Food pricing...
From memory. No resort or hotel included...
Currently
RM1 = $0.24
or
$1.00USD = RM 4.13
The Ringgit is at a 3 year high in May it was above 4.26 RM/USD. So what. The value remains exceptional.
"Pub food" English breakfast - RM 25
Beef Malak Ramen - RM 15
Lemonade -RM 10
Roti Paratha with eggs and "meat" - failing memory.
It was tasty.
Sausage Rice - RM 12
Teh-C Special Ais - RM 9
Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)- RM 8
Mee goreng (Fried Noodles) - RM8
Fruits Rojak (RM5 /100g)+
Salted Lime Teh (RM 10) = RM 28
Small Laksa Sarawak - RM8
Ais Green Jasmine Teh - RM4.80 (coins - arrrgggh!)
Char Kueh Tauh - RM 6
Ais tek Tarik - RM 10
Cheese Naan - RM 12
Pork Satay - RM 1.2 per piece
Fried banana Fritters - RM 0.80 each
The skinny:
- Hawker Centers have the best food at the cheapest prices.
- Local restaurants have very good food at very good prices.
- Food courts (i.e., malls) have acceptable food at OK prices.
- Tourist restaurants have acceptable food and bad prices.
Hawker Centers are so great but keep really strange hours.
Comments
There are semi-permanent spaces for food vendors. They share common infrastructure like seating.
There will be anywhere from 5 to 50 different vendors. Each with their own specialty. And, always one of those is a beverage provider. Teas, juices, etc.
Westerners look at them and fear the hygiene. That's foolish. The vendors are selling to the locals. They know their clients personally. They are safe because if they weren't the locals don't come back. The stalls can be passed through generations. And, they can be managed by the same person(s) for decades. Reputations really matter in this realm.
Not so true of local restaurants that feed tourists. You can poison us with minimal consequences.
I'll scroll through my pictures and find examples. Look for a post shortly.
I mistakenly combined
Makan (to eat) + Mamak (eatery)
to come up with the wrong word.