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Budget friendly

Load up a tray from the bain marie at Da Bao.

Load up a tray from the bain marie at Melbourne’s very own version of Malaysian rice stalls

Da Bao is Ho Jiak chef Junda Khoo’s fast-casual eatery within his new mega complex in the CBD.

  • Tomas Telegramma
Egg and vegetable kottu roti.
13.5/20

Don’t miss the ‘chopped roti’ dish at this Sri Lankan eatery in western Sydney

Chef Ceylon’s kottu roti crackles with deep-fried curry leaves and coconut shreds.

  • Lee Tran Lam
Chicken coconut curry.

Shop your pantry to make this cheap and cheerful chicken coconut curry

Plus a belly-warming beef stew and seriously comforting sausage gnocchi dinner that come in at about $3 a serve.

  • Chelsea Goodwin
Times New Roman’s napolitana pasta.

The hot new Lygon Street Italian restaurant where pasta starts at $6

Times New Roman is difficult to Google but easy to love for its affordable spaghetti, wine and penchant for Cheezels.

  • Dani Valent
The gamjatang soup is pretty much the only menu item at Guk’s Eedaero Gamjatang.

This slow-simmered Korean pork bone soup is best split with friends

Even the small size of gamjatang – priced at $40 – feeds two to three people, or go the large for $70 for groups of four or more.

  • David Matthews
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Maalu Maalu specialises in all-you-can-eat Sri Lankan buffet.

One of Melbourne’s best all-you-can-eat Sri Lankan deals is found at this inner-north eatery

Maalu Maalu offers one of the best value buffets in the city.

  • Tomas Telegramma and Dani Valent
Shanghai Chinese is a soft-lit capsule of longevity symbols, floral wallpaper and red lanterns.
14/20

This old-school regional Chinese restaurant is a delicious time-warp to the 1970s

Prawn toast, fried ice-cream and red lanterns abound at a Southern Highlands institution still going strong after 50 years.

  • Callan Boys
Char kwai teow at Ho Liao.

Ho Liao

The cherry on top of Junda Khoo’s three-storey Malaysian mega venue.

  • Tomas Telegramma
The dakdoritang, a signature featuring aged kimchi, is pure comfort.
14/20

This popular soup chain has 95 sites in Korea. Now its first global outpost is in Sydney

Since opening in February at the former BBQ King site, the line has hardly let up at Jiho Hanbang Samgyetang, which is known for its restorative ginseng and chicken soup. 

  • David Matthews
Khao Kang Maruay.
14/20

‘Put your face in a hot pot’: This no-frills Thai diner is your new BYO winter spot

Khao Kang Maruay is a modest restaurant that specialises in Isan-style cooking from Thailand’s north-east.

  • Callan Boys

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/topic/budget-friendly-6gsw