First dibs: New Bahru debuts with boutique shops, exotic food and a Kiztopia

Unless you were living in a valley, you would have heard of Singapore’s latest lifestyle destination New Bahru by now. Conceptualised and curated by homegrown hospitality company The Lo & Behold Group, it houses over 40 independent, Singapore-based brands.

Situated along Kim Yan Road, the location is a bit ulu, with no Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Stations nearby. You’ll probably have to walk or hop onto a bus to get there.

We took the train to Newton MRT and changed to Bus 54. The bus covered 7 stops to arrive at Aft. Kim Yan Road. After alighting, we walked for another 7 minutes before reaching New Bahru.

Here’s what went down at the New Bahru Sneak Peek over the weekend and what to expect when the remaining shops move in.

For the workshop goers

At the Sneak Peek, selected shops at New Bahru ran a series of curated workshops.

One of them was the Bonsai Wiring & Styling Workshop (S$289) by online plant shop Soilboy. The 90-minute session taught guests how to turn a bonsai tree into a centrepiece.

Leather crafting studio Crafune also ran upcycling and crafting workshops for various items.

These included the Cone Key Pouch ($50), Triangle Coin Pouch ($45), or Envelope Card Case ($50). Participants got to bring home their items after the one-hour workshop.

Participants could also bring an old t-shirt to Make by Ginlee for the Tee-tO-Bag Experience (S$68). After the 90-minute workshop, they left with a new tote bag.

For the shoppers

If you have been to Bras Basah Complex, you might know of Basheer Graphic Books, a specialised design bookstore there. It teamed up with local homeware lifestyle brand Crane Living for a pop-up store at the Sneak Peek. Its books were sold at a 10% discount.

Did you miss the Sneak Peek? You can shop at the stores that have opened in New Bahru.

One of them is Sojao, an organic bedding outlet. Their Summer Quilt costs S$200 for a Single Bed and S$290 for a Queen-Sized Bed. It also sells Towels (S$18 for Face, S$26 for Hand) and Loungewear (S$30 for Women’s Tee and S$32 for Men’s Tee).

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Other outlets to look out for include local womenswear label r y e. It will open on 30 Jun.

For the little ones

New Bahru has a playground for your kid to play at while you shop to your heart’s desire.

At the Sneak Peek, New Bahru celebrated the grand opening of the indoor playground Kiztopia. It is the first Kiztopia Prestige experience, tailored to toddlers and preschoolers.

Containing a sand and ball pit and an inflatable slide, its indoor playground is every toddler’s dream. As if that weren’t enough, there are trampolines and tower obstacles, too.

They also have a classroom where they hold 45-minute enrichment classes, covering topics from music and art to science. Most of these are taught by an in-house team with small class sizes.

A 1-hour ticket for 1 adult and 1 child costs S$28.80. A 2-hour ticket for 1 adult and 1 child is priced at S$43.20. You will have to fork out S$18 for every additional adult.

Get your tickets at Klook

For the foodies

If you prefer eating to shopping, New Bahru has you covered. New Bahru’s tenant mix comprises mostly F&B outlets serving exotic dishes or food from a particular country.

One restaurant is the Middle Eastern restaurant Artichoke on Level 1. At the Sneak Peek, it had a special takeaway menu comprising Snack Packs such as Hot Chips With Grilled Chicken (S$12) and beverages such as Stella Artois (S$10) and Wines (House Red/White) (S$10). 

Another eatery that we spotted on the first floor was Huevos, a Mexican restaurant selling authentic starters such as Tortilla Chips (S$5) and Guacamole (S$6).

Level 1 is also home to a Cold Storage supermarket.

Huevos: Spec-taco-ular Mexican food including colourful Nachos, Tacos and Quesadillas