6 Followers
Cheap n Cheerful eats
if you're on a budget, bang for the buck is where it's at. Doing post-secondary for 13 years = much starving student experience. It not all pizza and gyros. Here's my partial list of places to go for under $10.
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38 Places
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Mary A.’s 4-star review: The decor is still IKEA 90s themed, but it has grown on me. There's so much delicious healthy fare to check out on the menu. All the regular items including the veggie and fruit juices are made fresh upon order. The wraps are large and hearty. Soups are light and flavourful. However, my fav meal at The Dish has never changed: Brown rice and veggie pot with added chicken! I always ask for easy rice, heavy veggie, with 1/2 sundried tomato hummus/ 1/2 pesto on top. It's still huge. I now save some for a snack later in the day. ERMEGERDS NOM -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: If you like meat sticks and rice, this is an amazing place to eat! Excellently flavoured food, good pricing. Service is fairly standard but I'm in it for the food 100%. Just about everything is served with a giant mound of basmati rice (ask for butter to make it extra rich!) and grilled tomato. Sub 1/2 salad of choice for $1 (do it - there will still be too much rice). The koobideh is the most economical item on the menu and an excellent introduction to the world of Persian food for the uninitiated. The Vaziri platter (1 Chicken kabob, 1 koobideh kabob) is another fabulous option. The chicken here is well marinated and So. Tender. Can't wait for the fall, when they will start making aash (?spelling) soup again. It's the most rich, delicious comfort food to eat on a rainy day. -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: I have to be truthful, i was a little worried about this gem, since the previous 3 restaurants at this address had all folded within months. I walked in. I heard the music that is Quebecquois. I breathed a happy sigh. when i lived in Quebec i used to go to La Belle Province (a fast food chain). There i'd have poutine with the bbq gravy. tangier, slightly sweet, utterly amazing. I like that the Patate has that as an option as well as the gravy you can find elsewhere. I also love that there are myriad choices that I had yet to see outside of Quebec! the poutine is delicious. the fries are a good size. they're crispy and hold up well to the gravy. there is a generous amount of curd. and my god, is the curd orgasmically tasty. just a bit of saltiness, squeak, and melt, but holds up its curdy shape and integrity. spectacular. The gravy is a bit salty but works perfectly with the potato and a glass of beer. if you're alone, get the small (i had to share it with 2 people for a snack). if you're insane, get the large. or the all you can eat poutine. but really, you should bring a defibrilator and pads if that's the case. the only thing keeping this from a 5-star is this: I wish is that they had sliced chicken poutine with gravy and peas. my life would have been complete. -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: Joes. it's a hit or miss kind of place. the no-nonsense, brisk, but friendly service makes it a place i like to go for Sunday mornings and weekday breakfast dates. they know i like the basic (2 eggs, toast, potatoes, and bacon, sausage, or ham) and they make sure i have hot sauce as soon as i sit down as they know I'm a fan. I say it's hit or miss because it really depends on who's in the kitchen. they've experienced staff turnover in the last few months and the quality has varied here and there. it seems to be settling out in a good way though. I am a particular potato eater. potatoes must be real slices/wedges, and they must also be very crispy. if you ask for them 'roadkill' style, 90% of the time they'll come just the way i like em. there's also burgers and sandwiches on the menu, but breakfast is really their thing. what do you expect a salad to look like from a breakfast joint? service is good, coffee refills are free, and if you head there more than once in a blue moon they're pretty darned awesome to ya. slide in and feel right at home. -
Mary A.’s 3-star review: The folks who work here are really nice. The flavor of the spicy tuna don sauce is great. Sesame purée, seeds, chili sauce, sugar... Nom However, the tuna itself was sliced along the grain, which wouldn't be an issue but the pieces are also large...so I got big white stringy bits. I couldn't bite the sashimi! Sushi rice is deliciously seasoned. The Ginger isn't too pungent and it's a natural colour. Will definitely come back to try other dons. Maybe the white stringy thing was a one off "we are closing in an hour" issue? -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: I keep finding myself here. For my allergy-ful friends and I, it's the one place we can find something that works for everyone. (No fish? beef? corn? wheat? carbs? No problem!) The pho is the best in the area, lower in MSG than the competitor nearby (so I can eat it, yeah!), and they give me the tendon and tripe deliciousness I desire! Salad rolls are solid, and the vermicelli bowls are deep n delicious. The tea is always molten hot -I get ice water to cool it down... Quick, cheap, cheerful. Oh, and ask for the chili oil. You'll be glad you did. -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: This isn't the high-falutin dimsum you're going to find in the nicer restos in Richmond or downtown. This is the old-skool, just-like-gramma-used-to-feed-ya dim sum of your youth. Less greasy than the competition next door, and a wee bit more expensive (but still def qualifies as inexpensive). Service is quick and business-like, par for the course. There's a really good selection of vegetable dishes. I was able to take my vegetarian/pescatarian friend here without too much trouble at all. I go there quite often so here are some of the faves: Shrimp and veggie steamed dumplings and shrimp steamed dumplings are thin skinned, well steamed and stuffed full of shrimp with a good snappy texture. Siu mai are large and porky in flavour. Shrimp spring rolls are pretty delicious. The stir fried radish cake in XO sauce is absolutely addictive - my spouse devours the entire dish alone! Can't go wrong with any of their rice rolls. The chicken claypot rice is a good deal and tasty. If you like desserts, try the dessert pumpkin stuffed with taro paste. It's fried and sweet and crispy and shaped like cute little pumpkins. Delicious, even for taro haters in the group! We were all stuffed and paid under $11 each, including tip. If you're not Chinese, you may be only Non-Asians in the establishment. Just bring a group of friends to entertain you or watch the sports on the tvs, and enjoy delicious and cheap chinese delectables! Tips: 1. Chili sauce and chili oil make everything better. ask for both! 2. Bring cash. Just do. -
Mary A.’s 5-star review: the place is tiny, clean, and has a steady stream of customers. My friend and I ordered the wine chicken, XLB, and sticky rice with chinese donut, preserved veggies and pork fluff. DELICIOUS. the XLB have a lot of soup in them. The soup is lighter broth than places like Lins, and has a more gingery flavour. The sticky rice (chee-fan) came in plastic wrap (whut??) but the donut was crunchy and flavourful. Wine chicken was OMG kind of good. skin was soft and slightly gelatin-like (normally my health consciousness stops me from eating the skin but OMG i couldn't stop myself), and the sauce....my friend almost drank it. We wanted something green -- the server seemed to sense this and let us know about pea shoot and bok choi dishes not on the regular menu. She got us a 1/2 order of pea shoots (douw miu) - this was epic and tasty. The server left be gobsmacked by her friendly manner and thoughtful suggestions on food items. She switched from english to mandarin to cantonese with ease and proficiency throughout the meal. She even guessed that I understand cantonese and was really sweet in chatting me up slowly. We left the restaurant...trying to sort out why she was so nice to us. LOVE THIS PLACE. LOVE IT. I'm thinking about going back for lunch tomorrow! -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: Great bang for your buck. The friendly folks always load up a double pita with a great selection of fresh veggies. The chicken pita appears to be most popular, and with good reason. Moist, succulent, plentiful servings of poultry! Add the sauces you want, and then your enormous portable delight is squished in a panini press for added crispy enjoyment. This meatatarian is totally satisfied. Tips: 1. There is tahini (sesame sauce), but it's kept under the counter in a fridge. You just have to ask and it's yours. 2.Employed at St Pauls? 10% off! -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: Solid, 80s Cantonese comfort food fare. Slightly run down, as the focus is on getting good meats and carbs out on the tables fast. Kam Gok Yuen is a time warp into the way things were in Chinatown 25 years ago. Same ladies have been working here for decades. They're gruff with me but so respectful and doting to my grandmother when have brunch there together. I have so much love for this place. -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: *9-11am is 20% off. takeout is 10% off. * this is the place where i take my grandmother for dimsum. The richness of fried and oilier items in dimsum fare are getting hard for her to handle, so Kam wai's mostly steamed items, noodles and rice are great. They are a small mom-n pop business so the selection is fairly small. Shrimp with eggplant are HUGE. hargow and siumai are decent. whole shrimp and shrimp paste with some solid snap in the dumpling. the rice rolls are their one meh item, being too thick and floury. the rice with chicken and mushroom is CHEAP and very filling. *there's an entire vegetarian section. (yes, REALLY vegetarian). the son of the owners is vegetarian and pushed for items to be included on the menu. For the price, the quality and value are high for this part of town. They make their own dim sum in another storefront a block away. There you can catch a glimpse of them making it and buy their dumplings frozen for you to make at home. It IS a hole in the wall. there are thin plastic sheets on each table that are removed after each diner leaves to reveal...another thin plastic sheet. As far as no-frills, simple, solid, inexpensive lunch goes, this is a winner. -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: Now accepts cards! This establishment's dosas are light, crispy but soft/chewy, and refreshingly sourdoughy in flavour. They look impressively huge but are actually super-thin, so they make a good sized meal in combination with the your filling of choice which is heaped in the centre of the dosa tube. I had the palak dosa with lamb, a land of meaty, spinach-filled heartiness. With the sambar (soup) and 2 chutneys (?) this was a killer, inexpensive dinner. Well worth $10, and on Mondays, all dosas are $6! (this resto also has a 10 item veggie thali platter for $9.99 on Tuesdays) House of Dosas, doin it rite! (*now with cricket matches on TV nightly) -
Mary A.’s 3-star review: I work nearby and have a short break. I hit this place pretty darned often...here's the synopsis of thoughts re food and service over time. + fast. No waiting. Walk in, sanitize hands, grab food, eat. + meatatarians rejoice: there's decent meat options. ground beef and peas, lamb curry, tandoori chicken, butter chicken. Great if you're on a high-protein kick. + vegetarian: some good paneer choices, dahl, curries, veggies + chai is pretty darned tasty + gulab jamuns. OMG. + discounts: for hospital employees with an Endless Savings Card; Foodie card (2-for-1); Entertainment book ($11 off) - service is spotty (sometimes they're very understaffed for the number of people in there) - meat and paneer often high-graded out, so it can sometimes be just sauce with naan and rice (i.e. staff don't check buffet too often) - staff friendly, but not necessarily quick to respond to refill requests - muted flavours - meats tend to be overcooked from sitting in the chafing dish too long It's good for quantity and speed, and if you're proactive about asking for something that's empty as soon as you get there you'll likely get a chance to have some before you leave. If you are a jello and gulabjamun monster, this place will rock your socks. -
Mary A.’s 5-star review: As a pho-aholic, whenever I'm on the run and looking for quick delicious cheap eats, pho is where I go! I found this place next to the surrey central skytrain station (easy access, yes!) on my way home from a workshop. The resto was spartan but clean. With the table layout, you may end up sharing a table when it gets busy. Had the large #1 special beef pho with a spring roll (rice wrapper, woot!) for $8.95. O.M.G. Spring roll was somewhat wee, but crunchily delicious and not greasy. The broth: a hint of natural sweetness, none of the thirst-inducing MSG comas I so often get with pho, and a rich, deep, clean tasting broth. The rare beef was flavourful and well textured, and the stewed flank and other meats were fall-apart tender. A super-generous serving of various meats. The noodles weren't as toothsome as I like but the broth and beef definitely make up for it! Go. Eat. Delight. (unless you're vegetarian, in which case you may want to go to New Town next door) -
Mary A.’s 2-star review: This resto has variety working in its favour. The menu is extensive and well laid-out with pictures for those who aren't fluent in Vietnamese fare. My friend, who has never been for Vietnamese before, was pretty happy with her lemongrass chicken. It was quite weak on fragrance/flavour, but well portioned. However, for folks who have tried a good cross-section of Vietnamese fare, the food itself was pretty mediocre. Pho was pricey, scant on meat, lukewarm, and broth was flat and one-dimensional. They appear to have expediting issues, as my coworkers' meals came out 15 mins before mine, and tables that arrived after us were served their meals first. Do not come here if you're on a lunch break unless you're ok with waiting 30mins for a bowl of pho! -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: So, there aren't a lot of places to eat in this area. I have to admit I didn't expect much from this place. However, it was both delicious and affordable! Salmon and tuna maki were your basic, no nonsense rolls. Rice was a little overcooked but the fish was fresh and plentiful. My lunch's surprise winner was the BC roll. Instead of the scaly BBQ salmon skin I've come to expect from most restos, this little gem takes tempura salmon chunks and stuffs the heck out of the roll. So. Good. This place has lunchtime specials, bentos, and sushi combo meals. Service is fairly quick and friendly. Given how close this is to work, I think I'll be coming by here often! -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: Well-priced, high quality drip coffee and tea on campus. For this alone Blue Chip, you are top notch They have amazing cookies (sadly i'm super allergic - it didn't stop me from trying some to find out how they tasted though *sigh*) Blue Chip also serves gluten-free treats (sadly with corn). Glad to see they've got more options for folks with allergies. -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: Happy to say this place is well worth the reviews. If I'd been less wallet conscious (who am I kidding? If' I'd been less conscious of looking like a glutton LOL) I'd have ordered a benny, an omelette, and the pancakes- everything coming out of the kitchen looked AMAZING. Coffee was strong and smooth, and the refills came quickly. I was slightly sick and busy gawking at what folks were eating, so a wee bit slow in ordering. The server was sweet and answered all my inane questions without a moment of irritation. Got the special of the day - BLT omelette (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheddar, green onion), served with shredded potatoes and toast. This was the tastiest thing I've had in eons. Extremely generous portion, with a giant scoop of guac on top for good measure. The potatoes were extra crispy, as requested. Great service, great food. I'm coming back again to try the bennys and the rest of the menu! -
Mary A.’s 3-star review: Used to come with the family here all the time for their late night dah-lahng and set meals (pick 2-4 courses off a set menu which includes rice, soup, dessert, and a free BBQ item or two to round out the meal). This place is known for its noodle soups, congees, and late night menu. Came in tonight to get a quick won-ton rice noodle soup. I had 30 minutes. Flag down a server (yes, you should literally wave), order, and wait. My noodles were at the table within 5 minutes. The wontons were flavourful and packed with whole shrimps and minced pork. Noodles were toothsome. Soup was clear and light. Paid (less than $6) at the till up front and was out the door with 5 minutes to spare. Cash only. -
Mary A.’s 3-star review: Got takeout yesterday. I knew they would have to raise their low low prices some time...but it was a bit of a shock. An extra $2 tagged onto the souvlaki platter. Le sigh. Stepho's, you are still pretty cheap so I'll keep coming. The lines at least are a little shorter now. Still damned tasty roasted meats, still underwhelming rice, but large portion size :) And Taki's Taverna next door? There's a little more incentive for me to check you out now. I hear your beef filled dolmathes are delicious. -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: This handy spot is a 1/2 block away from Yaletown skytrain station. Clean, crisp, comfortable decor. Service was affable and unpretentious. There's a very well priced happy hour menu available from 4-6 (http://theflyingpigvan.com/happy-hour-menu/). The only item that didn't do it for anyone at the table was the shortrib croquettes. Moving on, my date and I feasted on delicious steak with skinny frites that reminded me of hickory sticks in shape and texture. We may have been compelled to have a second order... Those signature frites come along with the clam special too (as the namesake of this bistro would suggest there is bacon in this dish). The salumi special was wee but flavorful, and the brussel sprouts were dreamy. The wheat beer on special topped it off very nicely. I am dangerously close to heading here after work daily for my meeeat and greens fix! -
Mary A.’s 4-star review: Blink and you'll walk right past this place. Spacious on the inside, clean lines, spartan decor. Friendly owner and service is generally with a smile. Lunchtime brings numerous specials, mostly from the $10-12 dollar range, and includes soup/salad, spring roll and the dish of your choice. Surprisingly huge servings! I had the pad thai with chicken ($10) and asked for it hot. The noodles were toothsome, and flavours of the tamarind rather than ketchup style of pad thai. Spice level is moderated for the clientele, so if you like spice, ask for hot. Definitely a good lunch spot if you're in the area and want something different from soup and sandwiches. -
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3 PC cod n chips under $10 -
Mochi muffins! -
Mango green tea with cheese cream -
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