Sungei Road Thieves’ Market

The best time to visit is on a Saturday afternoon. Shoppers, gawkers and traders stroll serenely through a grid of haphazardly arranged street stalls with their gaze pinned to the ground seeking out the tarpaulin gallery. Old shoes, faulty gizmos, knock-off sunnies, scratched CDs, vinyls and laser discs, nets, drills and other bizarre bits and pieces.

But it’s not all junk.

A plastic case displays a tangle of Buddhist amulets while dog-eared books bake quietly in the heat of the day. Youngsters sporting the best in flea-market chic can also be found sifting through racks of used clothes. Prices are not stated, so drive a bargain if you need to, although for some vendors, it hardly seems like it’s the commerce that takes them to Sungei Road, but pride in their eclectic collections, be they grimy TV remote controls, electronic cables or calculators.

Mustafa Centre
A compulsive shopper? An insomniac? Then Mustafa Centre is the place for you.

The four-storey emporium sells everyday items as well as household appliances like pots, pans, kettles, and even cars and plane tickets. Space is a premium at Mustafa. Every aisle, every floor is packed to the gills with goodies. The place probably houses one of the largest collections of watches in Singapore. You can get almost any brand, from $5 Casios to $5,000 Rados. If watches are not what you are looking for, then check out the rows of music CDS and shelves of DVDs, wide range of toiletries, extensive displays of shiny faux gold bangles, or pick through reams of patterned fabric. And if you are still raring to go, check the rest of the floors out.

There’s surely something there that you will want. And don’t worry about the time -- Mustafa Centre stays open 24/7. You, along with backpackers and the rest of the sleepless in Singapore can stroll through the emporium leisurely and then end your late night shopping foray with a cuppa along any eatery down the stretch of Little India.

Pasar Malam (Night Market)
Singapore’s pasar malams (night markets) bear very little resemblance to other night markets in Asia. Here, out-of-towners will probably find the absence of handmade jewellery and affordable artisan crafts rather glaring. Instead, the pasar malam is more of a heartland street fair that sells cheap clothing and toys, kitchen items and plants.

What it lacks in whimsy and charm, the pasar malam makes up with a multiracial fare of comfort eats.

Spice it up with Indian vadai, a deep-fried savoury pastry with a whole shrimp buried in the dough, best enjoyed with a crunchy whole green chilli. For about a dollar, you get a fragrant hardboiled tea egg or a bag of steamed chickpeas and for about $2, fried snacks on a stick.

But the pasar malam experience is not complete until you have tasted a Ramly burger -- a delicious mixture of oozy fried egg, meat patty, cheese and sweet sauce sandwiched in a sesame seed bun. Think of it as the Asian version of the sloppy joe. Speak to the burger vendor, get his number and you will never have to guess where to go for a Ramly burger when the stalls pack up and move on to their next location.

This article was written by Donovan Wong and first published in the Jan-Mar 2010 issue of Singapore Magazine.