🐉 Get the Dragon Playground Sake now! Limited to 200 bottles and comes with FREE original mini pouch! linktr.ee/ghibojisan I'm sure you'll enjoy this sake. Perfect as a gift too (Mother's day, Father's day, birthdays etc!) Both beginners and Sake-lovers can enjoy this one! Can't wait for you to try it out.
The sheep head and sell dog meat comment is likely a verbatim translation from a Chinese idiom, which means that the shop is advertising some high quality item but instead sells something inferior, so they hang a sheep head "to advertise for a product" that they don't offer.
Upper Sergagoon Shopping Center was completed in 1980. It not a mall for the Gen Z would want to go. But those who went there during the 80’s and 90’s, it’s a lively place. There used to have a Game Arcade, Snooker Tables. Now, only the regulars will visit those remaining shops like food stores and restaurants. The Computer Store at Level 4 (Mr Lim used to sell PC Game but it’s not a gaming shop.) I do drop once in a while for my haircut at the Red Panther. Yes, the building is old. Yes, it’s now a Ghost Town. But I has a special place in my heart.
Ghib is very kind to not highlight the "popularity" of the Upper Serangoon centre, all the back lane shops are massage slots which give Happy Ending and rest are just haunted spaces... 😂
Hehe the lady boss of the restaurant said roughly "If you advertise our restaurant well, I will treat you to a dessert!" -- looks like you got orh nee ghib-ojisan!! It's topped with fried shallot, and real authetic orh nee uses shallots fried in lard!
This teow chew restaurant was empty because of the timing. If u go on weekends esp night time. It will be fully booked. Gotta reserve a table before going.
Fragrant Garden is a very old and famous restaurant. It's very crowded on weekends! Bring your wife and mother in law. They will love the teo chew food, and know what to order.
upper serangoon used to be more lively when the secondary schools were nearby, after the schools moved, the crowd there slowly died off. It used to have lots of game shops, arcades, billard, etc.
The old Serangoon shopping center was one of my favorite places in my teenage years. It had a book rental shop, other shops selling unique things, pretty good food and always a lot of space. It was 3 bus stops away from my flat in Hougang, and almost every bus goes there. Now I live within 5 mins walk of NEX and 10 mins from SSC. I should go there for the Teochew food. Thanks for bringing back my memories.
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre used to be my main mall back in 2004 when I was in secondary school...only because it was the closest mall to my school 😂 It somehow used to be even more quiet back then. There used to be a mini hawker centre on the ground floor and a furniture shop if I remember correctly. The gaming shop has been there since the 90s and the owner is a really nice guy to the point that he has a steady following of regulars who buy from him(to support him) even if his prices are slightly more than easier to access, bigger competitors. Thanks for the little walk down memory lane. Great video! PS: Those shops without signboards are not actually closed shops- the tenant left and the owner hasn't been able to find a new tenant. Just thought I'd clarify that since it seemed like you thought they were just shops that didn't open that day.
I just shifted nearby to Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, and I was really amazed by how old everything looked when I first entered. Really has that rustic charm that you honestly cannot see in other places anymore. It was literally the mall my mum used to frequent when she was a student. That said, the mall has some pretty good food, like that curry fish head stall you went to - the cai fan there is really good!! Just wished i could’ve seen you there when you went!
I've seen sadder places. There was once a high end mall where I use to live. I visited like 15 years later, it was not empty but most of the nice shops were now occupied by not nicer shops and the place looked run down. The escalators were working, but most of the chain fast food shops were gone. It just looked sad. At least this place looks well lit and clean, even with the broken escalator and closed shops.
In Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, during lunch hours, the small eateries are crowded, during dinner hours, Fragrant Garden will be crowded. Traditional teochew dishes will be the steamed pomfret teochew style, braised duck, pig jelly (not easy to find in other restaurants) and the Yam dessert. The vegetarian restaurant is also popular. Also, you didn't go to 5th Floor, Computex (shop selling computers and gaming stuff) is a popular store in this mall. Back in the days in the 90s, this is where all the students from nearby schools will come and buy games and computer accessories. It has survived over the years, adapting to new trends. Back in 1990s, there are not many malls in the heartland of Singapore, USSC, Thomson Plaza, Katong Shopping Centre and a handful of others serves the needs of the residential areas. They used to be really popular. The mall may be old and have few shops left, but it was one of the older malls in Singapore and carries a lot of memories for people who used to visit.
Omggg! I burst out laughing when you mentioned "A lot of the new malls have similar stores inside but this mall no, in fact there are literally no stores" 😂😂😂 Old malls very peaceful and not crowded, I like it! Thank you for the awesome video ghib buddy! 😊
I am so glad to have watched this video and marvel at what the "worst" shopping mall has to offer - a unique identity not based on hype but how one connects with it.
When I was staying in Singapore, an ex security guard friend told me one late nite while he was patrolling the mall he heard a woman crying in the restroom. Surprised because the mall was already shut, he went into the restroom to investigate but found no one. Suddenly all the lights went off. He quickly ran out n quit his job soon after that.
i love how you say all the modern malls look the same. and i honestly feel discourage to go to other mall away from where i live precisely because its the same stall anyway. And these "rundown mall" does give a very nostalgic feels.
This video made me laugh! What a fun & nostalgic episode Ghib! My old pre-university used to be in that area. USSC (what we used to call the mall then) was our hang out place after school. Can’t believe it’s so shabby now. And your mandarin really good now hor!
40 years ago, I worked as a IT trainer at Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre. It was at its prime state before all the massage shops flowering in. I had my best and worst memories there and revisiting the center really ached my heart and soul. Thanks for sharing. NOTE : Two of my students had a deadly accident there (killed both) and I only get to know it many years later. 😂😂😂
Hey Ghib! You can visit old airport hawker before it’s closed for a 3-month renovation to catch a glimpse of the old place before the new! Some gems hiding at the second level of the hawker centre, like a bookstore that’s clearing their books now. And interview some hawkers who are retiring because of the renovation. 😌
New to your channel via your excellent video about the most dangerous part of Osaka and it's really great, and refreshing take on things. I grew up in Hong Kong during the late 70's and 80's and remember visiting the Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre on holiday visits and flight stopovers. It was a thriving mall back in the day!
I Stayed at Japan’s Most Dangerous Slum - is the first segment that I've seen and I really enjoyed watching it. I think your vlogs are entertaining, educational and you provide honest and straightforward views and opinions.
USSC was at its peak back in the 90s. Every boy is there for the manga especially Hong Kong ones, original or pirated pc games, canto pop songs and acrade. By the way the escalators are under 'fake' maintenance because i believed the management wants to cut electricity cost due to the low crowd flow.
11:50 the correct way of poking a straw into the drink is to hold it at a slight angle diagonally (e.g. close to 45 deg), it will poke in easily and also not create a mess. also, how did you not manage to spend your remaining money at Nex, it's a major mall that has like anything and everything 😂 you could even have just eaten a random meal at any expensive restaurant to soak up the amount
Great video. Love how you switch languages back and forth. Happy to see you bought some durian mochi. When in Singapore, i always go to Isetan on Orchard, and they have great food in their basement food court, including, of course, a delicious durian mochi.
Used to go to this shopping centre back in the early 2000s when i was still in secondary school to buy Pirated games, it was still abit more livelier back than with Arcades, lan shops, eateries and a big book store on the 2nd floor, can see that its all gone
Such a cool video!! Love it!! Ah this mall used to be one of my hidden haunts when i was younger! There used to be a computer store selling very cheap games - original versions of Chinese RPGs, and also he has a catalogue for... pirated games!! Those were the craze back then and he was one of the cheapest seller. But think he retired or sold off. There's also pink panther barber on second or third floor. That is one of the better and more popular malay barbers around, rather reasonable pricing at around $12 i believe.
@2:54..this is not even an automatic...still need to press leh..is still manual..as u still need to press...is the 2nd generation as compare to the one at the right..LOL..cheers!...
My dad used to own a maid agency over here and this was during the early 2006 to 2009 and I remember this place being very lively and they used to have a huge arcade all the way on top and than have another arcade again near the entrance where the current MMA school is held. And also the guy who sells computer parts and also sells them is still open. Lots of memories. They even had a garden fountain in a space on top.
The watch dealer is actually one of the best in Singapore capable of repairing most if not every mechanical watch as I had given him many mechanical watches to repair in the past. Another watch dealer recommended me to him as he said he many many spare parts and once he open up the watch, he has the parts or supply chain to fix the problem. It is a father and son business and I think the father or grandfather had disciples all over Singapore
Thanks, Ghib for your video of Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre. It has a special place in my heart!❤ This old shopping centre was very popular among the nearby residents during the 1980s and 1990s. It holds a lot of happy memories for me when I always went there to buy my Richard Clayderman cassette tapes and The Checkers (popular JPOP group in the 1980s) cassette tapes, computer hardware, arcade and photo-stating shop. My boyfriend, now husband, and his friends enjoyed going to the Arcade to play games and the computer shop owned by Ah Lim to buy computer games and hardware on the 4th floor. Until today, my elderly mom still visit the traditional Chinese medicine shop to buy stuffs and do her hair on the 4th level and get her massage for her back pain problem. Once in a while I will drop off my elderly dad to this shopping centre to get his haircut for $6-$10. He will take the lift from Basement 1 carpark all the way to the 4th level. Maybe I should bring my hub to patronise the Teochew restaurant this week! 😇😂
As an ex-resident of Serangoon, I have to agree that the layout for NEX mall is really bad, especially for people who have never been to the mall before or frequent enough. And yes that ONE escalator at the middle is always crowded during peak hours, so are the lifts. The other escalators at the both ends of the mall are pretty confusing too, it feels like when you go up one level from one end, you have to go across to the other end to get down one level or just join the long queue at the middle escalator. I guess they designed it this way was to probably encourage shoppers to explore the mall more?
I've literally walked past this mall thousands of times by now and have never entered it, the closest I have been even close to the mall was walking by it in front of the door to get shelter from the rain or when taking the overhead bridge. When I saw the video title I was like ''I'm gonna guess it's USSC'' and I was right omg lol. This video inspired me to try and finally walk into this mall after simply walking by it each day on my way to anywhere after these almost 17 years of me walking by it.
Nex escalators are crowded yes.. but there are many lifts well hidden between corners to move up.. Thank you for sharing serangoon shopping centre and reintroducing it. Hopefully the food areas become popular again and cheap food outlets.. I wonder if the golden mile tenants could move the thai and vietnam theme here.. and maybe coaches to woodlands.
I'm glad that you liked our singapore's kaya toasts. In Singapore, Traditional delicacies are always better than the nowadays modern delicacies as they often lack in flavor, to the extend of olden methods. Traditional delicacies are slowly shrinking to almost non-existence inevitably to aging as modern delicacies are taking over the old that may soon be forgotten, thank you for trying them while they still flourish! I really hope one day to go over to japan and have a try too!
This Teochew restaurant is actually really famous. It’s always full for their CNY reunion dinner. The watch dealer at USSC actually a very old school Rolex watch repair shop. The massages there are… not really for massages
The vegetarian restaurant after you crossed the bridge at upper Serangoon shopping centre is pretty alright. Quite many people eat there when I visited
I used to hang out at Upper Serangoon Shopping Center with my friends after school in the 90s, cause said school was nearby, the nostalgia is strong in this vid! 😆 It looked even sketchier back then, lol! But there was a secondhand rental bookstore where I rented shoujo manga, a games arcade where my friends and I played 'House of the Dead', and record shops. I used to make a list of the latest pop songs, pass it to the uncle at the record shop. Few days later, lo' and behold, my mix tape would be ready for collection! Yah, this is how Gen X I am 😏
that upper serangoon mall is Lao ya mall.. that u keep drinking coconut, back then that is a hifi shop, music shop, and sell video game, back then also have a game shop that sell pirated game, even sell furniture at the atrium, hardware shop and stationary shop, go there when I was a kid, still quite boring that place, only good thing wad the aircon was rather cold, Nex not lousy just messy in design 😂
For anyone who likes to try out vegetarian food, the vegetarian restaurant at the 4th floor of the first shopping mall is fantastic. If you go in the evening, it's packed. Try their steamboat buffet as well.
The restaurant at L4 is called Nature Vegetarian Delights and the food is actually super tasty! (Coming from a meat lover) They even offer mala xiang guo option with a wide variety of ingredients to choose from.
Back as a secondary school student this was the place to get "cheap" games for consoles and PC. Also used to make spectacles there. 8:48 - Good to see Computex still there! I think Aetro on 2nd floor closed down already. 10:21 - Eh? Five Guys closed down? Not unexpected with their kind of pricing though. Nex used to have almost every fast food joint when it opened. BK, McD, Freshness, MOS, KFC, LJS, Yoshinoya, Wendys, Broaster, etc. alongside many other buffet type eateries like Seoul Garden, Daesikksin (damn I miss this one), and another one that I can't recall the name below where Watsons is now.
@@GhibOjisan Yup. Used to have branches at Clarke Quay Central and nex like 10ish years ago. Found it quite amusing to have a branch at each end of my work day commute.
There's a lot of these little old outdated dinky malls in Malaysia. Some are even fairly new, I basically only go to one to have a haircut and nothing else. I think for those who grew up going to one of these, they might return just to frequent that one shop or restaurant they are regulars of - assuming those shops managed to persist so long.
Aunty Bernice centre there is AMAZING. Bernice is like a child whisperer. If your kid has trouble reading, she is able to help them. My son had dyslexia and 15mins with her he went from can’t read anything to being able to read a short list of words. He is able to read proficiently despite his dyslexia now & loves to read. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER.
Hi Ghib wah never heard about that mall,, Serangom area i only visit Nex Mall,, the Food you ate looks very oishi,, nice view ne at the roof top,, thks for the info Ghib, 👍😬,
I’ve been here before but the only parts I’ve ever seen are the furniture shop at level 4 and the vegetarian restaurant at 9:09. And also that gaming and haircut store you passed by.
There used to have Ringo Amusement back in the 90s. I remember back then the shops at the ground floor had laid out those racing tracks for Tamiya cars. Nearby, there is TPBChurch and a 9-emperor temple or something.
Omg i missed this place... Parco Pot Black Billiard Center 93-94...well it's old...of course you can't compare a shopping mall built 40+ years ago with modern ones like Ion Nex or Plaza Sing.. tenants are moving out or ending their businesses 😔😔..same fate facing Far East Plaza, Katong S.C... anyway I love these older shopping malls ❤Thanks for sharing!! 🎉❤
4 years ago, after a long walk from Chinatown, I was in the Bugis+ to look for a place for a break. However the mall was too big to explore and shops were too expensive and fancy for me. I got out it and find a smaller one near by. (The name may be Fortune Centre.) It was old, dim, and quiet. I had coffee there feeling so comfortable. Not only new malls but also old nostalgic ones are so attractive in Singapore.
Used to have house of seafood at Lv3. Yun nam kitchen is good also. Living in serangoon for the past 9 years, agree nex is a bad mall i try to avoid. U haven’t seen the crowd on weekends and nighttime yet. PS should take the lift up to lv5 USSC to explore , i did it a few years ago but not sure if it’s still accesible
NEX is literally my favorite mall. It has everything. Supermarkets, arcade, cinema, restaurants, food court, fast food restaurants and etc…. Who would hate it. Is nearby to my house and easy transport.
i used to stay at Joo Chiat Rd, and there is this old mall looks stuck in time and there was only beauty shop and those old fashion cloth shop in there, but i enjoy walking in there. I've left Singapore more than a decade, I wonder if that mall still exist... I miss that place and the surrounding.
The Upper Serangoon Mall has a ballroom at the top, it's a very nice place! For Nex, yes the infrastructure is confusing but once you get used to it, it's a decent place to navigate.
I've been to the Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre when I was a kid which is around the 1990s. I remember that this shopping centre used to have an arcade at the top floor and a KTV (probably where the teo chew restaurant is now I'm not very sure) and it was very lively back in those days.
There's a mall in my neighborhood in KL, which has been abandoned for a very long time and is still very vacant. It's like a ghost town in there. Back when I was in primary school which was many moons ago, that mall used to be very busy. There was even an A&W restaurant there.
Upper Serangoon Shopping Center was a place that I went to every day when I was a teenager. The arcades there were awesome. There were also shops that rented out Nintendo by the hour. The best thing about this mall is this one computer shop on the 4th floor that sold pirated games. I bought EVERY PC game from this one Ah Lim. So good.
The Teochew restaurant is busy at night mainly. I see the tables always filled up when I walked through. They used to have a Krav Maga club here but sadly closed down
You should pop by other old Malls and film too like Queensway Shopping Centre, City Plaza and Holland Village Shopping Centre. They each have their own character and have been around a very long time.
Besides Upper Serangoon SS, other similar old malls: Sultan Plaza, Singapore Shopping Centre, Beauty World Centre, Golden Mile, Sambawang Shopping Centres, etc. They are built decades ago thus we don't expect anything but due to their lower shop rents, only businesses such as maid agencies, printing companies, massage parlors, maybe a few hair salons are found there. However, people usually go there for the foods.
I have basically lived off Nex and my downstairs my whole life, I’m a kid, and honestly, I’m pretty frustrated cuz this mall being confusing is just like, a personality of the mall.
With his many Singaporean slangs, he said many things and "leh.." I suspect he is half Singaporean. Good video sharing I am not aware of this shopping centre existing prior.
USM is really really old and not taken care off. My old school secondary days, i frequent pass bye and it wasn't ba trendy mall either. After that phase. It just went downhill and the development didn't improve either. Its really va pity and nobody wants to buy over also
previously there is a lan shop that cost 2 dollar for 1 hour.. ( the longer u pay the cheaper it cost and the lan shop is gone ) there is also a very old games shop and a mini motorcycle shop that was closed when u arrive i think
the fact i past by that mall alot and nvr went in .. i mean i alw looked at that mall as.. dirty and old, but def gna go in next time to explore nd try the food upstairs
My mum used to do her hair at Wa Wa which is next to ah lim's shop . Surprised that it is still around lol. Except for the empty shops, it pretty much looks like how it was 25 years ago except the top floor was a pool place I think and the ground floor used to be some prawn noodles shop. Used to get *ahem* video games at one shop near the escalator... also there was another shop selling radios etc. There was some minor "renovation works" around the pillars in the late 90s and seems like nothing has changed since.
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I'm sure you'll enjoy this sake. Perfect as a gift too (Mother's day, Father's day, birthdays etc!) Both beginners and Sake-lovers can enjoy this one! Can't wait for you to try it out.
That toilet seen in 2:53 is commonly seen in Malaysia still, bug sg is very rare
Kinomo Mom is coming to Singapore. Do you have plan to interview her on 26th May ? ruclips.net/video/5J6Uhje7G_I/видео.html
The sheep head and sell dog meat comment is likely a verbatim translation from a Chinese idiom, which means that the shop is advertising some high quality item but instead sells something inferior, so they hang a sheep head "to advertise for a product" that they don't offer.
Aka 挂羊头卖狗肉
Thanks now I understand😁
Ah, yes, that's what I thought too. Singapore doesn't allow the sale and consumption of dogs.
In Chinese, it is 挂羊头卖狗肉
@@GhibOjisan 掛羊頭賣狗肉。
Was here instantly in the comments section to say this, but glad you got to it!
Upper Sergagoon Shopping Center was completed in 1980. It not a mall for the Gen Z would want to go. But those who went there during the 80’s and 90’s, it’s a lively place. There used to have a Game Arcade, Snooker Tables. Now, only the regulars will visit those remaining shops like food stores and restaurants. The Computer Store at Level 4 (Mr Lim used to sell PC Game but it’s not a gaming shop.) I do drop once in a while for my haircut at the Red Panther. Yes, the building is old. Yes, it’s now a Ghost Town. But I has a special place in my heart.
I remember going there to get my school uniform for my primary and secondary school studies
You go there naughty ah?
AH LIM! THE go to place for pirated games on 3.5"floppys. My God is he still there? with his famous mole
I barely remember the shop though, it's been 10+ years since I last went there with my parents
@@lioneltang7543 shh... Don't inform them about the shop opposite the tuition centre
his face when he got mr krabs right after he said he didnt want the crab guy.... hahahaha
the timing was perfect ahahahaha
Ghib is very kind to not highlight the "popularity" of the Upper Serangoon centre, all the back lane shops are massage slots which give Happy Ending and rest are just haunted spaces... 😂
There are some malls like this in Kuala Lumpur 😂 I can't stress enough the resemblance
Picking mango?
How you know they give happy ending? You tried before ah?
how can this be allowed? this is not acceptable. i will personally go over there and complain
@@BeyondTheSide imo, pls dont. Many fei gei kings will hate you. Cheongsters will fight you later. Cuz it's their paradise.
Hehe the lady boss of the restaurant said roughly "If you advertise our restaurant well, I will treat you to a dessert!"
-- looks like you got orh nee ghib-ojisan!! It's topped with fried shallot, and real authetic orh nee uses shallots fried in lard!
thanks for translating! honestly, it was so delicious. using shallots and lard for a dessert? Tai hao le!!
Oni Jan??? Kidding, its Yam paste. What they call in Japan? Taro Putsu? I was kidding on this too....
This teow chew restaurant was empty because of the timing. If u go on weekends esp night time. It will be fully booked. Gotta reserve a table before going.
Yummy I love orh nee yam dessert..quite difficult to find nice ones these days ..I luv making my own too 😋🤤🤤
Fragrant Garden is a very old and famous restaurant. It's very crowded on weekends! Bring your wife and mother in law. They will love the teo chew food, and know what to order.
Yes the food there is really nice.
upper serangoon used to be more lively when the secondary schools were nearby, after the schools moved, the crowd there slowly died off. It used to have lots of game shops, arcades, billard, etc.
Yes, at that time, it was St Joseph's Convent and St Gabriel's Secondary School.
I still remember when shop owners wish the schools moved or at least the arcade and billiard close down because always got si gina fight there...
I usually think singaporean content creators/influencers are generally bare cringe but Ghib is a strong exception, actually W natural content
The old Serangoon shopping center was one of my favorite places in my teenage years. It had a book rental shop, other shops selling unique things, pretty good food and always a lot of space. It was 3 bus stops away from my flat in Hougang, and almost every bus goes there. Now I live within 5 mins walk of NEX and 10 mins from SSC. I should go there for the Teochew food. Thanks for bringing back my memories.
Been there twice teochew food
Not bad
Very very crowded
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre used to be my main mall back in 2004 when I was in secondary school...only because it was the closest mall to my school 😂
It somehow used to be even more quiet back then. There used to be a mini hawker centre on the ground floor and a furniture shop if I remember correctly. The gaming shop has been there since the 90s and the owner is a really nice guy to the point that he has a steady following of regulars who buy from him(to support him) even if his prices are slightly more than easier to access, bigger competitors.
Thanks for the little walk down memory lane. Great video!
PS: Those shops without signboards are not actually closed shops- the tenant left and the owner hasn't been able to find a new tenant. Just thought I'd clarify that since it seemed like you thought they were just shops that didn't open that day.
Yeah, I wonder if the gaming shop uncle Ah Lim is still there… anyone knows?
@@AMoKDuke 8:47 still there
Your mandarin has gotten so much better already! Love your content! Great work! 加油！
Good isn’t he? If I met him in England I’d think he was English 😂👍
I’m struggling with Nepali 😮🥰👍🇳🇵
Yay! Thank you!
i was shocked to be greeted with japanese when i clicked the video but its super welcome
You don’t really need to know mandarín to live in Singapore.
I just shifted nearby to Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, and I was really amazed by how old everything looked when I first entered. Really has that rustic charm that you honestly cannot see in other places anymore. It was literally the mall my mum used to frequent when she was a student.
That said, the mall has some pretty good food, like that curry fish head stall you went to - the cai fan there is really good!!
Just wished i could’ve seen you there when you went!
I've seen sadder places. There was once a high end mall where I use to live. I visited like 15 years later, it was not empty but most of the nice shops were now occupied by not nicer shops and the place looked run down. The escalators were working, but most of the chain fast food shops were gone. It just looked sad. At least this place looks well lit and clean, even with the broken escalator and closed shops.
In Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, during lunch hours, the small eateries are crowded, during dinner hours, Fragrant Garden will be crowded. Traditional teochew dishes will be the steamed pomfret teochew style, braised duck, pig jelly (not easy to find in other restaurants) and the Yam dessert.
The vegetarian restaurant is also popular.
Also, you didn't go to 5th Floor, Computex (shop selling computers and gaming stuff) is a popular store in this mall.
Back in the days in the 90s, this is where all the students from nearby schools will come and buy games and computer accessories.
It has survived over the years, adapting to new trends.
Back in 1990s, there are not many malls in the heartland of Singapore, USSC, Thomson Plaza, Katong Shopping Centre and a handful of others serves the needs of the residential areas. They used to be really popular.
The mall may be old and have few shops left, but it was one of the older malls in Singapore and carries a lot of memories for people who used to visit.
Your videos brighten up my stressful day, Ghib!! 😅 thanks for the fun and interesting content as always :)
Omggg! I burst out laughing when you mentioned "A lot of the new malls have similar stores inside but this mall no, in fact there are literally no stores" 😂😂😂
Old malls very peaceful and not crowded, I like it! Thank you for the awesome video ghib buddy! 😊
Wow! Didn't expect you to come to my area for this video~
Nice to see you enjoying Serangoon in all its quirky glory. 🥰
I am so glad to have watched this video and marvel at what the "worst" shopping mall has to offer - a unique identity not based on hype but how one connects with it.
Ah look so quiet and most of the shops is closed.
Thank You for your video
🌷💙🤍
I dunno why. But he’s entertaining. Gonna subscribe. Gonna watch more of his video. Kudos sir!
When I was staying in Singapore, an ex security guard friend told me one late nite while he was patrolling the mall he heard a woman crying in the restroom. Surprised because the mall was already shut, he went into the restroom to investigate but found no one. Suddenly all the lights went off. He quickly ran out n quit his job soon after that.
i love how you say all the modern malls look the same. and i honestly feel discourage to go to other mall away from where i live precisely because its the same stall anyway. And these "rundown mall" does give a very nostalgic feels.
This video made me laugh! What a fun & nostalgic episode Ghib! My old pre-university used to be in that area. USSC (what we used to call the mall then) was our hang out place after school. Can’t believe it’s so shabby now. And your mandarin really good now hor!
40 years ago, I worked as a IT trainer at Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre. It was at its prime state before all the massage shops flowering in.
I had my best and worst memories there and revisiting the center really ached my heart and soul. Thanks for sharing.
NOTE : Two of my students had a deadly accident there (killed both) and I only get to know it many years later. 😂😂😂
Got people died there? How did they die?
Hey Ghib! You can visit old airport hawker before it’s closed for a 3-month renovation to catch a glimpse of the old place before the new! Some gems hiding at the second level of the hawker centre, like a bookstore that’s clearing their books now. And interview some hawkers who are retiring because of the renovation. 😌
Omg Ghib you have to explore Singapore Shopping Center!!! Expect the unexpected LOL and would love to hear your views on that!
Awesome! Your mandarin is getting better 😄👍👍
New to your channel via your excellent video about the most dangerous part of Osaka and it's really great, and refreshing take on things. I grew up in Hong Kong during the late 70's and 80's and remember visiting the Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre on holiday visits and flight stopovers. It was a thriving mall back in the day!
I Stayed at Japan’s Most Dangerous Slum - is the first segment that I've seen and I really enjoyed watching it. I think your vlogs are entertaining, educational and you provide honest and straightforward views and opinions.
USSC was at its peak back in the 90s. Every boy is there for the manga especially Hong Kong ones, original or pirated pc games, canto pop songs and acrade. By the way the escalators are under 'fake' maintenance because i believed the management wants to cut electricity cost due to the low crowd flow.
11:50 the correct way of poking a straw into the drink is to hold it at a slight angle diagonally (e.g. close to 45 deg), it will poke in easily and also not create a mess.
also, how did you not manage to spend your remaining money at Nex, it's a major mall that has like anything and everything 😂 you could even have just eaten a random meal at any expensive restaurant to soak up the amount
Great video. Love how you switch languages back and forth. Happy to see you bought some durian mochi. When in Singapore, i always go to Isetan on Orchard, and they have great food in their basement food court, including, of course, a delicious durian mochi.
You should try out the vegetarian food restaurant at USSC level 4. Lot of variety and even has vegetarian mala hotpot
=>jastertay. Food taste not consistent.
bro is living my dream, love your vlogs, cheers
Used to go to this shopping centre back in the early 2000s when i was still in secondary school to buy Pirated games, it was still abit more livelier back than with Arcades, lan shops, eateries and a big book store on the 2nd floor, can see that its all gone
St Gabs, any chance?
@@HellHunter00 Nah, i was from Xinmin Sec, the reason i went all the way there is coz i have a friend who lives just behind the shopping centre
Sounds so familiar.. I used to go to USSC too... to photostate my school notes and buy cassette tapes. 😃
Uncle lim ? 😂
Ah lim!
The mall bring back some memories, there is a shop that teaches drum over there it’s amazing
Such a cool video!! Love it!!
Ah this mall used to be one of my hidden haunts when i was younger! There used to be a computer store selling very cheap games - original versions of Chinese RPGs, and also he has a catalogue for... pirated games!! Those were the craze back then and he was one of the cheapest seller. But think he retired or sold off.
There's also pink panther barber on second or third floor. That is one of the better and more popular malay barbers around, rather reasonable pricing at around $12 i believe.
When I first move in to Serangoon ave 3 in 1986, which is almost 38 years, Upper Serangoon Shopping Mall is already quite empty.
@2:54..this is not even an automatic...still need to press leh..is still manual..as u still need to press...is the 2nd generation as compare to the one at the right..LOL..cheers!...
My dad used to own a maid agency over here and this was during the early 2006 to 2009 and I remember this place being very lively and they used to have a huge arcade all the way on top and than have another arcade again near the entrance where the current MMA school is held. And also the guy who sells computer parts and also sells them is still open. Lots of memories. They even had a garden fountain in a space on top.
The watch dealer is actually one of the best in Singapore capable of repairing most if not every mechanical watch as I had given him many mechanical watches to repair in the past. Another watch dealer recommended me to him as he said he many many spare parts and once he open up the watch, he has the parts or supply chain to fix the problem. It is a father and son business and I think the father or grandfather had disciples all over Singapore
Thanks, Ghib for your video of Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre. It has a special place in my heart!❤
This old shopping centre was very popular among the nearby residents during the 1980s and 1990s. It holds a lot of happy memories for me when I always went there to buy my Richard Clayderman cassette tapes and The Checkers (popular JPOP group in the 1980s) cassette tapes, computer hardware, arcade and photo-stating shop. My boyfriend, now husband, and his friends enjoyed going to the Arcade to play games and the computer shop owned by Ah Lim to buy computer games and hardware on the 4th floor.
Until today, my elderly mom still visit the traditional Chinese medicine shop to buy stuffs and do her hair on the 4th level and get her massage for her back pain problem. Once in a while I will drop off my elderly dad to this shopping centre to get his haircut for $6-$10. He will take the lift from Basement 1 carpark all the way to the 4th level. Maybe I should bring my hub to patronise the Teochew restaurant this week! 😇😂
Careful Ojibsan, the massage shops offer special service 😂
He wants to support them with the $100
How do you know?
Yamateh !
the $100 will make him very happy.
Love your video..get to see a different view of sg😊
Escalators are permanently under servicing. Amazing!
New fan from Bedok Reservoir Road! Great job!
As an ex-resident of Serangoon, I have to agree that the layout for NEX mall is really bad, especially for people who have never been to the mall before or frequent enough. And yes that ONE escalator at the middle is always crowded during peak hours, so are the lifts. The other escalators at the both ends of the mall are pretty confusing too, it feels like when you go up one level from one end, you have to go across to the other end to get down one level or just join the long queue at the middle escalator. I guess they designed it this way was to probably encourage shoppers to explore the mall more?
That's why i always take the cargo lifts. I stayed very near Nex and i also hated the layout of the mall.
+1
I've literally walked past this mall thousands of times by now and have never entered it, the closest I have been even close to the mall was walking by it in front of the door to get shelter from the rain or when taking the overhead bridge. When I saw the video title I was like ''I'm gonna guess it's USSC'' and I was right omg lol. This video inspired me to try and finally walk into this mall after simply walking by it each day on my way to anywhere after these almost 17 years of me walking by it.
Nex escalators are crowded yes.. but there are many lifts well hidden between corners to move up..
Thank you for sharing serangoon shopping centre and reintroducing it. Hopefully the food areas become popular again and cheap food outlets.. I wonder if the golden mile tenants could move the thai and vietnam theme here.. and maybe coaches to woodlands.
I'm glad that you liked our singapore's kaya toasts. In Singapore, Traditional delicacies are always better than the nowadays modern delicacies as they often lack in flavor, to the extend of olden methods. Traditional delicacies are slowly shrinking to almost non-existence inevitably to aging as modern delicacies are taking over the old that may soon be forgotten, thank you for trying them while they still flourish! I really hope one day to go over to japan and have a try too!
Hahahhaha😂 oh my god! Carp (Crab) 😂😂😂😂 you made my day. I literally LOL
The Cai Fan Store 2:18 is really good actually, many go there to tapao lunch!
Appreciate the workout you gave for this video😬👍🏻
This Teochew restaurant is actually really famous. It’s always full for their CNY reunion dinner. The watch dealer at USSC actually a very old school Rolex watch repair shop. The massages there are… not really for massages
The vegetarian restaurant after you crossed the bridge at upper Serangoon shopping centre is pretty alright. Quite many people eat there when I visited
Yes at 09:09
Very gd food there.
I used to hang out at Upper Serangoon Shopping Center with my friends after school in the 90s, cause said school was nearby, the nostalgia is strong in this vid! 😆 It looked even sketchier back then, lol! But there was a secondhand rental bookstore where I rented shoujo manga, a games arcade where my friends and I played 'House of the Dead', and record shops. I used to make a list of the latest pop songs, pass it to the uncle at the record shop. Few days later, lo' and behold, my mix tape would be ready for collection!
Yah, this is how Gen X I am 😏
🤝 Nostalgia and walking down memory lane ❤
that upper serangoon mall is Lao ya mall.. that u keep drinking coconut, back then that is a hifi shop, music shop, and sell video game, back then also have a game shop that sell pirated game, even sell furniture at the atrium, hardware shop and stationary shop, go there when I was a kid, still quite boring that place, only good thing wad the aircon was rather cold, Nex not lousy just messy in design 😂
Get all your ex schoolmates get together in Upp Serangoon Shopping Center
For anyone who likes to try out vegetarian food, the vegetarian restaurant at the 4th floor of the first shopping mall is fantastic. If you go in the evening, it's packed. Try their steamboat buffet as well.
The restaurant at L4 is called Nature Vegetarian Delights and the food is actually super tasty! (Coming from a meat lover)
They even offer mala xiang guo option with a wide variety of ingredients to choose from.
Back as a secondary school student this was the place to get "cheap" games for consoles and PC. Also used to make spectacles there.
8:48 - Good to see Computex still there! I think Aetro on 2nd floor closed down already.
10:21 - Eh? Five Guys closed down? Not unexpected with their kind of pricing though.
Nex used to have almost every fast food joint when it opened. BK, McD, Freshness, MOS, KFC, LJS, Yoshinoya, Wendys, Broaster, etc. alongside many other buffet type eateries like Seoul Garden, Daesikksin (damn I miss this one), and another one that I can't recall the name below where Watsons is now.
Wait, freshness burger used to exist in SG!?
@@GhibOjisan Yup. Used to have branches at Clarke Quay Central and nex like 10ish years ago. Found it quite amusing to have a branch at each end of my work day commute.
The one green cordoned off space in the entrance used to be Five Guys?
@@manchesterunitedno7 Yup. Also Nandos prior to that.
@@dolan-duk what happens to Nandos? I love their peri-peri chicken.
I can't be the only one that burst out laughing when he pull mr krabs out😂😂😭😭
There's a lot of these little old outdated dinky malls in Malaysia. Some are even fairly new, I basically only go to one to have a haircut and nothing else.
I think for those who grew up going to one of these, they might return just to frequent that one shop or restaurant they are regulars of - assuming those shops managed to persist so long.
Aunty Bernice centre there is AMAZING. Bernice is like a child whisperer. If your kid has trouble reading, she is able to help them. My son had dyslexia and 15mins with her he went from can’t read anything to being able to read a short list of words. He is able to read proficiently despite his dyslexia now & loves to read. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER.
Hi Ghib wah never heard about that mall,, Serangom area i only visit Nex Mall,, the Food you ate looks very oishi,, nice view ne at the roof top,, thks for the info Ghib, 👍😬,
It’s not Serangoon, it’s upper Serangoon which is part of Hougang
@@zhen86,,, oh okok hehe thanks for d info
I’ve been here before but the only parts I’ve ever seen are the furniture shop at level 4 and the vegetarian restaurant at 9:09. And also that gaming and haircut store you passed by.
There used to have Ringo Amusement back in the 90s. I remember back then the shops at the ground floor had laid out those racing tracks for Tamiya cars. Nearby, there is TPBChurch and a 9-emperor temple or something.
It’s the go to place for me after secondary school classes late 80s. Missed those days.
Omg i missed this place... Parco Pot Black Billiard Center 93-94...well it's old...of course you can't compare a shopping mall built 40+ years ago with modern ones like Ion Nex or Plaza Sing.. tenants are moving out or ending their businesses 😔😔..same fate facing Far East Plaza, Katong S.C... anyway I love these older shopping malls ❤Thanks for sharing!! 🎉❤
This mall is a legend. During the 90s, it was quite popular for Snooker, arcades, computer gaming shops, hair salon, etc.
4 years ago, after a long walk from Chinatown, I was in the Bugis+ to look for a place for a break. However the mall was too big to explore and shops were too expensive and fancy for me. I got out it and find a smaller one near by. (The name may be Fortune Centre.) It was old, dim, and quiet. I had coffee there feeling so comfortable. Not only new malls but also old nostalgic ones are so attractive in Singapore.
Used to have house of seafood at Lv3. Yun nam kitchen is good also. Living in serangoon for the past 9 years, agree nex is a bad mall i try to avoid. U haven’t seen the crowd on weekends and nighttime yet. PS should take the lift up to lv5 USSC to explore , i did it a few years ago but not sure if it’s still accesible
Used to come here all the time when I was young for the food there. Memories will never fade ❤
I hope this mall dont get closed down! Such history
NEX is literally my favorite mall. It has everything. Supermarkets, arcade, cinema, restaurants, food court, fast food restaurants and etc…. Who would hate it. Is nearby to my house and easy transport.
Too many ppl hahahaha 😂
i used to stay at Joo Chiat Rd, and there is this old mall looks stuck in time and there was only beauty shop and those old fashion cloth shop in there, but i enjoy walking in there. I've left Singapore more than a decade, I wonder if that mall still exist... I miss that place and the surrounding.
I've only been to the upper sgoon mall once for the teochew food, it's so yummy.
The Upper Serangoon Mall has a ballroom at the top, it's a very nice place!
For Nex, yes the infrastructure is confusing but once you get used to it, it's a decent place to navigate.
I've been to the Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre when I was a kid which is around the 1990s. I remember that this shopping centre used to have an arcade at the top floor and a KTV (probably where the teo chew restaurant is now I'm not very sure) and it was very lively back in those days.
At 3rd floor of Upper Serangoon mall, there's a vegetarian restaurant called Nature Delight, the best vegetarian Mala I had, price is reasonable too!
Love ur content..ghib...oways looking forward to ur new videos...keep on doin new contents
There's a mall in my neighborhood in KL, which has been abandoned for a very long time and is still very vacant. It's like a ghost town in there. Back when I was in primary school which was many moons ago, that mall used to be very busy. There was even an A&W restaurant there.
Upper Serangoon Shopping Center was a place that I went to every day when I was a teenager. The arcades there were awesome. There were also shops that rented out Nintendo by the hour. The best thing about this mall is this one computer shop on the 4th floor that sold pirated games. I bought EVERY PC game from this one Ah Lim. So good.
I was wondering if NEX would be featured......I was not disappointed.
I am sure alot of Singaporeans would not have known that there’s still such mall around in this fast pace Singapore. Great work Ghib!!! 👍 👏
i dont think ive ever seen a mall providing manual & automatic in one faucet.. i mean what the hell is that
The Teochew restaurant is busy at night mainly. I see the tables always filled up when I walked through. They used to have a Krav Maga club here but sadly closed down
You should pop by other old Malls and film too like Queensway Shopping Centre, City Plaza and Holland Village Shopping Centre. They each have their own character and have been around a very long time.
Besides Upper Serangoon SS, other similar old malls: Sultan Plaza, Singapore Shopping Centre, Beauty World Centre, Golden Mile, Sambawang Shopping Centres, etc. They are built decades ago thus we don't expect anything but due to their lower shop rents, only businesses such as maid agencies, printing companies, massage parlors, maybe a few hair salons are found there. However, people usually go there for the foods.
I have basically lived off Nex and my downstairs my whole life, I’m a kid, and honestly, I’m pretty frustrated cuz this mall being confusing is just like, a personality of the mall.
With his many Singaporean slangs, he said many things and "leh.." I suspect he is half Singaporean. Good video sharing I am not aware of this shopping centre existing prior.
USM is really really old and not taken care off. My old school secondary days, i frequent pass bye and it wasn't ba trendy mall either. After that phase. It just went downhill and the development didn't improve either. Its really va pity and nobody wants to buy over also
previously there is a lan shop that cost 2 dollar for 1 hour.. ( the longer u pay the cheaper it cost and the lan shop is gone )
there is also a very old games shop and a mini motorcycle shop that was closed when u arrive i think
I toured Singapore 6 years ago. Every single mall I went over there was awesome. Only downsides were no places to sit aside from the food courts.
the fact i past by that mall alot and nvr went in .. i mean i alw looked at that mall as.. dirty and old, but def gna go in next time to explore nd try the food upstairs
My family love to dine at Fragrant Garden teochew restaurant! Kudos to you for exploring the rest of the mall… which i didn’t even bothered 😂
u missed out the key highlights of the teochew reataurant. many nice food
My mum used to do her hair at Wa Wa which is next to ah lim's shop . Surprised that it is still around lol. Except for the empty shops, it pretty much looks like how it was 25 years ago except the top floor was a pool place I think and the ground floor used to be some prawn noodles shop. Used to get *ahem* video games at one shop near the escalator... also there was another shop selling radios etc. There was some minor "renovation works" around the pillars in the late 90s and seems like nothing has changed since.
You should pre-order the Cold Crab and try it in the Teochew Restaurant. Promise you will love it.
The good thing about that mall is that it has something which is a premium in Singapore. Quiet and not crowded :)
Always wanted to know whats inside but never had a chance to go in! thanks for doing this.