Saigon Square and Russian Mart

The latest news - Saigon Square 1 has taken over its neighbour - the Singapore-owned Chinese restaurant. Went there last night to find that SS1 has expanded by at least a third of its original size. That's good news for shoppers.

On the flip-side, Russian Market at Lucky Plaza has closed down. That's bad as it's actually a better place to shop - cheaper prices, less crowds even though it's smaller. Seems like some of the vendors have shifted to the new Taka Plaza. We're now on the look-out to see where the rest have moved to - esp my fav Jack Wolfskin shop.

Saigon Square 2

Saigon Square 2 (SS2) opened in Nov 09. Decided to explore it today. It's located after Legend Hotel - at the junction of Ton Duc Thang and Nguyen Huu Canh. SS2 is a bigger sister to its sibling Saigon Square in Nguyen Thi Minh Khai; with 350 shops in tight spaces of 2-4 sqm. It looks much nicer from the outside but doesn't have the same feel as its smaller "sister". Has a more "expensive" and "commercial" look to it.

Good buys

Joyce's dad, auntie and June came over for a visit from 16 to 20 Sep 08. These were the good buys that they were very happy with.

Their good buys
@ Cho Ben Thanh














@ Saigon Square & Le Thanh Ton














@ Saigon Square














@ Saigon Square














@Saigon Square














This are our good buys - caps at Russian Mart














@Russian Mart



















@Cho Dan Sinh



















Saigon Square

Saigon Square is packed with "copy" brands - and a teenagers' paradize...well, and some undergrown adults too. The outlets sell everything from Mont Blanc pens and LV bags to Adidas apparel and North Face winter wear. There are shoes, socks, DVDs, belts, t-shirts, jeans, shirts - I think anything remotely linked to apparel can be found there. Prices are cheap by SG standards but for us, it's still slightly expensive compared to the other places that we buy from. But it's convenient for the tourist as it's just a stone's throw from Ben Thanh Market.

Cho Dan Sinh (closed down)

Cho Dan Sinh is a strange mix of machinery, tools and equipment coming together with military stuff, clothes and kitchen ware. This is the best place for military buffs esp if you're into the Vietnam War - you can buy "Vietnam War" lighter souvenirs, watches, full packs, uniforms, bags etc. If you're short of tools, this is also the place to go - I bought some of my tools here, and my tea spoons as well. Cho Dan Sinh is sandwiched between Pham Ngu Lao and Nguyen Thai Hoc but it's not on the main road itself. You need to take one of the side roads to get there.