YANGON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway.
Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need.
Its customers include construction workers, trishaw pullers, car drivers, deliverymen, office staff, and others.
U Soe, a 71-year-old trishaw puller, visits it daily. "There's no other shop like this in Yangon. The prices are very cheap. I can enjoy meals with the curries I like. Mutton, chicken, fish cake, for just 1,000 kyats (about 0.31 U.S. dollar) per serving," he said.
"The food is delicious, and nowhere else in Yangon offers such meals for this price. I save money by coming here daily," he added.
"In other places, a meal costs at least 2,500 kyats. Here, we even get free bean soup, which would cost at least 800 kyats elsewhere."
Ko Arker, 55, a security guard, said, "I come here every day. It's like a charity shop. Eating here helps me save money to support my large family better."
"This shop is great for people like us. Saving on lunch lets me support my family more," Ko Arker added.
Paing Soe, 41, a deliveryman from Shwepyitha Township, said, "Even though it's not close to my home, I come here whenever I'm in the area delivering parcels. I save about 2,500 kyats per meal."
"I have two children. Saving on lunch lets me support my family and parents better," he explained.
Aung Myint Myat, 39, another trishaw puller, said, "This shop is essential for the poor like us. I come here daily. If I don't, my wife asks me to buy food from here. We save a lot."
"With rising commodity prices, this shop is crucial. I've known about it since it opened. Even wealthy people come here for lunch," he noted.
People not only come for lunch, but also visit for the shop's affordable lunch boxes intended to donate meals.
Daw Aye Aye Khaing, in her 40s, a food donor, said, "I come monthly. The shop is great, especially for the poor. If I want to donate food, I come here."
"Today is my birthday, and I bought lunch boxes for my employees. Since this shop opened, I've made more donations. I'm glad it's here and hope it continues," she added.
According to shop owner Tin Maung Kyaw, the shop prepares 1,000 servings daily for dine-in customers and about 1,500 to 2,000 lunch boxes for takeaway. They offer about 15 types of curries daily, including mutton, chicken, egg, fish cake, prawn, fried potatoes, and vegetables.
"I opened this shop out of empathy for families like ours. I don't run it for profit, and I just want to feed people in need," said Tin Maung Kyaw.
"Giving food to many people is a dream of mine. With our beloved customers, donors, and supporters, I'm motivated to sustain the shop for the long term," he added.■
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