Correction (10 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 9 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Fifteen dollars is a real budget, so this page only lists items whose price is printed on the venue’s own menu and sits under that line. It is a short page on purpose: three places, two in Malvern East and one in Carnegie, just across the border.
Each place was matched against two independent sources, and every price below is copied from the menu page linked under Sources. Each entry gives the item, the price and one move.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest pancake on the list | Shanghai Taste Restaurant | Spring Onion Pancake 葱饼干 | $7.65 |
| A cafe egg dish | MoMa Social Cafe | EGGS YOUR WAY | $14.90 |
| Korean fried dumplings | Mrs Kim’s Grill | Fried Kimchi Pork Dumplings | $11 |
Shanghai Taste Restaurant — 310 Waverley Road, Malvern East VIC 3145
The menu at Shanghai Taste Restaurant prints a run of pancakes, and four of them clear the budget easily. Its menu lists Spring Onion Pancake at $7.65 and Pumpkin Pancakes at $8.75. The Fried Red Bean Pancake and the Fried Taro Pancake are both printed at $9.85. AGFG lists Takeaway and Child Friendly for the restaurant.
On the menu (copied from shanghaitaste.com.au/menu on 9 October 2026):
- Spring Onion Pancake 葱饼干: $7.65
- Fried Red Bean Pancake 豆沙锅饼: $9.85
- Fried Taro Pancake 香芋锅饼: $9.85
- Pumpkin Pancakes 南瓜饼: $8.75
What it is: A pancake is a pan-fried dough round, and the spring onion version at Shanghai Taste Restaurant is the savoury one while the red bean, taro and pumpkin ones are sweeter.
MoMa Social Cafe — 255 Waverley Road, Malvern East VIC 3145
MoMa Social Cafe is the one cafe here, and its menu prints Eggs Your Way at $14.90. It is the one item under the line among the four prices we copied, because the signature plates are priced well above it. Its site describes all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch. The site lists opening hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed Tuesday.
On the menu (copied from momasocial.com.au/menu on 9 October 2026):
- EGGS YOUR WAY: $14.90
The move: Order Eggs Your Way at MoMa Social Cafe and skip the signature plates, which the menu prices higher.
Mrs Kim’s Grill — 136 Koornang Road, Carnegie VIC 3163
Mrs Kim’s Grill sits on Koornang Road in Carnegie, over the Malvern East border. Its menu prints Fried Kimchi Pork Dumplings at $11. The site carries an order takeaway link, so the dumplings travel. We could not find a published hours line for the grill.
On the menu (copied from mrskimsgrill.com.au/menu.html on 9 October 2026):
- Fried Kimchi Pork Dumplings: $11
What it is: Fried dumplings are pleated parcels crisped in a pan, and at Mrs Kim’s Grill the filling is kimchi and pork.
Quick answers
What can I eat in Malvern East for under fifteen dollars?
Shanghai Taste Restaurant prints four pancakes on its menu, from Spring Onion Pancake at $7.65 to Fried Red Bean Pancake at $9.85. MoMa Social Cafe prints Eggs Your Way at $14.90. Mrs Kim’s Grill in Carnegie prints Fried Kimchi Pork Dumplings at $11.
Is there cheap takeaway near Malvern East?
AGFG lists Takeaway for Shanghai Taste Restaurant, where Pumpkin Pancakes are printed at $8.75. Mrs Kim’s Grill shows an order takeaway link on its own site, and its menu prints Fried Kimchi Pork Dumplings at $11.
Where can I get a cheap breakfast in Malvern East?
MoMa Social Cafe is the breakfast option on this page. Its site describes all-day breakfast, and its menu prints Eggs Your Way at $14.90. The site lists 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM for most days and shows Tuesday as closed.
Are all the cheap eats in Malvern East itself?
Two are. Shanghai Taste Restaurant and MoMa Social Cafe are both on Waverley Road in Malvern East. Mrs Kim’s Grill is on Koornang Road in Carnegie, so it is a short trip over the suburb border.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 9 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the places’ own websites and the Australian Good Food Guide. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 9 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Shanghai Taste Restaurant: openstreetmap.org/631295249, shanghaitaste.com.au, agfg.com.au/shanghai-taste-44610, shanghaitaste.com.au/menu
- MoMa Social Cafe: momasocial.com.au, agfg.com.au/moma-social-cafe-153588, momasocial.com.au/menu
- Mrs Kim’s Grill: openstreetmap.org/631561660, mrskimsgrill.com.au, mrskimsgrill.com.au/menu.html
