I tried 6 cheap and good Chinese restaurants in Singapore. Here’s the best.

Yes, I know.

You might look at the beautifully designed annual reports of listed banks like DBS, and wonder how none of their profits are accruing to you, even though you use their bank.

Instead, you feel cheated by the desperate attempt to get you to use their PayLah, by subsidising the $3 over the past year.

Now that that’s over, you wonder how else you’re going to save money. Maybe by not going to Japan to save on the overseas spend?

And no, you don’t have to learn from meditation teachers just to be mindful about not eating that good meal.

Relax. Here’s an article to save the day, helping you to find the best, cheapest, meals in Singapore.

I stared at the food, silently chewing it. This reminded me a lot of my grandmother. Way too much.

The tenderness of the pork belly, the braising of the Nyonya chap chye, just made it too good to miss.

Pek Kio Market

Pek Kio Market has a secret. They are home to many hawkers, who have been plying their trade for years. Whilst they don’t have the air-con you’d expect, they have the prices that make the cost of living much easier to manage. You don’t have to keep switching your debit cards just to make things easier for yourself.

Just go to Pek Kio Market.

Ivnis Peranakan Restaurant (Binjai Park) – $13.90 for a good meal

And that’s why you probably shouldn’t miss the food at Ivnis too. Just two days ago, I was at the Thomson Plaza outlet, and there was already a queue forming out there even though it was only 6pm.

And if you go to Kovan, you would find it tough to get a seat, without a prior reservation.

As a humble restaurant that started 30 years ago, it’s amazing they still only have 3 outlets across the whole of Singapore, with the latest in Thomson Plaza only started in November 2023. I’m guessing that the chefs really wanted to make sure that the quality of the sub chefs were good, before they opened more.

It’s smart. Because when you look at the menu of Ivnis you would quickly realise that the food there is super, super cheap.

Just take a look at the prices below. What’s great is that you can order a set for 3 at about $43, meaning that you don’t spend that much for a tasty meal.

Sure, they are no Michelin Star hawker, but it’s probably even better than that.

Sembawang White Beehoon

Another place I’ve started to love is Sembawang’s White Beehoon, which is the originator of the white beehoon that everyone loves.

When you go there, there’s really the feeling of Malaysia all over again, and you just end up falling in love with the place.

I love this area because the beehoon is thick, and yet not too starchy.

It’s flavourful, rich, and it comes with real cockles for you to enjoy.

Fei Fei Wanton Mee (Joo Chiat)

I sat alone on Chinese New Year, in the cowering space. I wasn’t sure where to go. I didn’t want to spend CNY with my parents, and so here I was, trying to figure out where to go for lunch.

I sat there and walked along the street.

Just then, I chanced upon this restaurant, that was still open.

Walking in, there was air-conditioning to free me from the heat of the midday sun.

When I asked if they would be open tomorrow, the boss cheerily said,

yes, today, tomorrow, everyday also open.

24/7!

I was amazed.

But not so amazed when the wanton mee finally came.

When it landed on my table, I realised that the noodles were bouncy, but not particularly flavourful.

You had to scoop a big wad of chilli to add more flavour to it. The wanton was also small, minuscule, and not great.

So you might wonder, why do I still recommend it?

Because if you’re looking for a supper spot that’s not McDonald’s at 1am, this is probably one of the few places that are going to be still open for you.

3 Meals a Day (Hougang Avenue 1)

The first time I went here, they were new.

They kept serving us the wrong dishes, walking up to us and asking if that was ours.

Clearly it wasn’t.

But I saw that they were trying their best. They had lots of heart in doing the food.

If you’re looking for something more heartland, you can try the salted egg fried rice here.

Just look at how cheap their menu is!

Hougang Avenue 1 Block 118 Zichar

Then there are those restaurants like this.

They are so good they aren’t even listed on Google Maps. It’s almost as if they are saying,

yeah, we don’t need more Google Reviews. We are that good.

And they are.

They serve traditional fare, but at a really good price. I can’t count the number of times my family and I have come down to get their fishhead steamboat, at a great price of $38.

You can’t get that price anywhere else in Singapore. And mind you, they are so good that they can whip up a hor fun for you in 10 minutes.

Great price, fast food, delicious dishes.

What else can you ask for?

Don’t worry about inflation. You can start with these restaurants first.