Eating out or dining in
By scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
Singapore
February 13, 2016 6:27am CST
We are very fortunate that food is relatively cheap in Asia.
Many households in Singapore do not cook unless they have a full time domestic maid at home.
The choice is often between eating out or dining in, as in calling home delivery.
Many people love to go out during the weekends.
They can shop after their lunch or dinner.
The malls are always packed because food is relatively cheap, and the weather outside is hot and humid while the malls have good air con.
I prefer takeaway so that I can eat in the comfort of my house.
The malls are very crowded, and waiting time for a table can mean 20 minutes of standing in the queue.
12 people like this
15 responses
@nottoooldtowrite (2715)
• Philippines
13 Feb 16
I usually eat out on weekdays since I am alone in my rented place.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
14 Feb 16
I prefer to order to go and bring home also. Eating out here is more pricey, but hopefully I will learn to cook so I can save some money though. 
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
14 Feb 16
@infatuatedbby I think it is a matter of supply and demand.
When the government builds more cheap eateries for food sellers to sell their food, and more people start to eat out, the cost goes down.
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
14 Feb 16
@scheng1 That is a great deal for seafood noodles. Here it is easily $8-10 a bowl. I do find it can be cheaper eating out sometimes because of all the ingredients needed.
1 person likes this
@freak369 (5112)
• United States
14 Feb 16
I order Chinese about once a week (sometimes twice a week if no one else is home) and when all of the boys are home I will order a pizza special. More and more I am going for tofu based dishes to get some extra protein and there are several Asian markets that sell it freshly made.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
14 Feb 16
Of course since I live in Japan I can get fresh tofu cheaply. I usually use only a little meat in dishes for the flavor and fill it out with tofu. This is also great for adding to and expanding leftovers.
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16568)
• Ireland
14 Feb 16
I enjoy cooking.. when I lived in shanghai, I cooked for myself every day. As I enjoy how things are cooked.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Feb 16
Most meals are prepared by me, and eaten at home. Sometimes we go out for a meal. It is considered a special treat.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
14 Feb 16
I think it must be quite expensive for you to have a meal outside.
For us, a set of chicken rice meal costs just 5 dollars.
The chicken rice set meal consists of a plate of rice, some chicken meat, a bowl of soup and a plate of green leafy vegetables in oyster sauce.
It does not make sense for us to cook at home when we can have a good meal outside.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
14 Feb 16
@Morleyhunt Then we are very fortunate.
$100 is about the cost of outside food for a family of three if they share certain dishes.
A bowl of seafood soup cost about $4, and a plate of vegetables (from mixed vegetable stall) will cost about a dollar, and 3 bowls of rice will cost about $1.50.
This is enough to feed three persons.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Feb 16
@scheng1 I feed three people, three meals a day for about $100 per week. Eating out would not stretch that $100 far enough to provide adequate nourishment.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
13 Feb 16
Things are quite different here.
Eating out, for the majority of UK people, is a treat rather than the norm...often due to the expense.
Very very few people here have domestic help although I had a cleaner in the past.
To have a cook/housekeeper here you'd need to have pretty serious money.
Most people cook and eat out occasionally.
I used to be fairly well off and did eat out most days but that would cost me probably £50 per day at least as I used to give good tips so as to jump any ques.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
14 Feb 16
I know. Many tourists from UK, US, Australia, Europe and other developed countries come here and find the food so cheap that they really fill their stomach full.
A chicken rice meal set cost just 2 pounds, and you will get a plate of rice, a small plate of chicken, a small bowl of soup and a small plate of green leafy veggies in oyster sauce.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
14 Feb 16
@scheng1 If we had those prices here I'd never cook
Just wondered are UK people over there respectful or are they drunken idiots like they are in europe?
Just wondered are UK people over there respectful or are they drunken idiots like they are in europe?1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
14 Feb 16
@scheng1 singapore sling....I love them
SOOOOOOO tasty...I'm a big gin fan...drinking it now actually
SOOOOOOO tasty...I'm a big gin fan...drinking it now actually1 person likes this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32760)
• Calgary, Alberta
14 Feb 16
I prefer cooking my own cook after seeing a tacobell employee in the US licking a tall stack of tacos. Many restaurant and fast food employees does nasty things customers wont see.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
13 Feb 16
Nice that the food is fairly cheap scheng. Oh yes I would not be waiting 20 minutes, I would take it home and eat it.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
14 Feb 16
@scheng1 That is good they are open 24/7. If I really wanted I would go earlier scheng.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
14 Feb 16
Eating out for dinner in Japan is expensive. For lunch it's cheaper because so many people work an hour or more away from their house. Or you can buy healthful bentos for not very much.
1 person likes this
