MENU Rahmah, which provides wholesome meals for the low-income group and the poor at just RM5 or less, has gained momentum since it was launched on January 31 by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.

Soon, there will be an app listing all the participating food outlets.

I checked out Burger King, then food outlets at Mydin in Subang, and came across a non-halal outlet in Segambut that has been engaged in a similar effort for four months.

At Burger King in 1 Utama Shopping Centre, there was no banner or sign to indicate the outlet had Menu Rahmah offers.

Upon asking, I was given a choice of its Cheesy Beef Burger or the BK Chick ‘n Crisp one at RM5. It was a nice chicken burger.

The meat patty was well fried and moist inside, with mayonnaise and lettuce completing the burger. It came with a bottle of mineral water. It makes a decent lunch for a light eater.

At Mydin, I made a beeline for MY Nasi Kandar. I had a choice of fried chicken or fried fish with the Menu Rahmah meal, which comes with a glass of teh o ais.

It was a hearty portion of rice on the plate, drenched with a delicious curry sauce and served with fried cabbage. Since there were two of us, one had a serving of chicken and the other had the fish.

The chicken was crispy and tasty, and the fish, fried in a spiced batter, was fine.

Of course, anyone would wish for a larger portion of protein on the plate, but for RM5 this was a satisfying, affordable meal and that’s what matters for the targeted groups.

At the Rasa Village Food Court on the other side of the mall, every other food stall has a sign offering Menu Rahmah.

You have to be discerning with such offers. There’s mung bean porridge on the menu at a dessert stall – is that a meal, and is it worth it at RM5?

A Chinese-Muslim stall serves six dumplings at RM5, there’s rojak at another place and bihun sup ayam at another. Still, nothing beats a rice meal for the hungry.

At this food court, I encountered six children with their grandmother, who ordered five plates of nasi campur with fried fish and vegetables from Selera Kampung.

Each came with a big portion of rice, two types of vegetables, and a fairly large piece of fish. It cost only RM25 to feed the family of seven a nutritious meal.

I had lunch at Laos Thai 5 to 9 in Segambut last week, and discovered the restaurant owners had embarked on a similar programme four months ago to benefit those on a tight budget and the poor.

It offers tasty Thai chicken rice at only RM5. It comes with cucumber, chilli sauce and as much chicken soup as you like.

“The offer is to let these people taste good-quality chicken rice at a low price,” said its spokesman Anthony Lock. The effort has received good response from factory workers, taxi drivers, and those looking for an affordable lunch.

Anthony is now looking to list the RM5 chicken rice under Menu Rahmah.

Laos Thai 5 to 9 serves both Thai and Laotian dishes, and is located at 69, Jalan Segambut Pusat, Kuala Lumpur (016-264 9199). – February 25, 2023.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.