Finding a spot that offers affordable meals is becoming harder due to the increase in prices, but here’s one that will surprise you.
Recently, a vegetarian restaurant has been in the limelight for serving three vegetarian dishes alongside rice for an astonishingly low price of only RM2.
They have been been serving approximately 1,000 people daily for the past 16 years.
A Family’s Heartfelt Initiative
Run by Richard So and his relatives, the cafe, V Fortune Land Vegetarian Cafe, is a heartfelt initiative to give back to the community.
According to The Star, the loving family owns over 70 shoe stores, has maintained the RM2 price point, attracting patrons from areas like Sentul, Kepong, Jinjang, and Batu Caves, even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The RM2 mixed rice will continue for as long as I can manage,” So said.
Every day, he personally selects and purchases ingredients from the market, benefiting from vendors who offer lower prices and opting for seasonal vegetables to cut costs.
Located at Taman Kok Lian, Jalan Ipoh, this restaurant operates from 8 am to 4 pm, with dish preparation starting early in the morning.
To minimise waste, they replenish the dishes until about 2 pm, after which So buys ingredients for the next day.
Despite the growing number of patrons, the core mission remains unchanged—offering valuable meals at an unbeatable price.
Reflecting on the restaurant’s humble beginnings, So recalled subsidising the restaurant with RM5,000 to RM6,000 monthly from his shoe business.
To ensure sustainability, he eventually took over the operations entirely. Not only that, they encouraged customers to bring their own containers, with takeaway meals priced at RM2.50.
Monthly expenses hover around RM70,000, with recent months generating about RM80,000, allowing So to pay his five workers.
Additionally, at 10 am daily, he distributes free meal boxes, allowing each person to take two until supplies run out.
Despite initial challenges and a lack of culinary skills, So now prepares each dish himself.
His dedication is fueled by a belief in “fu bao,” or karmic reward in Buddhism. He feels that running the vegetarian restaurant has brought peace and prosperity to his family.
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