A hawker centre or food centre is the name given to open-air complexes in Singapore housing many stalls that sell a variety of inexpensive food. They are typically found near public housing estates or transport hubs (such as bus interchanges or train stations).  Here is the hawker center that is close to our apartment.  We eat there at least once a week.  At first I had a difficult time with the smell, as I do not like fish, but amazingly I do not really notice it anymore!  What I love about it is that Greg and I can eat for about $8 together but if you go to a restaurant it is $100.  We have eaten some great food but it is hardly worth $100.00 for a simple dinner that would cost $40.00 in the US.