Marcus Webb
Some simple ways to enjoy affordable meals of quality when traveling in extremely expensive places. So far all the extremely expensive places that I have visited are also extremely overpriced when it comes to food and my strategy of eating supermarket food for lunch, seeking out the ethnic neighborhood foods in immigrant enclaves (Indian food in London for example, or the best Vietnamese Pho outside of Vietnam in Vancouver’s Chinese district or the excellent Thai street food in Sydney’s Chinatown), purchasing affordable prepared foods at Supermarkets for afternoon and late evening repasts and making do with Sandwich Shop quality for dinner holds up tolerably well in extremely expensive cities.
The food categories that stay affordable
These types of foods are generally priced affordable in the most expensive cities worldwide and include a lot of Ethnic foods from Immigrant neighborhoods. Indian, Vietnamese pho, Thai street food, Mexican taquerias in the U.S. and more throughout the globe. Additionally in nearly all cities, high-quality and affordable supermarket prepared foods are available for inexpensive prices compared to eating in a restaurant. A more-specific review of the typical and best local food alternatives found throughout various cities are as follows: Japanese Gyudon and Ramen restaurants, German Baker (for Breakfast) options, affordable, high-quality, large-cut-out Pizza al Taglio found in many Italian restaurants, French-made sandwich shops, serving at affordable Lunch prices throughout many French cities. This guidebook obviously focuses on another facet of the Food-on-your-Travel-budget issue instead of listing typical guidebook restaurant and local specialty type information here.
Market shopping for self-catering
This brings us to markets for fresh ingredients. Markets in many cities have excellent and affordable produce. In general the Saturday morning markets offer the better prices for fresh produce, cheese, fresh bread and pre-cooked and ready-to-eat food, than the supermarkets will throughout the week. Depachika (the department store food halls in Japan) have excellent quality ready-made food for about 50 to 70 percent of the price you would pay in a restaurant. In many cities their bento box (packed meal) deals are particularly good for travelers. The big drawback is that in order to purchase at market price for these ingredients, you have to spend 30 to 60 minutes searching for them and then to prepare a meal in your rental apartment.
Restaurant meal types worth paying for
If a restaurant has a decent menu then it is generally better value to have lunch than dinner as most restaurants will offer a “lunch special” that is 50-70% of the price of a dinner menu for the same quality of food. A set menu (also referred to as prix fixe, omakase or tasting menu) at a restaurant that you would normally be unable to afford to eat at a la carte is also generally better value than eating a la carte at that same restaurant. Finally, consider to dine at local restaurants that are popular with the locals, rather than restaurants that are obviously trying to rip off tourists. Book in advance to ensure a table as the better restaurants can get very busy, especially if they are offering set menus.
As mentioned above my general traveling budget for food is around $60 per day for 2 people. This page is designed for budget conscious foodies.
Drinks: the hidden budget drain
Many things cost more in expensive cities than they do in cheap ones. While your food can stay affordable, for most travelers drinks are not. In Oslo for example a beer can cost 12-15 dollars at a bar but 4-5 dollars at a supermarket. Since one can enjoy such a purchase more at his or her accommodation than at a bar, buying alcohol in a supermarket saves 60-70% of cost of buying the same in a bar. For all those who like to have a beer or two while traveling, one memorable beer in a cool place can cost much less than having several of cheaper beers in inferior locations.
The split strategy
The most successful cost-effective eating in expensive cities, in my experience, follows a ratio of approximately 70% of all meals being at home – meaning breakfasts at the rental, pack lunches bought at markets or supermarkets, and the odd dinner too – 20% in casual restaurants i.e. street food, lunchtime counters, and local little local eateries in neighborhoods – and then 10% or so of the time splurging for meals at memorable restaurants for local specialties etc. – the reason for this approach is that it keeps the food costs of a trip under control but at the same time allows for memorable food experiences too. This pattern is absent from the vast majority of guidebooks.
How to think about the real cost
A number of different costs add up on a trip. There are the headline costs of flights, of where you sleep, of food, but then there are also all the fees, the costs of transfers, and then there are all the small daily costs. Many people find that they underestimate these costs by as much as 20% to 40% and that therefore the all-in cost of a trip is higher than they anticipated. So, save money where it makes a real difference, i.e. on transport, accommodation in very cheap countries, food in countries with a lot of good street food. But then spend money on things that will have a big impact on your trip, i.e. on one or two really special experiences, on a good seat on a long flight, on really good equipment that will last for a long time.
Closing perspective from years on the road
The information and perspectives shared on these pages for affordable eating in expensive cities have been garnered from my extensive experience of traveling through such locales and from others like myself who have traversed similar paths. There is a world of difference between two individuals’ practices on the road even when they are following similar systems and perspectives. This article shall hopefully assist in steering new travelers on the right path, yet the specific application to any given individual’s circumstances and practice will differ in important details. This article shall serve as but one of many tools to build practices that lead to great experiences in affordable eating in expensive cities, so the best advice would be to integrate all relevant perspectives and continue to hone your own personal practices on the road. Only by so doing can you realize trips that you shall remember years later and which changed you in some fundamental way.
Maya Calderon, Reviewed (and cross-checked with my own travels).
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