Need satisfying food on the cheap? Lee Zheng Hao is an international student at TU Dublin City Campus (formerly Dublin Institute of Technology), and in this blog he share his top food spots in Dublin on a budget…

Imagine this… you’re an international student living in Ireland’s capital city, Dublin. Your 5 hour class has just ended, you’re starving and tired, too lazy to walk home to prepare and cook your dinner (if there is food at home in the first place, that is!). You could always just pop into the friendly neighbourhood restaurant and spent a tenner on a burger or a good o’l Irish stew accompanied by a pint of Guinness. You have had burgers for dinner over the last few weeks and you’re craving for something different, something that can remind you of home. Don’t forget that you’re hungry, VERY hungry, a burger just isn’t going to cut it… and you’re an unemployed student living on the cheap. In short, you’re broke and you’re starving and you need to eat.

There’s no shortage of restaurants in Dublin, with range of prices and cuisines from all over the world from Sichuan Hotpot to Japanese Sushi. Among all the different types of restaurants, ‘all you can eat’ buffet style restaurants are one of my personal favourite. The food offered may not be the tastiest out there, but there’s no deny they’re an absolute bargain for those living on a budget. Most buffet restaurants are operated by either Chinese or Indians, offering authentic all you can eat Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Malay, Thai and even Italian food.

10 Thousands and Jimmy Chung’s are both located right in the heart of Dublin’s city centre. Both offer a large selection of Chinese-style dishes including desserts for under €10. As you may know, Ireland isn’t the warmest country out there, and a Chinese Hotpot is almost necessary in order to survive the winter, pop into the Chinese hotpot joint on Parnell Street and be amazed by the large selections of ingredients and dishes that won’t break the bank.

If you’re craving for some authentic Indian food (who isn’t?), look no further, walk down the shady stairs of Moore Street Mall on Moore Street (duh!), first thing you smell is home (if you’re from India), walking down the aisle, you’d see multiple restaurants serving buffet-style hot Indian cuisine with a tasty price of €7. Never go without an empty stomach!

So you’re looking for something a little ‘fancy’. Yo! Sushi is the place to go, and they offer an unlimited sushi deal for €20 every Sunday. Global and Cosmo also both offer over hundreds mouth watering international dishes under €20.

There’re a lot of wonderful eateries in Dublin and with some Googling and research, one can lead a fantastic and enjoyable study life in Dublin and still save money!