A healthy meal can be had for under $10 at this Seattle-style teriyaki joint, with your choice of glazed chicken breast or thigh, white or brown rice, and salad. Drop an extra buck to splurge for salmon or hangar steak.

This old-school hofbrau is the place to go for a crazy-cheap $9.25 dinner platter, with your choice of meat (the lamb shank and brisket are popular), mashed potatoes or veggies, beans or salad, and bread and butter. A slice of cake or pie is an extra $3.

The Japanese-style curry at this mini-chain is fantastic, and at $8-10 for a portion with pickles and rice, it's also affordable. The $9 lunch sets, with all of the above plus appetizers, salad, and miso soup, are an even better deal.

This Korean take on a taqueria has inspired deep affection from techies, who line up on their lunch breaks for a spicy pork bibimbap salad, bulgogi burrito, or Japanese curry enchiladas. About half of the menu is under $10, portions are huge, and service is nice.

It's an in-and-out operation with eight counter seats, but for tasty noodles without fuss, the Burmese ladies at Yamo will hook you up. The mango chicken, house noodles, and tea leaf salad all clock in under $8, and are reliably tasty.

Most dishes at this Xi'an-style spot are under $10, and the atmosphere is a notch up from other Chinese restaurants-- you could go here on a date without shame. We dig the Shaanxi mian-pi noodles, the cumin lamb, the pork burgers, and the Qishan minced pork noodles. Bonus: it's BYOB (there's a corner store with beer and wine across the street).

Sample some delicious and authentic Peruvian food at this lunch counter in a Mission mini-mall, which offers heavenly ceviche for just $5, and $10 daily specials like braised beef or roasted lamb, served in massive portions with beans and rice included on the side.

Lunch for under $10 in the pricey Ferry Building? It's possible at Delica, which offers vegetable and spicy tuna maki in the $5-9 range, and a $9 bento box with your choice of two items (like wasabi potato salad, Chinese chicken salad, and crab croquettes) and rice. Everything's organic and seasonal, too.

For sit-down Mexican that's not taqueria fare, tastes great, and is largely under $15, Chilango is where it's at. Nearly everything is $10 or less at lunch, and the tortilla soup, chicken tostadas, and trio of vegetarian tacos are all $10 or under at dinner.