’re not looking at the right places. Kim Dae Mun is a popular casual eatery where you can indulge in wallet-friendly offerings at nett prices. You can’t go wrong with the Beancurd Soup ($10.50), featuring clams, squid, and mussels submerged in a piping hot broth. FYI, every soup comes with a serving of rice and banchan on the side. If you have a good spice tolerance, get the Spicy Pork ($11.50). This hotplate dish is served with rice and soup of the day!
Read our Kim Dae Mun review.
Address: 100 Orchard Road, #01-03D, Concorde Shopping Mall, Singapore 238840
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8pm
Website
Kim Dae Mun is not a halal-certified eatery.
Here’s another recommendation for those who can’t get enough Korean food: I’m Kim Korean BBQ. This Korean BBQ buffet restaurant is one of the cheapest options in Singapore, where you only have to pay $18.90++ per person for lunch and $28.90++ for dinner. For 90 minutes, you can feast on a wide selection of meats, sides, and banchan, including pork belly, tteokbokki, and kimchi. While these are good enough, there’s the option to top up $8++ for premium items: marinated ribeye, honey pork collar, and beef short ribs are just some examples.
Address: 1 Zubir Said Drive, #01-04, School of the Arts, Singapore, Singapore 227968
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am to 4pm, 5:30pm to 10pm, Fri-Sun 11:30am to 4pm, 5:30pm to 10:30pm
Website
I’m Kim Korean BBQ is not a halal-certified eatery.
A quick five-minute walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station is 9Toast, a cosy cafe where you’ll find toasts, sando, salad bowls, and a trendy selection of drinks. We tried the Purple Haze Latte ($7.90), starring a winning combination of taro, purple sweet potato, and milk. Fun fact: fresh batches of orh nee are prepared in-store daily to ensure top-notch quality. We paired our drink with the Creamy Tamago Sando ($12.50), which made for a hearty bite to have on the go. You get two thick slices of Japanese milk bread packed with velvety smooth egg salad! There’s also Chicken Katsu Sando ($15.50), a savoury alternative to the creamy-eggy sandwich.
Read our 9Toast feature.
Address: 190 Clemenceau Avenue, #01-18, Singapore Shopping Centre, Singapore 239924
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10:30am to 6pm, Sat-Sun 10am to 7pm
Website
9Toast is not a halal-certified eatery.
With seven branches scattered across Singapore, Le Shrimp Ramen is a reliable restaurant to visit when you’re craving a comforting bowl of noodles. My favourite is the Fish Fillet with Pickled Vegetable Tonkotsu Ramen ($16.90++), starring a rich, robust broth with soft, tender slices of fish fillet, with a bit of tanginess from the pickled vegetables. For a heartier option, get the Big Prawn & Braised Pork Rib Shrimp Ramen ($19.60++). If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, the Ebiko Prawn Paste Shrimp Ramen ($16.60++) and Prawn Dumpling Shrimp Ramen ($15.60++) are equally delicious alternatives.
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #03-01, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 10pm, Sat-Sun 10:30am to 10pm
Website
Le Shrimp Ramen is not a halal-certified eatery.
For a quick, delicious pho fix, head to Co Chung at Plaza Singapura. A bowl of the Pho Beef Noodle Soup is priced at $14.90++, and you can add more ingredients depending on your liking. For instance, extra beef slices cost $7.90++ more, while extra beef balls cost $3.90++ more! If you can’t have beef, opt for the Pho Chicken Noodle Soup ($12.90++) instead. Pho aside, there’s the crowd-favourite Grilled Beef in Betel Leaf Banh Mi ($14.90++), featuring a crispy baguette packed with grilled beef, fish sauce, chilli sauce, house-made mayonnaise, pickles, and cilantro.
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #B2-20, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website
Co Chung is not a halal-certified eatery.
Bring your friends to Meokja by Jungga, a Muslim-owned eatery at GR.iD serving up affordable Korean food. A hearty, vibrant bowl of Bibimbap here is only priced at $9.90+, best eaten with piping hot Kimchi Jjigae ($12.90+) on the side. If you’re feeling noodles, get their Jjajangmyeon ($12+) instead, which is cheaper than what most Korean restaurants offer. There’s even Kalguksu ($13.50+), which is essentially knife-cut noodles in soup. There are also fresh clams and veggies in Meokja’s version!
Read our Meokja by Jungga review.
Address: 1 Selegie Road, #02-03, GR.iD, Singapore 188306
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Website
Meokja by Jungga is a Muslim-owned eatery.
Founded in 1919, Killiney Kopitiam is widely known and loved for their old-school breakfast sets comprising kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and a cup of kopi. Many don’t know of the other offerings at their OG outlet along Killiney Road, though, including a wallet-friendly Nasi Lemak at only $2.90, Chee Cheong Fun ($3.10), and Curry Chicken ($7.20). Don’t forget to get a cup of their Iced Coffee ($2.70) or White Coffee ($2.70) for a caffeine kick; else, there’s Soya Milk ($3.20) or Milo Dinosaur ($3.50) as caffeine-free options.
Find out the best kaya toast in Singapore.
Address: 67 Killiney Road, Singapore 239525
Opening hours: Daily 6am to 6pm
Website
Killiney is not a halal-certified eatery.
Open till 6am on selected days, La Jiang Shan Hotpot is one for the books when you’re craving a steamboat buffet at the wee hours and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars. A weekday lunch here costs $18.80++ per person, while weekday dinner and weekend meals cost $29.80++ per person. There are plenty of ingredients to choose from, including pork, mussels, fish, and quail eggs for protein. Do note that over the weekend and on weekday dinners, you get additional ingredients such as Wagyu, scallop, and pork dumplings.
Read our La Jiang Shan Hotpot review.
Address: 35 Selegie Road, #01-06, Parklane Shopping Mall, Singapore 188307
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 12am to 6am, 11am to 12am, Tue 11am to 12am
Website
La Jiang Shan Hotpot is not a halal-certified eatery.
Hailing from Hong Kong, Tsui Wah is a popular tea restaurant that specialises in breakfast items, similar to a cha chaan teng. We recommend getting the classic Crispy Bun with Kaya Butter ($6.80++) served with a drink of your choice, available from 8:30am to 11am every day. For something different, there’s the newly added Macaroni with Borscht Soup ($9.80++), which is a popular breakfast dish in Hong Kong featuring tomato soup made using beef bones, lots of veggies, and macaroni.
Read our Tsui Wah review.
Address: 2 Handy Road, #01-04, The Cathay, Singapore 229233
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am to 10pm
Website
Tsui Wah is not a halal-certified eatery.
Dhoby Ghaut is not only a treasure trove of good eats, but also cheap food. We hope our list comes in handy the next time you’re looking to dine on a budget! For more good eateries in the area, read our Somerset food guide and Orchard food guide.