Eating on the Cheap-Give Ethnic Restaurants a Try

When I was younger, I was quite the picky eater. I did not eat pasta until I was about 10 or 12, and salads, eggs, and a few other things until I was about 18-20. (Maybe college turned me into a hungry student-I don’t know) Over the last 10 or so years, my taste buds have really expanded, and nowadays I eat just about anything, and am willing to try just about anything. One thing I have discovered over the last few years, is that eating at ethnic restaurants can be quite a bit cheaper than your standard, run of the mill fare, and usually even cheaper if you get something to go-since you aren’t paying for beverages and don’t have to tip on the total bill. Here are some of my favorite places to get ethnic cuisine these days, usually at prices only slightly higher than fast food combo meals.

Chinese

- The old standby, but one I still like. You can usually pick up a couple of meals to go for $12 or so.

Vietnamese

- I have been a big fan of Pho, a Vietnamese beef-based soup (see photo above), for quite a few years. You can get it in all kinds of variations, but I usually just stick with the sliced beef version. For around $6, or about $1 more than an extra value meal, I can get a big, hearty bowl of soup that leaves me just as full but tastes much better.

Indian

- There aren’t too many Indian restaurants where I live, but I am a big fan of tandoori chicken, basmati rice, and curries. Some can be quite spicy or hot, but very tasty.

Central/South American

- Different than Mexican, south or central American do have similar themes, like rice and beans, but you probably won’t find the American version of the taco. Central American cuisine incorporates other delicious items such as plantains, and one of my newly discovered favorites, the baleada, a flour tortilla filled with beans, and sometimes egg, meat, avocado, and cream.

Experimenting with different cuisines can be beneficial in two ways, you can discover great new food, and you may save money as well.