Budget meals in George Town under RM6

Piles of nasi lemak waiting to be topped with condiments and delicious hot sambal. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.School holidays are upon us again, and it’s time to makan angin (vacation). So with that in mind, in addition to a burgeoning trend of budget-busting cafes, increased toll prices and mamak restaurants upping their prices, we asked if we could still find delicious meals on the cheap in George Town, Penang. Behold, budget-friendly meals to make your stomach – and your wallet – happy.

Nasi Lemak Ali

Start your day with a hearty, cheap breakfast at Nasi Lemak Ali at Sri Weld Food Court, arguably the most famous nasi lemak stall in Penang.

The stall sells six types of nasi lemak (RM1.70 each), each topped with squid, prawn, fish, chicken, egg and anchovies or salted fish.

Nasi lemak sotong comes with juicy baby squids, topped with heavenly spicy sambal. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.Don’t worry about getting them mixed up – the stall has labelled and organised them on a long table next to the cashier.

Make a pit stop at Nasi Lemak Ali at Sri Weld Food Court for an unforgettable nasi lemak breakfast. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.You must have the nasi lemak sotong. It comes with four medium-sized, juicy, baby squids topped with bright scarlet sambal. Bursting with strong flavours yet still easy on the spicy-intolerant tongues, the sambal is a rave among customers.

Just like Burger King, you can have it your way at Nasi Lemak Ali. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.You can customise your nasi lemak to your own tastebuds for a fee. Our custom nasi lemak consisting of three pieces of chicken, squids and a half-boiled egg came up to RM5.70, just below the RM6 mark.

Mr Nak Restaurant

Follow the crowds when walkingaround Midlands One-Stop Shopping Centre, and you'll likely end up at the food court on the ground floor.

The sweet, sour and spicy Thai boat soup tastes amazing to the last drop. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.Tuck into a little piece of Thailand at Mr Nak Restaurant, consisting of a cafe, a coconut ice cream stall and a dining section with an extensive Thai menu.

You'll find Thai laksa, Thai som tam, mango sticky rice, pad thai, green curry chicken as well as an economy rice stall – how’s that for choice?

The chicken Thai boat soup comprises rice noodles, fish balls, chicken strips and crunchy fried chicken skin. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.With the current trend of eating stacks of Thai boat noodles in tiny portions, what caught my eye was their Thai boat soup (small for RM5, big for RM8) with a choice of chicken or beef.

My order of chicken Thai boat soup came with chewy rice noodles, fish balls, chicken strips and crispy fried chicken skin reminiscent of KFC. Topped with leafy water spinach, crunchy sprouts and fragrant Thai basil leaf, the noodles were perfect with the addition of fresh vegetables.

Mr Nak forms a lively Little Thailand selling all sorts of Thai cuisine like mango rice, boat noodle soup and coconut ice cream. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.You will want to slurp up the very last drops of lip-smacking soup bursting with sweet, sour and spicy flavours.

This is a place I don’t mind going to a few times a week to have a simple lunch. The variety of delicious food means there’s always something new to try, plus the single-digit prices have totally bowled me over.

Annalakshmi Temple of Fine Arts

Annalakshmi is a vegetarian restaurant that shares premises with The Temple of Fine Arts Malaysia. Its open-spaced, airy and relaxed environment offers a comforting reprieve from the moment you step into Annalakshmi.

Annalakshmi’s beautiful green garden provides the restaurant with a relaxing ambiance. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.What sets Annalakshmi apart from many other vegetarian eateries in Penang is that it practises a pay-as-you-wish policy. The restaurant accepts any amount patrons wish to pay, with the proceeds funding the Temple of Fine Arts’ activities.

The restaurant serves a simple buffet spread for lunch and a la carte menu for dinner except on Saturday nights. The menu changes every day, so you can visit them every so often for a variety of dishes and embark on a charitable cause too.

The restaurant practises a pay-as-you-wish policy. All proceeds will fund the Temple of Fine Arts’ activities. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.During my most recent visit for their buffet lunch, they served a few types of vegetables such as cabbage and beetroot, vegetable curries, three types of rice and papadam. Yoghurt and warm water was served as well. The vegetarian food reminded me of a home-cooked meal and it felt clean and healthy.

It was a humbling experience dining at Annalakshmi. Knowing that I could pay according to what I wanted trained me to control my food intake and I ended up taking food based on what I could actually eat instead of what I thought I could eat.

Annalakshmi serves healthy food like cabbage, beetroot, vegetable curries and yoghurt. – HungryGoWhere pic, December 7, 2015.Although Annalakshmi accepts any amount of payment, my advice is to donate to them out of courtesy and not take advantage of a free meal.

These are just three of our five budget meals in George Town, Penang which will hopefully help lessen the sting of rising toll rates. Or take a walk down Gurney Drive for a foodie adventure – just search for our Gurney Drive eats! Also stay cool with some of the most unique ice creams in Penang! – December 7, 2015.

Don’t bengang dengan Penang. (Don’t get confused with Penang.) See where and what others are eating – download our new HungryGoWhere app which shows you what places are around your current location up to a radius of 5km! Or you can just look up any location, and see what's popular among fellow foodies. Now available on iTunes and Google Play.