Pasarbella @ The Grandstand

The Little Brick Man @ PasarBella

Over the Easter weekend , we decided to head down to the Grandstand for a little R and R. For the boys, the most obvious destination will be Fidgets which they thoroughly enjoyed. We were expecting it to be packed due to the long weekend and were pleasantly surprised by the smaller crowd.


Since the playground was pretty much the same and looked almost as good as it did when it was opened, there is nothing new to report. However as the boys roamed the massive playground , my interest was instinctively piqued by the equally mammoth PasarBella that we had to walk through to get to Fidgets.

38 shops!

Leaving the boys to their own devices, I decided to take a small tour about the industrial looking PasarBella. There are 38 shops, food stalls and restaurants located in the premises. Yet the space is so compacted that you would feel like you are in a huge open market. Since PasarBella is known as a farmers' market, it fits the description to a T.

Since it would be a huge task to review ALL 38 shops in such a short time , we will just give a brief overview of what to expect at PasarBella.Let the tour begin!

Notable Picks

Oceans of Seafood

To get oriented, let's start off with the huge seafood restaurant, Oceans of seafood , that will greet you at the main door. This store comprises of both western and Japanese seafood counters on the same premises.

For fresh lobsters of different breed and fresh oyster of various origins , Oceans of Seafood would be your port of call. For a moment , I thought I was transported to Sydney's Fish Market. For these bigger stores, seating are available exclusively to patrons who purchase the food there.

These seafood can be cooked and purchased on the spot. We do think if they have ready to eat seafood on display similar to those at Sydney Market , it will no doubt be a bigger hit.

Jap restaurant

Right opposite is the Japanese version. Fresh fish or shushi is the flavour here. A delectable meal would be one wash down with a cup of sake ( available for sale too)

Fresh seafood

Further inroads, there are a few international restaurants such as Shiraz Mazzeh serving its self proclaim world's best Kebab.

Shiraz

If you are in the market for a beefy feast, step into the self contained Mara Shabu for hotspot with seafood or Wagyu beef.

Mara Shabu

Alternatively, you could have you steak or pork belly with Carly T 's food lounge.

Carly T

Little Spots of Delight

Paella

Other than shops with exclusive seating zone, there are pockets of food stores found in the belly of PasarBella. Communal seating can be found literally on every corner. If you need more space , head up to the mezzanine level acessiable via a iron wrough spiral staircase.

Have your pick

There are a wide range of food for one to stroke their tastebuds. From a gigantic pan of seafood mix of Spanish Paella from Le Patio to the succulent roast meat from Keith's Crackling Roast and the desirable desserts of Nibbles , it is one place foodies would be spoilt for choice.

The Cheese Ark

There is even a Cheese Ark showcasing various forms of cheese for the cheesy conisseur.

As for me , I simply could not resist the sight of the crackling roast meat from Keith's . I had a mix meat dish for two to share with the wifey and it was clean out in no time.

Heavenly roast

Fresh Food

James ' Butchery

Being a farmer's market, surely there are fresh produce to buy instead of eat right?

You can get your fresh beef for steak at Jame's Butchery & co. for that.

Organic

Organic food

To complete the market or Pasar feel, there is a veggie and fruit corner serving various Australian organic fruits and vegetables. Stop by Tangy Tangerines and SG Organic for your healthy produce.

Thirsty?

Dutch Colony

For those just seeking to quench their thirst. You can have a cuppa at Dutch Colony. While we were there, there was this long hair hippy looking dude entertaining us at the corner... Woah, sure feels like I am at a spot at Camden Market in London.

Singer

If coffee is not your cup of choice, why not try tea at The 1872 Clipper tea company. If you would like a higher form of taste or just looking to get high , wines and beers are on the cards too. Head down to Straits Wine Organic and the Great Beer Experiment for your dose of happy juice.

Thirsty?

For the little ones

Let's go shopping

So far PasarBella sounds like an adult joint. Well, kids do have their pockets of fun within. Get unique ballons from Ballon Blasters, a child haircut from Poika & Tytar or toys from Kiddie Playhouse.

Relaxing Therapy

Rest and relax

For those who wants to chill, set foot on Auum for a manicure . If not, take a deep breath and suck in the scents at To Be Calm. You can even get a bouquet of flowers for your date at Poppy Flora Studio.

Poppy Flora Studio

Even the toilets of the rooms of ease is an art installation by itself.

In case you are wondering, Pasarbella is actually a mash up of Malay phase for Market ( Pasar) and Italian word for Beauty ( Bella). In my view, the name - Beautiful Market suits the quaint little place perfectly.

Add caption

Then again I may be biased. Since I have scorpion blood by virtue of my birthdate, a place filled with ambiance will always appeal to my aesthetic side. Walking through the place, I had on occasions felt like I was in Sydney, London and even Tokyo. Somehow the jives from this place are both familiar and international . This mash up joint definitely appeals to anyone who had ventured overseas or for those seeking an experience similar to a trip aboard.

Industrial Chic

I do not have the luxury to sample all the food or to shop around the little stores in PasarBella. However , I do suspect I will be coming back here for more in the future.

Sugar and Spice

That marks the end of the tour. Now it is time to retrieve my boys from Fidgets and leave this industrial chic joint for the equally industrious occupation known as Fatherhood.
Till the next time,Ciao Bella!

Keep calm and carry food!

Pasar Bella @ The Grandstand Bukit Timah

200 Tuf Club Road

Singapore 287994

Opening hours 930am- 7pm