IPOH, June 20 — Ask any foodie for recommendations of where to eat in Ipoh and chances are you will get a list as long as (if not longer) than your arm.
But what if you refine your search to something a little more specific: yummy AND cheap.
Malay Mail spoke to several abang-abang Grab and Foodpanda to find out their go-to spots for affordable meals that do not compromise on quality or portion size.
Here are some of their top picks for cheap eats in Ipoh:
3 Generation Restaurant
10, A182, Kampung Melayu,
Tanjung Rambutan, Perak.
Opening hours: 8.30am to 3.30pm (Closed on Friday)
Prices: From RM3
Delivery food rider Zaid recommended this as one of the places offering one of the cheapest lunch meals in Ipoh.
The restaurant in Tanjung Rambutan, which has been operating since 1979, offers lunch sets starting from just RM3.
The set consists of rice, a piece of fried (or soy sauce) chicken, vegetables and curry. Diners are also served complimentary air sirap.
Owner Nur Akma Mohamad Nassier, 37, who took over the family business from her parents in 2013, said the set meal used to cost only RM2 and was increased to RM3 just this year.
“I come from a humble family, so I always had this dream of operating a restaurant that can offer affordable meals to students and low-income earners,” she said.
The restaurant offers other dishes daily, including its signature fish head curry and honey chicken. Other popular dishes include beef curry, gulai kawah and beef cooked with banana stems.
It also serves several types of fish, including tilapia, mackerel and ikan keli (catfish), prepared in a variety of styles.
Nelson King Briyani
1, Persiaran Sungai Pari Timur 8,
Taman Mas, Ipoh.
Opening hours: 10.30am to 4pm (Closed on Monday)
Prices: From RM5
Food delivery rider M. Devaraj, 32, suggested Nelson King Briyani in Taman Mas for the Indian lunch which starts at RM5.
Nelson King Briyani founder Nelson Sourimuthu, 35, said the RM5 meal includes rice, a choice of chicken, vegetables and curry.
“The same price applies to our fish and vegetarian meals. If I’m not mistaken, our food is also among the cheapest available on Grab, with prices starting from just RM7.50,” he said.
The stall, located in a house, offers five types of chicken dishes, two types of fish dishes and five varieties of vegetable dishes. Customers can choose three types of curry while the briyani meals are priced between RM14 and RM23.
Nelson, who has been running this business since 2023, said the affordable pricing is made possible through the support of suppliers who provide chicken, fish and vegetables at below-market rates.
“They decided to help because they believe in our effort to provide meals that everyone can afford,” he said.
Nasi Kandar Dato Sagor
33, Jalan Tun Sambanthan,
Ipoh, Perak.
Opening hours: 10am to 4.30pm
Prices: From RM6.30
Muhammad Nur Hakeem, 21, said food delivery riders often head to Nasi Kandar Dato Sagor for an affordable lunch.
Nasi Kandar Dato Sagor manager Sharifa Shahul Hamid said the restaurant’s basic nasi kandar meal starts at RM6.30 and comes with rice, its signature munush chicken, cucumber, okra and its special sambal.
“If customers want to add a salted egg, the meal would only cost RM7.80. It is still less than RM10,” she said.
Located opposite Ipoh Padang, the Indian Muslim restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, including beef rendang, lamb shank, mutton kurma, chicken kurma, squid, fish roe, and chicken gizzards and liver.
Despite the rising cost of ingredients, Sharifa said the business has remained sustainable by accepting lower profit margins while maintaining the quality and portion sizes of its food.
Gerai Ipoh Ipoh Ajee — Viral Mee Tikus Stesen Bus
15, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak,
Ipoh, Perak.
Opening hours: 7am to 3pm (Closed on Wednesday)
Prices: From RM6
Hairul, another food delivery rider, said a stall at the Medan Kidd bus station is popular for a budget-friendly brunch, especially among those who enjoy wok-fried noodles.
Stall owner and chef Redzuan Ooi Abdullah, 53, has been selling fried noodles and rice dishes since 2010.
“Our signature dish is the mee tikus goreng, more widely known as ‘loh shi fun’, which literally means rat tail noodles in Cantonese.
“The dish is priced at RM6 and comes with two prawns, an egg, fish cakes, bean sprouts and sawi,” he said.
The stall also serves Chinese-style fried kuey teow for RM6, fried rice priced between RM6 and RM8, and fried Hokkien mee for RM7.
Redzuan said he intends to maintain the prices of his dishes for as long as possible, as long as the business generates enough profit to cover its operating costs.
“What matters most is that customers enjoy the food and leave satisfied,” he added.
Gerai Kak Meh Nasi Berlauk
No. 8, Medan Selera Stadium,
Jalan Kompleks Sukan,
Kompleks Sukan Ipoh,
Ipoh, Perak.
Opening hours: 9am to 4pm (Closed on Friday)
Prices: From RM6
Another affordable eatery recommended by several food delivery riders is Gerai Kak Meh Nasi Berlauk, located at the Ipoh Stadium food court.
The stall offers meals starting from RM6, which includes rice, curry chicken, fried chicken, sambal belacan and curry gravy.
Customers can also add a fried egg or salted egg for an additional RM1.20.
Halimatum Mahama, 28, said they have been serving the Kelantan-style rice meal since 2007.
“When we first started, we sold the meal at a much lower price. However, as the years went by and food prices increased, we had to adjust our prices accordingly. Even so, our basic meal still costs less than RM10,” she said.
Halimatum added that the stall sells between 600 and 700 packets daily, with customers coming from all walks of life.
Besides rice meals, the stall also offers traditional Kelantan delicacies, including akok pandan, akok gula Melaka and beko kelapa.
