IS SINGAPORE’S HOLLAND VILLAGE JUST FOR EXPATS? // WE DISCOVER THIS LITTLE NEIGHBOURHOOD

[@sohfihamid4164]

I live in the area. The bohemian charm of Holland Village is already gone. The charming laidback feel such as the trademark windmill near the Holland Village shopping centre are replaced by glitzy facades. All the cool places have become extinct and gone due to high rent.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

We still loved it and some great places to go. What shops weee there before? Thanks for commenting!

[@sychew8686]

There is another place which you guys might want to visit, Serangoon Garden. Might feel like HV but smaller, as there do have some expats stay around the area. The hawker center, Chomp chomp is a must visit at night. 😊

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Yes! We have been there a few times for dinner - and there’s an awesome durian dessert place! 😊

[@lawrenzhuang9748]

The roll of shophouses used to be longer as it stretched all the way to the bus stop near Lorong Mambong. A few of these shops were torn down in the 70s to make way for road widening and also the construction of a bus stop. One of them was the Balmoral Coffeehouse.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

What was the Balmoral Coffee House like? Did it move somewhere?

[@koshelyev]

I agree that Singaporean coffee is actually really good - both the international styles as well as the local Kopi. In fact, I'd rank our Kopi O Kosong as the best coffee in the world on my personal list.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Yes! Local coffee is amazing too!!

[@joodiff]

Enjoyed today’s video again. Thank you! Oh, you all probably didn’t see the expat wives and children out and about in Holland village because it’s the “summer holidays” at this time of the year. So many are back home in their countries for the break or traveling/holidaying. Also, you may see more expats on weekend nights at the pubs , bars and restaurants at Lorong Mambong. (I used to live a little down the road from Holland Village when I was a teenager 😊. )

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Interesting! Yes, true - I think we were there on a weekday during international school holidays, so it may be different at other times of the week/year. Jonty is keen to go back to look at the furniture, so we may be back soon! 😂

[@joodiff]

@@WONDERLUSTworld looking forward to a furniture shopping episode then! 😄

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Hahaha!! Maybe!!

[@healingpossibilities44]

Wow those deserts 😋 Love the colours of the clothes in that shop too. I hope Jonty’s colleague liked the notebook. A great idea. 💜

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

She sure did! 😊 x

[@gotmyonu1027]

Haven't been to HV for a very long time... Thank you for bring us along. Just pray real hard that the place will not be ENBLOC! or demolish it to build more expensive condos.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Yeah!! It’ll be great to keep it as it is! It has a lovely charm to it 😊

[@noorirwan686]

Holland V reminded me of clark quay n boat quay.. alot of expats grocery shopping n drinking at night especially at the weekends. They staying at the nearby condos or private housing there or even from Clementi rd n Bukit timah. I used to live at Holland Close in the early 2000s So wheres Milo 🤔😀

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Ahhh, we were there daytime, not evening. Milo was with us!

[@jaym6870]

Holland Village has changed so much over the years. Lim’s was so much bigger and better before. There were more interesting shops in the shopping centre. But one that is still there is Wellie Batik Fashions, where you see old Uncle Wellie at his sewing machine churning out batik shirts and garments the whole day. The other is Paris Silk Store where you go for electronic items! And the modern mall where the DBS bank is was once the POSB bank! The building was transformed into a mall with restaurants and shops. Actually, I find Tanglin Mall more an expat hangout than HV.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Ah yes!! Tanglin Mall - agreed!

[@gerardbyrne2440]

Loved the video. We enjoy visiting Peranakan Cultural Heritage across Singapore, Malaysia and Penang. And Cat Socrates, Joo Chiat. 😊 can’t wait to get back to Singapore. Thank you.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Are you planning a trip back soon? We’re yet to get to Penang, any tips on where to explore?

[@anneashdown5539]

Golly, that furniture shop looks gorgeous 😍 Am planning a trip to 2am next visit ... Jonty, your coffee comment will be controversial to some, especially thise from Melbourne but I agree. You can find some good coffee in Singapore these days. Another great video people 👏

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Thank you! And thank you for commenting so loyally! Definitely a controversial coffee comment but definitely true! We may make a coffee episode next year comparing the two! 😂

[@anneashdown5539]

@@WONDERLUSTworld Now, you know that's just going to be an excuse for you to drink more coffee 😅

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

No excuse needed!! Heheh.

[@lawrenzhuang9748]

There used to be an open air cinema in HV and I remember it was still there in the early 70s.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Wow! That’s amazing! I think there is only one permanent one in Singapore these days…

[@kenzone]

We do visit Holland V occasionally, but oddly enough we 'd go often to the place you didn't cover... the Market & Food Centre! We enjoy the range of food there and it's a nice place to chill with its shady surroundings. Oftentimes, we also head down to a familiar cobbler who plies his trade at the junction of Holland Avenue and Lorong Liput. He's pretty good at mending worn-out shoes but not sure if he's still there as we haven't visited the area for months. Glad you made it to Jalan Merah Saga, nice stretch of shops there too. Oh, and yeah, many Singaporeans call it Holland V instead of Holland Village.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Hello @kenzone! The hawker was being refurbished, but we understand it has reopened now! Holland V! Millie has been watching the old soap opera to get better at Mandarin! Heheh

[@fafafifufu]

I have not been to HV since pre Covid but after watching your video... it seems like GV have been frozen in time. Nothing seems to have changed that much. But growing up near the neighbourhood (Ghim Moh) in the 1980s. HV was definitely much more buzzin' back in the days.😊

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

It was pretty chill and quiet when we went, but we’ve been told it’ll be much more crowded in the evening times!

[@chalayan]

Try Cedric Grolet pastry shop. They are opening one in orchard and his cakes are amazing. I bought his peach tart when I was back to London 4 weeks ago and it is soooo yum. Light, not too sweet. Which is what I prefer though it is the most expensive tart I've ever eaten... £17.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

WOAH! £17 is a lot!!! Was it REALLY that good???

[@chalayan]

@@WONDERLUSTworld so my partner and I and my mate we had 2 coffees, 1 juice, 2 croissants and 1 peach tart and total was £58. I didn't manage to eat till we got back to the hotel at 11pm and the tart was smashed but still good and yum. Crust isn't hard but nice texture and the peach and the cream arent overly sweet. Really well balanced. Not sure how is the pricing in Singapore. But definitely worth a try.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Wow it seems quite steep compared to other places but then we don’t often head to cafes like that but I do know there are some pricier ones about.

[@MelvinSimKH]

A couple of places which would exude a bit more expat vibe have closed. Fosters: an English Pub and Better Batters (a pancake place). But you must notice that the eateries along Jalan Merah Saga, Lorong Mambong, etc are more international than usual. Maybe they seem more “normal” and “local” as Singaporeans’ tastes become more global and tend to try other foods more.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Definitely more international, even noticing the shops in the mall. I think true local Singapore has its own flavour and culture, which actually come to think of it was missing at Holland Village… the hawker has reopened now, we understand and so perhaps it can be found there!

[@jeremychua4622]

Probably only turns into one in the evening, when the road closes and the Bars come alive

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Interesting! Maybe we’ll have to check it out one evening!

[@geniegal78]

I think you should start exploring the different towns in SG, or perhaps HDB estates known to local. Clementi town is very near to Holland Village by taking bus 7 down. Good food, very local vibes down there as well. A heartland I feel is pretty much neglected as compared to the others.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

We love the heartlands. We have a few videos, we recently went to Queenstown, and then often just go and wander about sometimes if we’re near the area. We love the bustle of those places. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@timfitzmaurice537]

Its changed a fair amount from the 90s. It was popular with British expats then…enough that M&S had a large store there just to get them but all the small shops and cafes as well.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

I’m sure it has. I did find some old photos of Holland V, very interesting.

[@meililee9032]

Holland V is definitely expat central - lah! It’s redeeming point is that it is surrounded by hdb estates

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Does it being an expat area mean it needs to be redeemed? I’m curious 🤨…

[@meililee9032]

@@WONDERLUSTworld oops! Apologies for careless and thoughtless comment. No redemption needed. 🫢

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

That’s ok! I was just curious!! There is definitely an expat-local divide and I was curious as to what fed into that 😊

[@jeremychua4622]

Wonder if the bar Wala wala is still there .. with live bands in the evenings..

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

That sounds like fun! I’m not sure if it’s there or not!

[@beanoyip06]

There used to be a windmill, now it’s gone!

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Yeah! We saw it on the Holland V soap opera!!

[@Youdunnome-zc8dd]

The expat presence used to be more conspicuous, unlike what I'm seeing in your video. Also, it used to be bustling until the large car park was shut down. The "car lite" thing is really bad for Singapore.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

What do you mean by conspicuous? I think car lite is pretty important on an island this size!

[@gotmyonu1027]

I have a feeling the shopping center in HV will be gone in the next 5 years!... replace by expensive residential place.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

No plans have been mentioned so I think it’s safe for now!

[@feliceoei4902]

HV is very local to me , it serves the local community very well.

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Lovely to hear. Do you have a favourite spot there?

[@feliceoei4902]

@@WONDERLUSTworld -the second hand bookstall , the magazine stall . Ipoh hor fan , nasi lemak , ice cream , dim sum , chicken and soup , supermarket. , hair cut , the banks .

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

Ah yes! The hawker wasn’t reopened when we went - I think we missed it by two days!

[@chmjnationalsuperarmygener8564]

b

[@WONDERLUSTworld]

C!