We ate Menu Rahmah for a week. Here’s what the restaurants fed us

Finding food that’s affordable is a challenge now, especially if you live in city areas. However, the KPDN has since introduced the Menu Rahmah initiative under Belanjawan 2023. The Menu Rahmah initiative is meant to provide Malaysians with a proper meal for just RM5.

Though it’s a government initiative, restaurants that participate do it voluntarily – making little profit or even a loss – to support the program. It’s also worth noting that there’s a choice of Halal and Non-Halal restaurants that are participating. Furthermore, there are a few restaurants on Grab that are taking part in the Menu Rahmah initiative. Additionally, KPDN has also introduced Menu Siswa Rahmah for public universities and polytechnic students.

There’s also a searchable list of participating restaurants on the Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri (KPDN)’s website. Using this list, we tried to keep our tummies full on Menu Rahmah for an entire week to see how many bangs we could get for our 5 bucks.

1. Sate Kajang Retro

So, these guys are so semangat about Menu Rahmah that they have a separate menu… err… rahmah, with a wide array of rice and noodle options available. Each meal also comes with a sirap ais.

The serving was really filling. They didn’t stinge on any ingredients in the nasi goreng kampung we ordered, which was filled with kangkung and ikan bilis. The flavor didn’t disappoint, either. As for the Maggi goreng, our intern said it was a bit dry, but other than that it was packed with flavors. All in all, it was worth RM5 for each dish.

And yes, sate is actually on the list but we didn’t order it due to the longer prep time. But if you’re at the shop, make sure to give it a try. Apparently it received rave reviews from other diners.

Address: No.19-G, Jalan Usj Sentral 3, Usj sentral, 47600 Subang Jaya, Selangor (map)

Phone: 017-358 5446

2. Tasbeeh Cafe

This cafe serves all kinds of Malay and Western dishes. They have two Menu Rahmah selections – ayam goreng kunyit with rice and ayam masak merah with rice. The dish also comes with a fried egg.

We opted for the ayam masak merah, where the chicken was cut into bite-sized pieces. The sauce was flavorful, the egg was delightfully crispy on the edges, and the rice helping was perfect for 1 person. The staff working in this quaint cafe was also very friendly, so brownie points for the amazing service!

Address: 39, Jalan Dataran Wangsa 1, Seksyen 2 Wangsa Maju, 53300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (map)

Phone: 012-921 7444

3. Murtabak Edy Lejen

Don’t get shocked when you see a humble gerai… these guys memang lejen 🙂

Small in size, but packed in flavor. The murtabak is cut into 6 pieces and comes with a side of cuka bawang (a relish made of onions and vinegar). You can choose between beef and chicken murtabak. They are not stingy with the filling either, and our murtabak was packed with juicy minced chicken.

PS. There’s no place to sit and eat here so be prepared to tapau and eat in the car or at home.

Address: Jalan Kajang – Puchong, 43009 Kajang, Selangor (map)

Phone: 017- 654 5078

4. Anwar Maju

This is PERFECT for a small eater. You’ll be served one small mangkuk of rice, one vegetable serving, and a piece of chicken with a mix of curry. You will also get a refreshing glass of teh ‘o’ ice. The chicken was crispy and flavourful, and the meat was juicy and tender. Also, they really banjir your rice with that curry. For RM5, this meal was hearty.

Address: 1-A,Nadayu 28 Dagang, Jalan PJS 11/7, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor (map)

Phone: 016- 680 8159

5. QnQ Corner

Their Menu Rahmah consisted of ayam goreng kunyit with a side of soup. Though the chicken and soup were a bit salty for this writer’s taste buds, the portion was quite generous and tasty. The only thing that was missing was some sambal, but for RM5, it was very worth it.

Address: 3, Jalan Telipot 2c, Perumahan Seri Telipot, 48300 Rawang, Selangor (map)

Phone: 017- 312 6227

A full, delicious meal for RM5? Why not?

When we ran an editorial piece exploring whether it was possible to get breakfast in Klang Valley for RM5, let’s just say it was only possible because compromises had to be made.

It’s easy to be cynical and disregard Menu Rahmah as something for poor people or that restaurants were giving sub-par food, but we can definitely say the Menu Rahmah eateries were not stingy when it came to portion sizing. They made sure that the food didn’t only taste good, it was a complete meal.

However, Menu Rahmah needs demand in order to continue. In fact, one restaurant we went to actually discontinued their Menu Rahmah due to a lack of demand, but when we asked for it, they were actually very happy and went out of their way to cook it for us.

Menus aside, Belanjawan 2023 also has other ongoing Rahmah initiatives like Jualan Rahmah which brings up to a 30% price cut on daily necessities, and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah which provides cash and food assistance to low-income groups. There’s something for everyone in Belanjawan 2023, so you should definitely check out their website to avoid missing out.