Have you been feeling a little heavier lately? We have.
Ever since our New Years Resolutions were overcome by our love for food and hatred for exercise, we've certainly been feeling a bit tighter in the waistbands.
Though, we have been feeling a bit lighter in one aspect: our wallets.
Between the holidays and Valentine's Day, we can't seem to recover from the red.
So this month, we're getting ready for the spring and summer barhops by saving our cash, and eating cheap instead... and by cheap we don't mean Cup Noodles or three PB&J sandwiches a day.
We've put together a list of value eateries that will fill your tummies AND your wallets this month.
1. Kobeyaki (various locations)
Do you love sushi? We do too, but we can't stomach the fact that some sushi restaurants are charging roughly $12-$18 a roll. It's excessive and upsetting, especially since we're hungry New Yorkers looking to purchase at least two rolls on the cheap.
Instead, we're hitting up Kobeyaki, which has a seriously easy online ordering system and rolls, bowls, burgers, salads, and soups all for less than $10, with the exception of their soft shell crab bun (a splurge at $10.35).
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We're ordering the salmon volcano roll with spicy salmon, red onion, avocado, tempura flakes, sweet & spicy sauce, scallions, togarashi pepper, and sesame seeds ($8.97).
Or, we love the spicy tuna burger with spicy tuna, miso onions, spicy mayo, wasabi mayo, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, and scallions ($8.87).
2. Lali Restaurant (630 10th Avenue)
We've always found that the best food comes from some of the most unpretentious, hole in the wall eateries around NYC. This one is no exception. It's a barebones establishment offering some of the best Dominican cuisine in NYC, all for less than $15 a plate.
Their menu changes daily, but offers some of their best items every day. We highly recommend their beef stew for lunch, which comes with rice, beans, and a salad, all for $10. Better yet? The portion size is so large, it'll end up being dinner as well.
Not feelin' the beef? Try the baked chicken for an $8 lunch or a $10 order, also served with rice, beans, and a salad.
However, don't try and pay with credit card or order get in for dinner! They're a cash only, strictly breakfast & lunch spot. Come prepared.
3. Taste Good Malaysian Cuisine (82-18 45th Avenue - Queens)
Looking for some cheap, authentic eats in Elmhurst? Hit up Taste Good Malaysian Cuisine. It's an unassuming dining area with top notch Malaysian food.
You absolutely must start with the "Roti Canai," or you'll be missing out on one of the tastiest appetizers in NYC. Plus, for $2.75, how could you not order it? What is it? Only the most delicious, crispy buttery flatbread served with a curry dipping sauce.
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After you've tried (and fall in love with) the Roti Canai, you need to order the "Dry Curry Rendang Beef Noodle" for only $6.95. It's a dish comprised of tender spicy beef served over noodles.
Although it says dry, it's anything but, so don't be fooled by the terminology (it's only a cooking method).
4. Go Go Thai (144 West 19th Street)
Ever find a lunch place that ends up being the talk of the office? This is one of ours. We found this little Thai spot that has literally taken over our stomachs and hearts, and some of us eat at Go Go Thai at least twice a week.
Try the Drunken Noodles with chicken, for a quick lunch that will certainly fill you up. It's a spicy (and we mean spicy) wide noodle dish overflowing with vegetables like Chinese broccoli florets, peppers, and onions. Better yet? It's only $9.75 at lunchtime.
Not into the spice? Try the Pad See Ew. It's also a wide noodle dish with a plethora of vegetables, but it's in a black sweet sauce with egg. It's a mere $7.95 at lunchtime.
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5. Goa Taco (79 Delancy Street)
Ever wonder what it'd be like to combine a taco with Indian parathas flatbreads? You're in luck. Goa Taco is serving up incredible Mexican taco fillings in a paratha shell.
Don't know what a paratha is? It's an Indian flatbread that is made with wheat flours and butter, with butter between the many layers of the dough. It's a mix between a flour tortilla, naan, and a croissant. Essentially, it's all of our culinary combination dreams come true.
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Try the five-spice confit duck with sesame, sweet soy, hot mustard, cucumber, and radish served in a paratha taco shell. Sounds expensive? Nope, it'll only put you back $7.35. #winning.
6. East Wind Snack Shop (471 16th Street - Brooklyn)
Heading to Brooklyn? Want to find some incredible cheap eats? We gotchu.
Get to East Wind Snack Shop and immediately order the dry aged beef potstickers. We've all heard about dry aging steaks, but what happens when someone puts that much effort into an ingredient for a potsticker? Quite simply put: the best potsticker known to Brooklyn. Plus, they're $7.
If you want to get really fancy and splurge on a $12 meal, which really isn't a splurge when you come to think about it, get the sweet chili ribs. We're not going to offend our mamas by saying they're better than her ribs, but they're close. They're tender, juicy, and pretty life changing TBH.
7. Landin Mac & Cheese (701 Melrose Avenue - the Bronx)
Listen, bikini season is a couple months away, which means you seriously don't need to worry about that pesky thing called a diet until at least May.. or well, never.
Instead, we think it's time to fully accept the fact that you're still ripe in the middle of sweater weather and enjoy some comfort foods.
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And by comfort foods, we mean the cheesy, creative mac & cheese dishes at Landin's in the Bronx. If you're a mac & cheese fan and haven't taken the trip to the Bronx for some burger style mac and cheese for only $6, you're not actually a true mac & cheese fan.
Want to spice things up? Try the hot chicken macaroni & cheese with cheddar and muenster cheeses, chicken, and buffalo sauce... as in, the best combination of comfort foods. At a price of $6.50, we're in love.
Check out 8 Best NYC Spots for Your Next First Date.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]