You don’t need to do the math to know that there’s a lot of shopping in Singapore. But in case you’re now curious, the number of shopping malls in Singapore is 207 at the time of writing. While that’s already plenty, it seems that a lot of us still can’t get enough. After all, rain or shine, they’re the perfect space to find yummy nosh and enjoy a bit of shopping.
It’s no surprise then, that we welcome the 208th with much fanfare. The snazzy new mall of the Northeast, Sengkang Grand Mall, has been all the hype, with an aesthetic interior and convenient location right above Buangkok MRT – not Sengkang MRT, as its name might suggest.
We all stan a trendy new mall along Orchard Road. But for the lot of us that reside in the heartlands, nothing gets us more thrilled than a poppin’ new mall that’s a stone’s throw away from home. North-Easties are in luck as Sengkang Grand Mall is the newest hangout spot in the ‘hood, easily accessible via MRT.
The mall is home to 93 stores to explore, which includes an alley of enrichment centres, childcare centres, a community centre, and even a bus interchange. There’s also a hawker centre here to grab a quick and affordable bite.
The family-friendly mall also has a kids’ playground in front of McDonald’s.
Expect an array of restaurants, bubble tea chains, and a high-tech supermarket you can now visit. Here’s the lowdown:
Sukiya, a popular beef bowl chain from Japan.
Some of us visit shopping malls because we’re bored, but most of us head down because it’s meal time and our tummies are growling for good food. Whether you’re looking to dine in or dabao, Sengkang Grand Mall doesn’t disappoint when it comes to offering affordable nosh.
Collins, a crowd-favourite for affordable Western mains.
Some of the eateries that you can already visit include the Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya (#01-69) which serves affordable Gyudon from $4.20. You can also find the popular Collins (#01-20) here, with reasonably-priced Western fare and a Sengkang Grand Mall-exclusive menu with pancake Stackers ($15) and a Farmers’ Omelette ($16).
This rainy season, you can also defrost on cold nights at City Hotpot (#02-09), or slurp on a warm bowl of noodles at Le Shrimp Ramen (#01-81).
As for snack monsters, you’ll have plenty to feed your addictions with bubble tea stores like KOI (#B1-05) and The Alley (#01-12). For those still obsessed with Mr Coconut (#01-08), you can also find that here, alongside snack stalls like CROLO by Swee Heng (#B1-04), Jollibean (#B1-01), and KAZO (#01-11).
Those are just the tip of the iceberg; there are plenty more familiar chain restaurants here, including IPPUDO, Kenny Rogers, Sanook Kitchen, and Sushi Express at Sengkang Grand Mall.
Image credit: Eatbook
Not all of us can afford to splurge on a meal in a restaurant on a daily basis, so it’s a good thing there’s also the new Buangkok Hawker Centre that opened in early December 2023. Located on the 2nd floor of the mall, there are 38 stalls here and about 700 seats.
Char kway teow from Penang Alley.
Image credit: Eatbook
You’ll find familiar local staples like yong tau foo and chicken rice, as well as franchises from restaurants like Penang Alley (#02-K11) and Ming Chung Restaurant (#02-K06).
Don’t worry, you won’t be expected to fork out similar prices. Since it’s a hawker centre, you can easily get Penang-style char kway teow at $5.50 and white lor mee at $6.50 from these respective stalls.
Munchi Pancakes.
Image credit: Eatbook
The hawker centre also has quite a number of light-bite options like fried chicken wings ($1.60 each) from Eng Kee Chicken Wings and min jiang kueh (from $1.60) from Munchi Pancakes. The latter has a variety of flavours available, ranging from classic fillings such as red bean and peanut, to less common ones like Oreo cheese and Thai milk tea.
A “playground” for adults in its own right, supermarkets are where many of us can spend hours on end just wandering around. Down in the basement, you’ll be able to find the latest FairPrice Finest (#B1-14) with 13,400sqft of space filled with rows of organic and special dietary products, as well as themed corners.
Apart from your usual groceries, fans of Korean food can find a ready-to-eat section filled with Fresh Kimchi, as well as a variety of packed Pork, Chicken, and Beef Kimbap. Much like a street food stand in Korea, this corner also sells Eomuk Tang – Korean Fish Cake Soup – and Tteokbokki.
Don’t worry, you aren’t the only person who arrives at a supermarket for rice and leaves with potted plants. Aspiring chefs can find a shelf of healthy and pesticide-free potted herbs ($3.95) like basil and lemon balm, waiting to be taken home and incorporated into your next Masterchef dish.
But those aren’t the only plants you’ll find here. For last-minute gifts, swing by the florist section which is filled with affordable and fresh flower bundles. We even spotted large bouquets at $49.90 which you can surprise your other half with.
Image adapted from: FairPrice
Best of all, you can even make payments here using the new Scan & Go payment system which allows you to scan your products and make payment online. There’s no longer a need to wait in line – a huge time-saver, especially if you’re grocery shopping during peak periods.
Since Sengkang Grand Mall is in the heartlands, you can expect a slew of enrichment centres on top of the usual host of retail shops you’d find in a typical heartland mall.
MindChamps PreSchool.
Image for illustration purposes only.
Give kids a head start to their education by enrolling them in MindChamps PreSchool (#02-05), which has classes for little ones as young as 2 months. There’re no maths equations or even the alphabet at this stage, but the curriculum does include helping infants develop their sensory and motor skills.
NK Robotics.
Image credit: @weiyingcandy via Instagram
If they’re proving to be tiny geniuses, then maybe have them take a class or two at NK Robotics (#02-15). They run basic coding classes that’ll introduce kids to how programming languages work. Those more advanced will even be trained in Python, an in-demand skill for crypto jobs these days.
As they get older, you can send them to The Eton Academy (#02-02), Stalford Learning Centre (#02-16), or AGrader Learning Centre (#02-04). These provide tuition and enrichment classes for kids from the primary school level all the way up to junior college.
The Northeast is surely brimming with life with the recent opening of Northshore Plaza I and II and now, the chic 3-storey Sengkang Grand Mall. The crowds were coming in hot when we visited on a weekday afternoon, so prepare for a bit of jostling if you’re coming during the weekends.
| Monday | 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m |
| Tuesday | 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m |
| Wednesday | 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m |
| Thursday | 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m |
| Friday | 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m |
| Saturday | 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m |
| Sunday | 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m |
For more places to shop:
Photography by John Lim.
Cover image adapted from: Eatbook
Originally published on 9th March 2023. Last updated by Raewyn Koh on 14th December 2023.
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