J_Correa

Hello everybody - I am relatively new to the Asia forum, although I am a regular poster in the USA and Europe forums.

My husband and I are planning a trip to SE Asia next June and I am putting together a rough budget so we can get an idea of how much money we should put away between now and then for the trip. I've got a decent idea of hotel costs and am now thinking about food.

Our plan includes Tokyo, Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, and Hong Kong. We will fly out of San Francisco, and since we pretty much have to change planes in Tokyo or Hong Kong, we figured we would take the opportunity for a stop over in each, one on the way to Singapore and one on the way back.

What are people's experiences as far as what they spend on food in these places?

We like good food, but we aren't really into high end restaurants. We do like to have a splurge once in awhile, but will also do picnic lunches sometimes, so it sort of balances out. Just for comparison, last summer in Germany, for the 2 of us, we averaged about 80 euro per day and last month in New Orleans, we averaged about $115 per day.

Thanks for any insight you guys can give me.

Guenmai

Get hotels in S.E.Asia that have the breakfast buffet included in the price which should be easy. The breakfast buffets are enormous...with usually a choice of western and Asian breakfast. So fill up.

I can't imagine spending anywhere near 80 Euro a day for food. I know that Europe is expensive to eat in as I've lived there. It's very easy to eat for a LOT less in S.E.Asia. Plus, due to the heat you probably won't want to eat a lot anyway.

I travel alone and can get by on about $40 a day...plus/minus a bit...eating very well... easily in Singapore and less in Bali and Malaysia. Remember that dishes are prepared in S.E.Asia to be shared. So, you can easily order one dish and two people can eat off of that one dish and then just order drinks to go along with that one dish which will even bring the cost down more. I haven't eaten in Hong Kong or Tokyo only been in the airport of Tokyo many times intransit to Thailand. So, I don't know about those two. Happy Travels!

Neil_Oz

In Bali, outside of the more upscale restaurants you can eat well for not much money. There are any number of eateries offering pizza, pasta etc. but the local cuisine is flavoursome and fresh, and a typical main course might cost US$4-5, less if you eat at a warung (small eatery) patronised by the locals.

Local specialties like babi guling (roast suckling pig) and bebek betutu (smoked duck), ordered a day in advance, might cost US$12 for two, tax and service included. Or you could splurge on the tasting menu at Ary's Warung in Ubud, about US$35 for two including two wines by the glass.

Beer rather than wine is usually the best bet (IMO) in SE Asia. The ubiquitous Bintang Pilsener (assume $1.50-2.50 for a 375 ml bottle) is reasonable, and Bali's own Storm range of beers, a little mor expensive, is excellent.

Guenmai is right about breakfasts. We usually break our "eat local" rule in the morning, being suckers for a full English/American breakfast which carries us through to dinner.

We're not into 5* hotels, but we found excellent accommodation in Sanur, Ubud and Seminyak in the range US$60-95 plus tax and service (say 15%) and there are more modest but very reasonable alternatives for significantly less than that.

One of the delights of Ubud, incidentally, is a complete absence of western fast-food joints.

Neil_Oz

I should have mentioned that those hotel prices included a full breakfast. The hotels in question were La Taverna in Sanur (their mid-priced room), Ubud Village Hotel in Ubud (ditto) and Resor Seminyak. Hint: if you decide to stay at Resor Seminyak, do NOT let them consign you to their subsidiary "village" over the road, which we christened "Bill and June's Highway Motel". We made loud noises and negotiated ourselves out of there very quickly for an extra $5. The new digs were very acceptable, though.

J_Correa

Thanks for the input so far. I suspected that in Malaysia and Bali we would be able to eat well for not a lot of money. Nice to hear that about Singapore too.

I esspecially appreciate the beer recommendations. We are very interested in trying the local brew when we travel. We had an esspecially good time in Germany

Anybody with experience with Tokyo or Hong Kong?

rkkwan

Here are some examples of food cost in Hong Kong, in HK$ (1USD=7.8HKD), per person.

Breakfast:

Cafe de Coral, a local fast food chain that's actually pretty good, ~$15-20 for a set breakfast including drinks

Dim sum at a Chinese restaurant - $40-50 at a mainstream one, up to $100 if you go to Maxim's, Jade Garden or Serenade

Buffet at the YMCA Salisbury (very popular) = ~$120 + 10% service charge.

Lunch:

McDonald's current value menu - McChicken $8, Apple Pie $5, drinks $5

Cafe de Coral - ~$25 for set lunch

Traditional Chinese restaurant - $50-100 for dim sum and a little more, same as breakfast

Noodle houses - about $20 for wonton noodles; vegetables extra. Japanese style fancy noodle house - about $40.

Buffet at the Spice Market at Macro Polo Prince Hotel - ~$150 + 10% service charge

Dinner:

Cafe de Coral - various dinners, including a popular hotpot dinner ~$40

Traditional Chinese restaurant - really varies, but ~$100 and up, depending on type of restaurant and what you're eating. Also, I find it cost more for 2 people as it's hard not to order more to try different things. But $200/person can get a decent dinner at the fancy "Jasmine" (one of the newer creation from the Maxim group) at Festival Walk.

Seafood - highly depends on what you order. You can spend thousands on a fish, so ask carefully. But 2 friends and I spent about $250/each at Rainbow on Lamma.

Non-Chinese - Also about $250, like what I spent at a pan South-Asian restaurant on Knutsford Terrace in Tsimshatsui, including beer and stuff. Or you can spend less, like about $100 at Spaghetti House, something like a Pizza Hut.

Other food stuff:

Bottled water bottled ice tea - about $8-10 at 7-eleven

Latte at Pacific Coffee (to use internet) - $25

Fish balls on a street stall - $10 for 4

Coffee drinks (with alcohol) at Excelsion - $65 + 10%; Sheraton ~$80 + 10%

"Red bean ice" at a local diner - $15

rhkkmk

i figure that the high end meals that we have in asia are about 40-60% of the same thing in usa.....

wine is usually the exception which in thailand for instance has a 400% tax...so that $15 bottle is maybe $60 or more in bkk....

Sarvowinner

Picnic lunches aren't really an option in many Asian countries. But you can always get a cheap bowl of noodles.

Melnq8

Hey Neil, where's that Bali trip report?

Neil_Oz

Melnq8 - well, Tolstoy didn't write "War and Peace" in a week, did he? OK, good question. Believe it or not I have made a start, so it's on the way....

J_Correa

Thanks for the additional information. It really helps to get an idea of what we will be spending.