Everything in Melbourne is expensive.. especially for the average, everyday cheapass backpacker like moi. Coming from Canada, where the prices of food in general are much cheaper than in Australia, finding cheap eats is essential! Behold, I share with you all my favourite foodie frugal findings!
Melbournians lurrrve their sushi. As such, it ain't no surprise that sushi rolls can be purchased from almost every street corner in the CBD. And they're BIGASS sushi rolls over hea, ranging in price from $1.50―$2.50 a roll. Been livin' in Melbourne for over 2 months now, and I've yet to come across a place that sells rolls for $1.50 a pop on a daily basis... except for Diane Sushi! The rolls specially priced at a mere $1.50/each changes each day... sometimes it's the (yummymushy) Shrimp & Avocado Roll, most of the time it's the (boringblahzay) California Roll, but one time it was the (tenderjuicy) Spicy Beef Terriyaki Roll! On the days when I gotta fill up my belly realquick with something filling and healthy and preferably CHEAP, I choose Diane.
You must be thinking... what's so special about this particular yogurt? You see, it's hard to explain. I was never a big fan of thick and/or creamy yogurts. But Dairy Dream's Thick & Creamy Premium Yogurt is such a Smooth Operator. $1.19 is pretty steep for a single serving of yogurt, but you won't find much cheaper at Aldi's or Woolworth's or Coles... unless the yogurt is on sale. This Citrus Cheesecake flavoured yogurt is jam-packed with calories, I know, but I still like it better than all the other Dairy Dream flavours. It's tangy and sour with a smooth, sweet finish on the tongue. And it really tastes cheesecake-y! Which makes me miss baking... which makes me miss my Kitchen-Aid :(
Now believe you me, kids, I've tried almost ALL the different brands of flavoured canned tuna that exist in the grocery stores here. And yet, I still keep goin' back to Portview's Flavoured Tuna. My favourite is Portview's Sweet Chilli & Onion (SPICCCCY MU'FUKKKA!), but all of them are pretty decent. The only flavour I am impartial towards is Smoked, ick. Sold at Aldi's stores for only $0.89/can, these badboys cost the same as the house-brand flavoured canned tuna sold at Woolworth's and Coles, but taste so much better goshdarnit! All I gotta say is I've probably consumed close to 100 cans of Portview tuna at this point... I'm still a cheap backpacker ya'know. PROTEIN FIEND!!!
Dunno how many times André and I have eaten these Red Bean Ice Bars, man. TOO! MANY! TIMES! We get random cravings for them... drools... especialllllyyy on sweltering hot days.... mmmmm.... You can buy 'em from pretty much any Korean grocery store in Melbourne, and I always get 'em from either of the two Korean grocery stores at Elizabeth St & Victoria St in the CBD (one grocery store is located at the NW corner, the other grocery store is located at the SE corner). This particular ice bar stands out from all the other (also amazing) Korean ice bars out there because it seems to be composed of 95% red beans. It's not milky, not creamy, not soft, not too sweet... but rather, just straight-up red bean-y and rather unique in texture. You'll have to try it to know what I mean. PS. Korean ice bars kick American ice bars's ASS.
Mmmmkay so I've recently vowed to stop purchasing prepared packs of hummus from now on in the attempt to regularly make hummus myself. Besides the fact that it's so easy to make, one can of chick peas is never more than $1.00, yo! Just mash up a can of drained chick peas, throw in some crushed garlic & EVOO & lemon juice & salt & pepper in there and you're smoove sailing. Still, on days when I have no time for anything, Coles Hummus Dips save the day. I think the regular price of these Coles brand Hummus packs is $2.50, but from what I've seen, they're pretty much permanently on sale at Coles for $1.89/pack. Woop-dee-dooooooo! Oh yeah, and this Caramelized Onion flavour just about KILLS the rest of 'em (yes, it's THAT good). It's subtly sweet and almost nutty-tasting. 'Nuff times I finished a pack of hummus in one sitting :|
Mmmm... Nam Loong has yummy sweet buns (i.e. Red Bean!!!) and yummy savoury buns (i.e. Chicken & Mushroom!!!). Pictured here is the Veggie bun, filled with shiitake mushrooms and corn kernels... fresh and warm, straight out of a wooden steamer. In MY ideal world, these buns would consist of 75% filling and 25% actual bread. But what the hey, you get what you pay for. Try lookin' for $1.50 hot shnacks in Melbourne City and you'll find that WOMP none exist!!! So bigups to Nam Loong for catering to the broke arses. Tip: Peel the white piece of paper off the bottom of your bun before consuming. It's easy to miss, especially since the bun itself is white as snow. Don't be an arse (like me) and end up eating paper! Mmmmk? K!
I passed by Walker's Doughnuts almost every day when I lived in Melbourne (it's hard to miss at the busy corner of Eliz & Flinders), and I finally recently treated myself to their $0.90 jam-filled doughnuts. The lady at the counter fried up my little doughnut to order before handing me the hot/fresh, sugar-coated mound of fluff. Surprisingly, it wasn't too oily, the filling wasn't too sweet, and it actually paired quite nicely with a strong cuppa coffee. Small and cute, the airy doughnut flattened between my fingers each time I bit into it, getting my fingers all covered in fine white sugar. Squishy McSquishy.
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| ― $1.50 Sushi Rolls ― Diane Sushi | 270 Lonsdale St | Melbourne, VIC 3000 |
Melbournians lurrrve their sushi. As such, it ain't no surprise that sushi rolls can be purchased from almost every street corner in the CBD. And they're BIGASS sushi rolls over hea, ranging in price from $1.50―$2.50 a roll. Been livin' in Melbourne for over 2 months now, and I've yet to come across a place that sells rolls for $1.50 a pop on a daily basis... except for Diane Sushi! The rolls specially priced at a mere $1.50/each changes each day... sometimes it's the (yummymushy) Shrimp & Avocado Roll, most of the time it's the (boringblahzay) California Roll, but one time it was the (tenderjuicy) Spicy Beef Terriyaki Roll! On the days when I gotta fill up my belly realquick with something filling and healthy and preferably CHEAP, I choose Diane.
 |
| ― $1.19 Dairy Dream Yogurt ― Sold at all Aldi's stores across Australia |
You must be thinking... what's so special about this particular yogurt? You see, it's hard to explain. I was never a big fan of thick and/or creamy yogurts. But Dairy Dream's Thick & Creamy Premium Yogurt is such a Smooth Operator. $1.19 is pretty steep for a single serving of yogurt, but you won't find much cheaper at Aldi's or Woolworth's or Coles... unless the yogurt is on sale. This Citrus Cheesecake flavoured yogurt is jam-packed with calories, I know, but I still like it better than all the other Dairy Dream flavours. It's tangy and sour with a smooth, sweet finish on the tongue. And it really tastes cheesecake-y! Which makes me miss baking... which makes me miss my Kitchen-Aid :(
 |
| ― $0.89/Can of Portview Flavoured Tuna ― Sold at all Aldi's stores across Australia |
Now believe you me, kids, I've tried almost ALL the different brands of flavoured canned tuna that exist in the grocery stores here. And yet, I still keep goin' back to Portview's Flavoured Tuna. My favourite is Portview's Sweet Chilli & Onion (SPICCCCY MU'FUKKKA!), but all of them are pretty decent. The only flavour I am impartial towards is Smoked, ick. Sold at Aldi's stores for only $0.89/can, these badboys cost the same as the house-brand flavoured canned tuna sold at Woolworth's and Coles, but taste so much better goshdarnit! All I gotta say is I've probably consumed close to 100 cans of Portview tuna at this point... I'm still a cheap backpacker ya'know. PROTEIN FIEND!!!
 |
| ― $0.99 B.B.Big Red Bean Ice Bar ― Sold at most Korean Grocery Stores in Melbourne |
Dunno how many times André and I have eaten these Red Bean Ice Bars, man. TOO! MANY! TIMES! We get random cravings for them... drools... especialllllyyy on sweltering hot days.... mmmmm.... You can buy 'em from pretty much any Korean grocery store in Melbourne, and I always get 'em from either of the two Korean grocery stores at Elizabeth St & Victoria St in the CBD (one grocery store is located at the NW corner, the other grocery store is located at the SE corner). This particular ice bar stands out from all the other (also amazing) Korean ice bars out there because it seems to be composed of 95% red beans. It's not milky, not creamy, not soft, not too sweet... but rather, just straight-up red bean-y and rather unique in texture. You'll have to try it to know what I mean. PS. Korean ice bars kick American ice bars's ASS.
 |
| ― $1.89 Coles Brand Hummus Dips ― Sold at all Coles grocery stores across Australia |
Mmmmkay so I've recently vowed to stop purchasing prepared packs of hummus from now on in the attempt to regularly make hummus myself. Besides the fact that it's so easy to make, one can of chick peas is never more than $1.00, yo! Just mash up a can of drained chick peas, throw in some crushed garlic & EVOO & lemon juice & salt & pepper in there and you're smoove sailing. Still, on days when I have no time for anything, Coles Hummus Dips save the day. I think the regular price of these Coles brand Hummus packs is $2.50, but from what I've seen, they're pretty much permanently on sale at Coles for $1.89/pack. Woop-dee-dooooooo! Oh yeah, and this Caramelized Onion flavour just about KILLS the rest of 'em (yes, it's THAT good). It's subtly sweet and almost nutty-tasting. 'Nuff times I finished a pack of hummus in one sitting :|
 |
| ― $1.50 Steamed Buns ― Nam Loong Restaurant | 223 Russell St | Melbourne, VIC 3000 |
Mmmm... Nam Loong has yummy sweet buns (i.e. Red Bean!!!) and yummy savoury buns (i.e. Chicken & Mushroom!!!). Pictured here is the Veggie bun, filled with shiitake mushrooms and corn kernels... fresh and warm, straight out of a wooden steamer. In MY ideal world, these buns would consist of 75% filling and 25% actual bread. But what the hey, you get what you pay for. Try lookin' for $1.50 hot shnacks in Melbourne City and you'll find that WOMP none exist!!! So bigups to Nam Loong for catering to the broke arses. Tip: Peel the white piece of paper off the bottom of your bun before consuming. It's easy to miss, especially since the bun itself is white as snow. Don't be an arse (like me) and end up eating paper! Mmmmk? K!
 |
| ― $0.90 Jam-filled Donuts ― Walker's Doughnuts | 26/2 Elizabeth St | Melbourne, VIC 3000 |
I passed by Walker's Doughnuts almost every day when I lived in Melbourne (it's hard to miss at the busy corner of Eliz & Flinders), and I finally recently treated myself to their $0.90 jam-filled doughnuts. The lady at the counter fried up my little doughnut to order before handing me the hot/fresh, sugar-coated mound of fluff. Surprisingly, it wasn't too oily, the filling wasn't too sweet, and it actually paired quite nicely with a strong cuppa coffee. Small and cute, the airy doughnut flattened between my fingers each time I bit into it, getting my fingers all covered in fine white sugar. Squishy McSquishy.
Dearest Victoryperfect,
ReplyDeleteThank you ever so kindly for the support!
Hi
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cheap eats in melbourne