Ah, Bras Basah. The stomping ground of many design students from polytechnics, universities, and specialised institutions (like LASALLE and NAFA, which are located relatively nearby) who come here to seek art and design supplies from the shops at Bras Basah Complex.
Putting its "artsy" heritage aside, the Bras Basah Complex - and the surrounding places in the area - offers so much more than just that. The district, one of Singapore's oldest neighbourhoods, sees many old-school buildings and religious places blending together with modern arts schools and cultural institutions, some of which are modern landmarks. And the complex itself was also affectionately known as "Book City" from the 1980s to the early 2000s thanks to its numerous bookstores during that period.
Armed with that information, we set out to explore just what the Bras Basah district has to offer in our chariot of the day: The seven-seater Mazda CX-80 plug-in hybrid.
Word of advice: Road conditions to take note of at Bras Basah
With an SUV as big as ours, we decided against parking at the Bras Basah Complex carpark and left our car at the National Library's carpark for the duration of our trip (both are located right beside each other and our stops were well within walking distance), which offers a considerably higher roof clearance and bigger parking spaces.
Both places do offer EV charging, so I'd say it's just a matter of weather conditions, convenience, the size of your ride, and pricing.
Where to park: National Library of Singapore carpark
Ease of parking: 5/5. For a larger vehicle like the CX-80, we wouldn't recommend parking at the Bras Basah Complex carpark due to its very low headroom.
Parking rates: Mondays to Saturdays, from 07:00am to 07:00pm, $1.20 for the first half-hour or part thereof, and $0.04 for each subsequent minute. From 07:00pm to 03:30am, $0.02 per minute. For Sundays and public holidays, from 07:00am to 03:30am, $0.02 per minute. For motorcycles, from Mondays to Sundays (including public holidays), from 07:00am to 03:30am, $0.20 per hour and $0.65 per day.
1. HARU-HARU Mentaiko (Named after the chef, not Big Bang's hit song)
This humble eatery can be found within the Bras Basah Complex's food court and was opened in 2024 by an Osaka-born chef, Haruyama Yuki, who previously spent eight years running the kitchens of local Japanese restaurants before deciding to branch out on his own.
Not to be confused with another stall sharing the same name but serving up a different fare (HARU-HARU Ramen) at the same place, we tried out the one serving mentaiko-flavoured dishes.
As far as taste and quality go, we weren't that impressed. The mentaiko was flavourful and actually had a good amount of cod roe, but it felt overpowering at times and did not taste as good as the Tiktok reviews we found made it out to be. Of course, this is all just our personal opinion; others - especially mentaiko lovers - might find it delectable, but between the three of us, we found it average, to put it mildly.
Was it worth the special trip down? Let me put it this way; unless we had something else to do in the area, I don't think we'll be coming back.
2. Art Friend (arts are friends, not food)
The unofficial stomping ground and first port of call for many budding artists/designers and veterans alike, Art Friend was founded in 1981 and has a reputation for a wide range of products that are also priced attractively. Having visited this place almost a decade ago as a young design student, it was almost as if I was visiting an old Friend.
And just as I remember it, the store still carries almost any and every design product that one can come up with. From simple stationery like pens and brushes, to bulkier products like sculpting clay and aerosol sprays, I'd go so far as to say that unless someone had a shopping list filled with very niche items, this would be a one-stop shop for most people.
Art Friend also carries a plethora of supplies from brands such as Winsor & Newton, Liquitex, Martha Stewart Crafts, Derwent, Da Vinci (not the long dead artist, for clarity), Elmer's, and Schminke.
3. Narrative Coffee Stand (the name tells a story, literally)
Located on the ground floor of the Bras Basah Complex (near the pickup point), this small little space has limited seating in its air-conditioned interior, though this did not stop a steady stream of footfall from workers nearby looking to get their caffeine fix.
And despite the growing crowd, we did not have to wait long for our order. We got iced Americano (the go-to for 2/3 of us) and were pleasantly surprised and pleased with the result. It provided a much-needed boost for the humid weather and walking that was ahead of us.
4. National Design Centre (home of the art beret)
As of 2013, this building is home to the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), which was founded in 2003 with the aim of championing the use of design to grow business. One of its notable feats is the development of Singapore's design sector with the DesignSingapore I Initiative, which contributed towards the city-state being designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Design in December 2015.
Stepping inside the building, we were immediately enthralled by some artfully-designed carvings on the interior walls reminiscent of those usually found in Roman architecture. And despite it being a "free entry" attraction, we couldn't help feeling a little intrusive, given that it is the workspace of those in the design industry and also home to the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS).
And so, we kept noise to a minimum whilst going up several floors to explore. We came across the Central Arts Library at UAS (an NLB eCard is required to enter, but we didn't try) and several offices and what looked like classrooms/project spaces.
Ultimately, it is a nice place to chill for a bit, especially with the air-conditioning at full blast and the relatively silent atmosphere. For those of us who want peace and quiet, this place ticks all the boxes. Just be mindful of your volume levels, since it is ultimately a campus.
5. MINT Museum of Toys (the childhoods of decades gone by)
Many may not be aware that Singapore is home to what is recognised as the largest vintage toy museum in Asia, housing a carefully curated collection of over 50,000 vintage toys and childhood memorabilia from over 40 countries and ranging between the years of the 1840s to the 1980s.
But here it was, a literal stone's throw from Bras Basah Complex, so how could we not pay the MINT Museum of Toys a visit?
A side note is that entry to the five-storey museum requires a general admission payment of $30 per pax. And while it may seem a little steep, in this day and age, it’s about the same price as a simple cafe date and offers up a lot more talking points than "what do you do for work?" or "any hobbies?".
And with five floors to explore (not including the roof), we decided to tackle it all, starting from the top. At the roof level, we tried out long-forgotten local childhood games like kuti kuti and chapteh, which brought about a wave of nostalgia and - especially with the latter - also served as a gentle reminder that our dexterity is not what it used to be.
Going down subsequent levels, we were fascinated by toy after toy adorning every possible shelf (even in the staircase landings, so it is recommended to walk down or up per level). We saw memorabilia from childhood classics like Tom and Jerry, Astro Boy, Pinocchio, and The Adventures of Tintin, as well as crude and simple toys from a century ago that, at the time, would have filled a child's imagination to the brim.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane and reminiscing about the times when life was undoubtedly much simpler.
6. National Library of Singapore (paperbacks over ebooks, always)
As a voracious reader, I personally enjoy the feel of a physical book over straining my eyes staring at a digital screen. And my compelling argument is that a paperback does not require charging. But we're not here to die on hills, we're here to pay a visit to the largest depository of books in Singapore.
It just feels right that the National Library of Singapore is located right beside the original "Book City", and with an insatiable appetite for the written word, we decided to end our trip on a high.
To put it simply, we felt pretty confident that books of any topic could be found here, such was the massive collection on hand. Glancing into row after row, we saw books about astrology, mathematics, and entomology, to name a few. To say we were in paradise is putting it lightly.
The library also offers study corners for students and working adults alike to work at or simply read, although there was a strict "no sleeping" rule enforced so the place can be used as such.
Ultimately, it just didn't feel right to leave empty-handed, and so I borrowed a handful of books for my personal, perusing pleasure. And just so you know, these books do not need to be returned to the library it was borrowed from. Any NLB library will do.
Epilogue
There you have it, our little trip around Bras Basah, which definitely did not disappoint (apart from our meal choice). With every location we visited well within walking distance, we would recommend drivers to park at one location and tackle the surroundings on foot.
And with a plethora of things to do and experience, don't let Bras Basah's old-school atmosphere fool you. There's a lot more than meets the eye in Singapore's artsy district.
Don't forget to check out our previous road trips around the island here:
Sgcarmart Explores: East Coast Park!
