Budget Meals!

So looking at the blogs that I usually visit and at some of the Buzz! that friends have been putting up, I realise there has been a trend going on. Most of the meals tend to side with the upper end that cost over.. hm... $50 per person. I guess $50 can't be considered much, since a lot of restaurants can cost from $100 up. Per Person. For a meal.

Not that it's a bad thing, since most of my friends are already working and have a stable career (boohoo, I'm still not even sure what I'm going to do after completing Masters. This course guarantees that I'll be poor my entire life, haha), but I'm a poor student who works part time at a dodgy supermarket. I'm stuck saving up for overseas trips, first to HK to renew my ID card (it expired many many many years ago) and to Singapore for my sister's wedding dinner.

Which means I haven't been able to have good meals for a long time. Wait wait, I take that back. I've had PLENTY of good meals, just not expensive ones.... in other words, BUDGET meals!

From Weeks 44-47

From Weeks 44-47

From Weeks 44-47

Why are they budget meals? Because you get heaps for a much lesser cost! These meals are from Tim Tim House, which I went with my uni friends one day when the skies were blue and we just finished our first year. I'd say each dish cost around $8, and definitely filling. My set meal was $9.95, comes with free soup and free iced milk tea, HK style~

From Weeks 44-47

Weather was really hot and humid that day, so we tried out a new dessert place...

From Weeks 44-47

Along China Town, almost right to the end of the street. Newly opened, queues stretch way long for this dessert shop. Helps that there's a ChaTime right next door.

From Weeks 44-47

No translation!

From Weeks 44-47

They do mainly sell desserts like tofu fa and shaved ice, as well as herbal jellies and glutinous balls, which you can customise with different toppings.

From Weeks 44-47

This was a glutinous balls (I think sweet potato and taro flavor) with green beans, shaved ice and pearls.

From Weeks 44-47

My tofu fa with shaved ice and beans. I forgot what beans they were, but they were larger than average red beans and really really sweet. Loved them!

From Weeks 44-47

My friend's lemon tofu fa with shaved ice. This tasted a little strange... but she wanted to try something new. Acquired taste really, but I thought it was just tofu fa gone wrong because it was sour... =|

From Weeks 44-47

Definitely a good idea in summer.

From Weeks 44-47

tt is really into these puzzles lately... I prefer metal puzzles..

From Weeks 44-47

Another budget meal, but highly recommended in summer! Hiyashi chuuka. It's that time of the year again when hiyashi chuuka is back on the menu in most Japanese restaurants. This one was from Ton Ton.

From Weeks 44-47

Newly opened at World Square bottom level, right next to... ChaTime! Seriously, either ChaTime likes to open next to cool places, or cool places like to open next to ChaTime.

From Weeks 44-47

Mother's Crepe! That's the boss there with glasses. One lone Caucasian guy in the midst of Japanese girls =D

From Weeks 44-47

Their premium chocolate crepes use Hershey's syrup. I gotta lament about crepes though, because seriously, subconsciously I've been waiting for a shop like this to open since the one in Hornsby closed. There was one in Hornsby many years ago. They had the best cheesecake crepes and the best Cheese Avocado Chicken crepes... then I went to Japan and had Princess Crepes there. It was SO good!!! Everyone MUST have princess crepes when they go to Japan!

From Weeks 44-47

Someone's savory crepe in the making.

From Weeks 44-47

This was my caramel cheesecake plus matcha ice cream strawberry crepe!

From Weeks 44-47

Tabemasu. Yay for crepe place! It's hugely popular as it only opened recently, about two weeks ago, and they have a promotion where some crepes are discounted. Usually though, they can be pretty expensive... but still budget because their most expensive is still under $10! Actually, under $8!

From Weeks 44-47

Gyoza from Ichiban Boshi... this was the one outside Kinokuniya and sad to say, I think Wagamama influenced them a bit with their bad standard because they've seem to... drop as well.

From Weeks 44-47

Their hiyashi chuuka looks good, but took forever to make (customer service was bad, which was a minus!) and they only had one variety, which was lemon soy sauce. Usually hiyashi chuuka comes with either lemon soy sauce or sesame sauce. Ton Ton serves the latter, which is also much nicer.

For recipe of hiyashi chuuka that's almost fail proof, check cookingwithdog. Still my favourite cooking channel on youtube~

From Weeks 44-47

To end this budget meal entry, went back to Ton Ton for some snacks. Takoyaki~ only downside is that they're missing bonito. Where's my bonito shavings!!!

From Weeks 44-47

Chilli chicken wings~

They even gave us a free bottle of Asahi beer =D But since we don't drink beer, we gave it back, haha...