We visited here on our first night in Singapore and enjoyed some delicious local food at ridiculously cheap prices.

It was nice to be able to begin our trip having dinner in a nice street food setting with only other local people eating there also.

We would recommend it to anyone looking to get excellent value for money.

A short walk from Bugis Junction, the Albert Hawker food centre is a great place to get cheap eats, Chinese, Japanese, Malay etc etc. Fruit Smoothies I love so a big mug of Banana smoothie went down a treat. Also sugar cane juice, yumm. Also the adjoining markets have tourist stuff as well as clothes and nearly anything you could want. If you love markets this is the place to be in Downtown Singapore

If you want a wide variety of tasty food for very little money then you must try eating at a hawker market. The food was very good, we had crispy seafood noodles char kway diew and veges stir fried with sambal paste all cooked fresh in front of you. The only thing I won't take a chance on in any hawker market is shellfish but we had prawns which were excellent. The high volume of patrons tells you it's good, if you want to eat what the locals eat this is it. Beware, it is hot inside, there is no air conditioning

Super close to our hotel (ibis bencoolen), and cheap delicious food! We're a family of four and split into two groups to explore and find food. I chose some Cantonese porridge with meatballs - I saw many locals eating from their stall. It was very hot but easier to eat once it cooled. As others say, bring tissues and/or wet wipes to wipe a table space, especially at lunch time as the whole place is busy. My porridge came with fried bread and it was expensive at $S4 but tasty and filling

This is a typical "Local" Hawker Food Centre where one can find very good varieties of different local tasty food at cheap prices. There are also dried sundries, etc on the higher floors. Location is good, just next to Bugis Street & across from Bugis MRT station.

As with all similar food centres here, just buy your food & drinks and seat anywhere you like. It's easy to order as menu & prices are usually displayed at the stalls.

Long queues at certain stalls do give indication of its popularity but does not necessary means it's good. Just be adventurous & try what you think looks good.

Couple of things to take note though ( applies to other food centres too eg at Chinatown Complex, Hong Lim Complex, Maxwell Centre ).

1. Although almost stalls display menu & prices, there are still some odd ones who don't. For such stalls, pls ALWAYS ask for prices first before you order. Especially if one is ordering "expensive items like fish." Check the prices before you proceed. Otherwise you may get a price shock when you are given your order.

2. Be prepared. The environment won't be as nice nor comfortable as those in airconditioned foodcourts. But then remember that one is paying cheap prices here for good food. You are here for 'genuine' good local food; not cosy environment.

3. As mentioned by others, it is common for dirty tables not to be cleared that quickly. Especially during lunch time where cleaners just cannot cope. Bring wet issues/wipes to do a simple wipe & put the dirty plates/etc on nearby tray racks.

4. It's normal to see few different prices stated on a single item eg $3/4/5 or $$2.50/$3.50/4.50. This basically means the item is available in few different 'sizes/ portions'.

From my many years of experiences, I would recommend just order the cheapest size/portion. Because very often, there aren't really any significant differences for the bigger sizes/portions. So why pay more & waste your money.

5. Best time to come is after 10 am as most stalls would have opened. However certain stalls may take longer due to their types of food.

Avoid lunch time ( between 11.45-2.00pm) as it's extremely crowded & difficult to get a seat. Note it's common for many stalls to close after lunch. So if you come for dinner, expect only few stalls to be opened.