Went with my friend to Albert Centre Market and Food Centre at 270 Queen Street. She wanted to buy some dried prawns, Japanese small white fish and mushrooms. There are many shops selling dried food stuff and the stores are located above the hawker centre. I do come here occasionally to Albert Centre Market and Food Centre mainly for lunch; as there are quite a number of famous hawker food at this place.
To reach the shops that are selling these dried food produce, just take the lift on the ground floor or walk up the stairs. Once you are there, you can see numerous shops selling dried food and daily necessities. So the question is – Which shop shall I choose, since there are so many shops selling the same stuff? I told my friend to walk and browse through all the shops before deciding – look at the products and the prices. Most shops have put up price labels sticking out from the products and many stall owners are quite friendly and responsive when I asked questions about the food items.
I asked a lady shop owner about the price of Japanese small white fish that were displayed at her shop – How come the prices of this Japanese white fish differs? She told me that the prices of small white fish differs because of country of origin and size. The small white fish that originated from Japan would be more expensive that those originated from China. Also, the smaller the white fish, the more expensive the item. But why is smaller white fish more expensive than bigger one I asked again. She answered my question with a question – big Ikan Bilis or anchovies are selling for $14/kg ( she pointed her finger at it ) and small white fish from Japan is selling for $28/kg. She mentioned that small white fish are cleaner, tastier and easier to eat ( no bones).
Albert Centre Market and Food Centre is an ideal place for buying all kinds of dried food. You can literally get all kinds of food stuff here – dried prawns, sea cucumbers, dried fish, dried mushrooms, bird nests, beans, dried fruits and nuts, spices, fish crackers, etc. The prices of dried food here are cheaper than similar items sold in major supermarkets. There are more variety too; for example I saw so many different types of dried prawns. The auntie told me that for dried prawns, the bigger the prawns, the more expensive it would be – the reverse pricing policy of small white fish.
After buying all the dried food stuff, my friend and I proceeded to the hawker centre to take our breakfast. Breakfast here was good and cheap but the environment was rather warm. Anyway, it was just a quick breakfast before we proceed to our next destination.
