Menu Rahmah is the go-to menu for everyone who wants to eat on a budget but is still flavourful. Yet, Nasi Bambong, Tawau’s version of the cheap menu, probably tops every category: price and flavour.
In Tawau, this customer-friendly initiative has been offered to many foodies since 2009. It’s your basic nasi campur that everyone likes eating during lunch. A variety of lauk to choose from: chicken, fish, and vegetables. Shockingly, the price was initially RM 1.50! Oh, my God. That’s too cheap. We wonder if the food stall owners can ever make a profit. The menu still exists in Tawau.
The history of Nasi Bambong
Nasi Bambong is inspired by the living condition of the locals in Tawau. Bambong is a word from a Buginese dialect that means jobless. Therefore, Nasi Bambong caters for low-income earners to have a decent meal for an affordable price.
Currently, with RM 2, the locals can fill their stomachs with cheap yet delicious food. Keep in mind, though! The price can increase according to your add-ons.
What makes the menu so interesting is every Nasi Bambong comes with a spoonful of chicken heart and liver, fried tempe (fermented soybean), a scoop of vegetables (can choose from 3 varieties) and a tomato-based sambal (chilli paste). They also give free soup and a cup of air sirap!
A Youtube channel, Songs & Stories — Malaysian Stories, reviewed a Nasi Bambong stall in Tawau. They had a taste and agreed it was delicious! Despite the price, they still tried to serve only the most flavourful menus for their customers.
We admit it will be good to have this kind of menu in peninsular Malaysia. Can you imagine spending only RM 2 to RM 5 for a menu? You can save so much for other things! But let’s face it. The economic instability makes a RM 2 dish impossible. Therefore, Menu Rahmah is already a commendable initiative for many Malaysians living in the peninsular.
We hope owners of Nasi Bambong stalls will be more successful in the future. Thank you for lifting so many burdens of the Tawau people with the menu.
Sources: Youtube Songs & Stories — Malaysian Stories, Tawau Blogger, Hening Itu Indah Blog