Daily Blog
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 05:09
Written by Hailey Meng

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This is the situation. You still have 15 days to go till payday, but the past two weeks of extravagant eating and drinking have left you nothing but an empty wallet and a fat gut. It’s a disgrace, yes, but you’re not alone. So here are some personal recommendations for surviving the rest of the month on a pittance.

Firstly, stop with the western food! It’s almost always pricier, even if we’re talking laowai-style cheap and cheerful junk such as Big Macs or Saizeriya pasta. And for roughly the same price as one of these meals, you can get through the whole day on local grub. You can get these dishes all over the city, but we've included our tried and tested spots...

Breakfast: The most important meal of the day! Go for a RMB3 Shandong style Ji Dan Jian Bing (Egg and Sausage crepe) with hoisin and chilli sauce. It is incredibly delicious, filling and healthy.
Or try a Rou Baozi (steamed pork bun RMB1), a tea egg (RMB1) and a bag of soymilk (RMB1) for a bit of variety.

Mei Mei Breakfast, corner of Xikang Lu and Nanyang Lu

Lunch: A big bowl of hearty Lanzhou beef noodle soup (RMB 6) or 8 baby fist sized Wontons (RMB 7) from JiXiang Wonton will see you through the afternoon.

Ma Shi Lanzhou Noodle, Beijing Xi Lu by Shanxi Bei Lu
Jixiang Wonton, 580 Yuyuan Lu by Zhenning Lu

Dinner: Walking back home from work, opt for an egg fried rice (RMB6) from those little street noodle/rice stands. Or for variety go for a RMB10 dinner at a Dongbei dumpling restaurant if you feel like a splurge. You can’t go wrong with beef and pepper on rice.

Noodle/rice stand, Tianyaqiao Lu behind Metro City
Dongbei Dumpling Restaurant, Lane 930 Changle Lu by Wulumiqi Lu

Last but not least, don’t forget your daily vitamin intake. Get an apple (RMB 2.5) from your local fruit shop to keep those doctors away.

Fruit Shop, corner of Changle Lu and Wulumuqi Lu

Total cost RMB21.5. Nobody starves and there is probably still enough money left over for a couple of fried chicken burgers as a drunken midnight snack on the weekend. Mission accomplished!

Can you beat that! Let us know your daily food intake for RMB 25 in the comments below.

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