Tapau vs delivery vs cook yourself — what do Malaysian office workers actually eat?
by Hafizah Said·May 24, 2026
Informal survey from my floor of about 40 people. Results were more interesting than expected.
Breakdown:
- Cook and bring from home: 8 people (mostly those with longer commutes who meal prep on Sundays)
- Tapau from the nearby hawker/mamak: 15 people (most common, especially for those near affordable food areas)
- Food delivery (GrabFood, Foodpanda): 9 people (usually the same people who work late or have far offices from food)
- Eat out at a restaurant/kopitiam: 6 people
- Skip lunch or just eat at desk with snacks: 2 people
Cost range: RM5—8 (tapau/cook) to RM15—25 (delivery with fees). Over a month, that's a RM200+ difference — real money.
The delivery adoption is higher among people who started working during the pandemic and never built the habit of going out for lunch.