The Central

This multiple storied complex (that needs to kick up its AC!!) is mainly about good eating. Whether couple coming here to dine at the nicer Jp and Korean restaurants, or going to the basement food court for more casual but equally yummy food, Central mall offers more in the way of ingesting than it does for hardcore shoppers.
Once outside, there’s only more eating along the Promenade at CQ! Waterside restaurants are so very beautiful, & great environment for a romantic date.
Families and travelers sit along the stone steps, watching the river boats taking people up and down, the attraction of the large bungee halo, or the live music and the night breeze.
Very cool. MRT dumps one straight into the mall on the Outram/​Chinatown purple line.

I been to quite a number of malls and I got to say I am quite underwhelmed with this one. Apart from a couple of popular Japanese restaurants and food count at the basement, there isn’t much to do. Most of the time, I drop by this mall to use the toilet, otherwise I would be at the more exciting part of Clarke Quay, the pubs just opposite the river bank.
Considering this is a mall in Central part of Singapore, I expect it to be more exciting and happening.

Been a huge fan of Central since their opening due to the array of Japanese restaurants here. I’m trying to keep this review to be less about food, but hey, I can’t help it! Santouka ramen and Marutama ramen are BOTH here. So if the line gets too long at Santouka, definitely check out Marutama.
If you’re looking at a romantic place for a date, Ma Maison and Mitusba are both pretty decent with the cosy restaurant and river view. Alternatively, family restaurants like Pasta Waraku and Watami are also great options. There are small shops in the basement (on the way up to the MRT), including a Japanese mart that sells lots of Japanese snacks, and my favorite Gong Cha ;)
Central isnt just about food though, although what I listed was just a tip of the ice berg. Tonnes of other restaurants to pick from :) Of course, there’s shops around here too, including an adventure sports shops to get all your gear, and lockdown, my favorite escape room place!
Conveniently located at Clark Quay, you can always head out to the river to chill after dinner, or get some drinks at the pub. My only qualm is that it is pretty difficult to get a cab from the taxi stand, so you gotta stand by the side of the road, or opposite the hotel to get a taxi!

I’m not much of a shopper but I do find Chinese Astrology interesting and for a limited time you can stop by here to find out how the Year of the Horse will affect you based on the animal you were born under.
I’m a monkey so it said what it says about monkeys every year: you’re brilliant but because you’re never focused and can never make up your mind you’ll have a good year but it could have been a brilliant year had you really paid attention.
I may need to heed the advise of all my tiger, Ox, and dragon friends who always tell me to FOCUS!!!

It’s a pretty crappy mall, let’s face it guys. Evidently Clarke Quay is not a well known shopping destination so this mall has managed to collect a mengarie of totally random retail tenants. It also has a thoroughly depressing basement chock full of supremely average food options.
The only saving graces are the ramen joints — Santouka & Marutama — as well as the Starbucks, which happens to be one of my favourites in Singapore. They used to have a Gayatri but even that’s gone now.
There are few reasons to go to this mall, unless you want ramen and/​or happen to work in the vicinity.

The Central Mall is having a showcase of Nostalgia Musings. There are temporary booths setup at the ground floor to sell traditional snacks. Snacks that we enjoyed during our childhood days in the 1980s-​90s, in Singapore.
Some of the items for sale include, at $ 2.50/pack
1. Khong Guan Fancy Gems Biscuits
2. White Rabbit Creamy Candy
3. Hawflakes
I love Khong Guan biscuits! Especially their colorful Fancy Gems ones and Creamy Lemon puff ones. I think you can still get these at NTUC. However, for a wider selection of traditional snacks & candies, I encourage you guys to check out the booth at the Central. Chinese new year is coming up soon (2^nd wk of feb) and I definitely want to stock up on these nostalgia inducing vintage goodies :)

Stopped by this mall in search of some breakfast and saw a Ya Kun Kaya shop out front for the quintessential Kopitiam breakfast.
A quick wander after breakfast led us to a Swiss bakery which of course we didn’t patronize, coming from Switzerland, but it was still cute to look at all the stuff that was familiar from back home.
The other end of the mall leads directly to the river at Clark Quay, and it’s actually quite a gorgeous view looking at the mall from the river across the other side.
I didn’t really go shopping in this mall, and only ventured downstairs to the food court in search of more food. They have a pretty nice variety of shops downstairs to get breads, drinks, and snacks, too.

I wish Central Mall was a little easy to navigate — whoever built this had a love of mazes, nooks and crannies because I never quite know how to get around this mall.
Still, an amazing collection of Japanese restaurants here, and if your restaurant is facing the right way, you’ll have a nice view of the river and Clarke Quay too.

Whenever I get on the NEL, I usually alight at Dhoby Gaut, Harbour Front, Farrer Park, or Chinatown. So when I was set to meet my friend at Clarke Quay, I was intrigued on what am I going to see on those parts. And my exploring began at The Central Mall.
Technically, it’s just a small mall property. However, I did find the stores quite interesting. There were some retail stores that carry some items that wasn’t even sold to other malls near where I frequent and where I live. It’s quite peaceful actually. Then I went out to the river. Yes, it is definitely an epitome of a festive night life waiting to happen. Even if they were still closed, looking at that view made me make a mental note to actually explore the Singapore night life via the Clarke Quay Riverside.
Anyway, when my friend and I met, we decided to eat at the Food Times Square at the basement. It was their foodcourt/​Kopitiam. But it wasn’t dull and poorly maintained. It was vibrant, seats were comfortable, and we absolutely enjoyed or bowl of noodles. In terms of shopping, I was happy to find some pashmina scarves for $ 12 at this suit tailor shop (right before you reach the Subway joint). The price was such a good deal that I had to come back the next day just to buy it. There are alot of things to see in this mall, and alot of things to buy. So if you’re looking for a different place for your shopping trip, hop on the NEL train and alight at Clarke Quay.

I think when Central was first built, it was touted as a Japanese mall – ie lots of Japanese food options, at least. This is still the case with lots of ramen, Ma Maison, etc. I go because it’s a nice (ie air conditioned) place to go for lunch – favorites include Real Food (vegan/​vegetarian) in the basement, and Sque, near the HSBC ATM. And there’s also the very first outlet of Yamakawa Super for my fix of Japanese McVites!

The Central needs to get an award, along with Orchard Central, for being one of the most confusing malls to navigate. More than one person has described both Centrals to me as being so hopelessly confusing they weren’t sure they would ever escape in the event of a zombie apocalypse and they’d probably die inside its glass doors. Hyperbole aside, it really is shockingly bad design. It’s like the Orchard Cineleisure spiralling escalators that force you to walk around the boring shops and arcades in order to get to the next floor, repeated itself everywhere.
Complaints about design aside, there are SOME reasons to come here. There’s Ramen Santouka and Marutama ramen. There’s Watami which is good for a cheapish Japanese lunch in this area. There’s now Goods of Desire, the HK lifestyle store that’s pretty awesome if a little kitsch.
That’s about it.

Sitting on top of Clarke Quay MRT, the Central is home to a number of restaurants and cafes. I don’t usually shop here because there doesn’t seem to be anything interesting, but there is one Japanese book store which is worth checking out if you can find it!
I don’t think a lot of people come to Central per se, but rather just pass through it for the rest of the awesome stuff happening at Clarke Quay and Boat Quay.
If you have friends who stay at the SOHO apartments above the mall, do check out the pool and the gym! It’s restricted to card-​holders only, but I’ve been there and it’s quiet and empty.