Mall shopping in Asia
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A
Gaysorn Plaza
A haute couture catwalk, Gaysorn's spiralling staircases and all-white halls preserve all of fashion's beloved designers in museum-curatorship style. Local fashion leaders occupy the 2nd floor 'Thai Fashion Chic', while the top floor is a stroll through home decor, highlights of which are the eclectic D&O Shop, the fragrant soaps at Thann and the Asian-influenced ceramics at Lamont.
reviewed
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B
Central World Plaza
Bangkok's hippest mall suffered greatly during the unrest of April 2010, but the vast majority of shops are open again and Zen department store was being rebuilt at research time. There's an extrahuge branch of bookstore B2S, and you could spend an hour sniffing around the fragrances at Karmakamet.
reviewed
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C
The Village
Anchoring Sānlǐtún's expensive commercial facelift, this nifty multistorey mall drags in legions of snappy shoppers and diners to its shops, cafes and restaurants; the world's largest branch of Adidas is here.
reviewed
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D
Siam Center & Siam Discovery Center
These linked sister centres feel almost monastic in their hushed hallways compared to frenetic MBK, just across the street. Siam Discovery Center excels in home decor, with the whole 3rd floor devoted to Asian-minimalist styles and jewel-toned fabrics; we love the earthy, Thai-influenced designs at Doi Tung. The attached Siam Center, Thailand's first shopping centre built in 1976, has recently gone under the redesign knife for a younger, hipper look. Youth fashion is its new focus, and several local labels, ranging from anr to senada*, can be found on the 2nd floor.
reviewed
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E
Vivocity
Staggeringly large, the waterfront Vivocity megamall is Singapore's largest, and offers a viable alternative to pavement pounding on Orchard Rd, though its broad, squat design (by Japanese architect Toyo Ito) means there's still a prodigious amount of walking to do.
There are dozens of ubiquitous fashion chains such as Diesel, Hang Ten and Esprit (and locals such as M)phosis) as well as smaller boutiques. Electronics giants such as Denki and Challenger also have a heavy presence. The excellent Page One bookshop is a rival to Kinokuniya in Orchard Rd, while the Golden Village cineplex is also Singapore's largest, with luxury Gold Class, GVMax and Cinema Europa cinemas. At …
reviewed
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Op (Oriental Plaza) Place
A visit to the Silom area's antique shops and galleries is a poor person's alternative to a trip to a museum. Beginning at River City, accessible via a free boat from Tha Sathon pier, head directly to the antique shops on the 3rd and 4th floors, bearing in mind that in this ‘museum’ if you break it, you buy it. Exiting along Soi 30, stop by the various antique shops, keeping your eye open for things you’ll buy when you win the lottery. Upon reaching Th Charoen Krung, continue until Soi 38 and stop by OP (Oriental Plaza) Place, an upmarket antique mall.
reviewed
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F
Katong Shopping Centre
Not a great deal of outstanding retail (unless you like model cars and suchlike), but an insight into Singaporean life. This ageing mall is full of ‘maid agencies’ – the people who source and place Indonesian, Filipina, Burmese and Indian maids with employers, taking a huge cut of their pay in the process – and lots of women coming and going, or waiting around for work. There’s also lots of ‘enrichment centres’ for parents worried that their kids might get left behind. An interesting but mildly depressing place.
reviewed
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G
Oriental Plaza
You could spend a day in this staggeringly large shopping mega-complex at the foot of Wangfujing Dajie. Prices may not be cheap, but window-shoppers will be overjoyed. There's a great range of shops and restaurants and an excellent basement food court. Men, beware of being dragged off to exorbitant cafes and teahouses by pretty English-speaking girls.
reviewed
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H
Jung Ceylon
Even anticorporates will have to admit that this is a pretty cool mall. Yes, the major multinationals (Apple, Starbucks, Adidas, er, Dairy Queen) are well represented here, but the Sino-Phuket wing has a decent international restaurant row and the top-floor cinema is plush. Thankfully authorities seem to have dispatched that stall in the back corner that once sold automatic weapons and flak jackets. Yeah, from here on in gunlovers will have to settle for simulated war on the top floor.
reviewed
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I
Stamford House
The oldest, most elegant and distinctive shopping centre in the city, Stamford House was built in 1904 and mercifully conserved (a similar old building across the road was destroyed to make way for Stamford Court). Its wooden floors, ornate ironwork and plasterwork and aura of hushed refinement remain, and the tenants – art galleries, hair and beauty salons, local designer boutiques and spas – generally treat the place with the respect it deserves.
reviewed
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J
Citylink Mall
The first underground mall in Singapore, designed by Kohn Pederson Fox from New York, this seemingly endless tunnel of retail links City Hall MRT station with Suntec City and the Esplanade. It’s a tempting means of escaping searing sun or teeming rain, and a comfortable way of getting into the city from the Marina Bay hotels. It’s a bit disorienting, but there’s a full range of fashion, books, music and food down here.
reviewed
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K
Venus Fort
Venus Fort embodies a Japanese vision of a young woman's shopping paradise, in a building that mimics 17th-century Venice with ceilings that simulate the sky (it even shifts from day to night). With around 170 boutiques and restaurants all aimed at young ladies, this kitschy shopping centre also boasts the distinction of having Japan's biggest lavatory (64 stalls).
reviewed
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L
Baekkotnarae 5-Gil
From the subway, walk down this narrow street off the main road to Ewha Womans University, and it’s surprising what you can find: a Vietnamese noodle restaurant, a tailor shop, a bubble tea café, a shop selling handmade jewellery, a chocolatier, a piercing and henna shop, a leather workshop, a tattoo and hair-braiding parlour, and a Goth and punk boutique – and that’s all in the first 30 metres!
reviewed
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M
Peninsula Excelsior
The shopping centre that props up the Peninsula Excelsior Hotel has definitely seen better days, but it’s one of the best hunting grounds in Singapore for sporting goods. Among the tennis rackets, bowling balls, cricket bats and football shirts are also plenty of unexpected and eccentric little shops, from guitar repairmen to what appears to be a death-metal specialist.
reviewed
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N
Parco Bugis Junction
One of Singapore’s more distinctive malls, featuring two streets of recreated shophouses, covered with a glass ceiling and air-conditioned. Levels 1 and 2 are fashion central, stuffed with big local names, major midrange international brands, and a host of smaller local designers. On the top floor you’ll find the large Shaw Bugis cineplex.
reviewed
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O
Raffles City
A seven-floor, nonsmoking, Singapore-owned mall that specialises in medium-level Western brands like Levi’s, Miss Sixty and Quiksilver. There are also electronics and toy shops here, as well as food courts with noodle and pizza places, and a juice bar ( 水果吧; shuǐguǒ bā ) and Watson’s in the basement.
reviewed
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P
Lucky Plaza
One of the few remaining dingy old malls along the snazzy Western end of Orchard, Lucky Plaza has a bit of everything, from clothes to joke shops to tailors to massage parlours and a sex shop, but is notable for its basement hive of electronics and mobile phone stores (haggling essential). Packed with Filipina maids enjoying their day off on Sundays.
reviewed
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Tampines Mall
One of Singapore’s largest suburban shopping centres, conveniently located right at the Tampines MRT station. Aimed at the middle-class heartlanders, you’ll find a branch of the Isetan department store, a Golden Village cinema and several bookshops inside this bottle-green monster.
reviewed
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Q
Chinatown Point
A good option to hunt down handicrafts, souvenirs, clothes and Chinese products, though the centre is ageing and a little unpleasant inside. You’ll need to browse, but there are some good bargains to be found. For Chinese products you’re better off heading across the road to Yue Hwa.
reviewed
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R
Decks Tokyo
Fashioned after a beachside boardwalk, Decks Tokyo is split into two sides: the Seaside Mall and Island Mall. Both house myriad shopping and dining options, including an over-the-top Hong Kong–themed floor.
reviewed
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S
Parkway Parade
The most modern mall in the east, Parkway houses anchor tenants like Borders bookstore, Isetan department store, Best Denki and Harvey Norman electronics, plus a large range of fashion retailers and the customary onslaught of food outlets.
reviewed
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T
Marina Square
It looks dowdy, but 225 outlets, including brands such as Calvin Klein, Levis and Esprit, pack into this massive shopping space. It’s centrally located in the Marina Centre area with easy access to and from CityLink Mall, Suntec City, Millenia Walk and the Esplanade.
reviewed
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U
Doota Mall
Doota Mall is a leading fashion icon full to the brim with domestic brands. Besides floors dedicated to adult clothing, it has a floor of accessory shops, a bag and shoes floor, a children’s floor, a brand-name floor and a food-court floor.
reviewed
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V
Central City Mall
A popular mall next to the express bus terminal that includes Shinsegae department store, a food court, a six-cinema multiplex, endless underground shopping and Nolboo Yuhwangorijinheukgui, a great duck restaurant.
reviewed
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W
Grand Gateway
With its glittering twin towers rising over Xujiahui metro station, this vast mall ranges from sports in the basement, through clothing, a huge panoply of restaurants and a multiscreen cinema on the top floor.
reviewed
