The thrifting movement in Singapore is at its peak right now – especially with popular Japanese thrift shop chain 2nd Street recently opening at Orchard, alongside plenty of other smaller local youth-owned secondhand stores. Now before you groan and say, “another one?” with regards to this growing – and perhaps now soon-to-be-saturated – category of fashion stores on our homeground, hear us out: Takara House, located in a second-floor shophouse unit near the mouth of Haji Lane, isn’t just yet another small biz that’s out to get a share of the pie.
Many of the newer thrift stores that have opened in the past couple of years carry streetwear items that are quite similar to that of each other – think graphic tees, pullovers, denim jackets, and caps from the 80s to early 2000, often from mainstream brands – and what were once considered fresh finds are now starting to become commonplace. Takara House doesn’t rely on such trends, and instead presents a well-curated line-up based on the young owners’ own interests, all personally sourced from abroad in places like Japan and Vietnam.
On the clothing racks you’ll find an assortment of shirts, vests with unique patterns and embroidery, leather jackets and more from labels you may or may not have heard of, all for a fraction of their original prices – this ranges from around $30 to $80. The apparel selection leans more towards menswear, but there’s also a small section for ladies; we spotted cute cottagecore dresses with Peter Pan collars, and items from Japanese brands Axes Femme and Cecil McBee for a steal. The best part? There’s a changing room available, so you can try stuff on and make sure it suits you nicely before splashing the cash. Complete the look with accessories like vintage handbags, belts, rings (from $12), earrings (from $15, buy two get one free), and rhinestone brooches.
But fashion is just one aspect of what Takara House has to offer. It’s a whole living time capsule of treasures including teddy bear tapestries, curly-haired antique dolls, forgotten Happy Meal toys, ceramic animals, old-school Troll dolls, action figures still in their original packaging, and intricate porcelain teacups fit for royalty – you’ll feel like you’ve stepped right into a granny’s cosy cottage. You can also pick up assorted Pokemon cards here at just $1 for five pieces, and we hear that the Anpanman figurines and Peko-chan Christmas plates (from $20) in particular are some of the more popular merch picks right now.
This isn’t Takara House’s first foray into the vintage thrifting space. For the past two years or so, it’s been running on a smaller scale with pop-up stalls by The Hammock Market, Chinatown, The Retro Factory and Singapore’s version of Chatuchak market. With the timely and serendipitous boom of secondhand shopping, this permanent physical space was finally born – and with it, the owner’s sister’s home-based bakery M.patisserie also found itself a place to call home. You’ll see her in the kitchen area sectioned off behind the payment counter, painstakingly preparing the fresh treats of the day, solo.
The fact that M.patisserie is a solo venture is made even more impressive when you taste its pastries. The matcha pistachio shortcake ($15) is a perfect balance of flavours – not too bitter, not overly laden with cream, and wholly approved by a colleague who typically doesn’t like pistachio desserts – while those who appreciate a sweet-sour zing are sure to enjoy the lemon meringue tart ($12). The Japanese matcha tart ($15) and strawberry shortcake ($15) are also popular picks. Other items baked with love include madeleines ($3) in flavours like early grey, vanilla, and pandan, as well as financiers ($3.80) and fruit pound cakes ($3.80).
Grab a seat by the window, and enjoy your sweet treat with a simple coffee (from $4); cold concoctions like yuzu manuka honey ($5.80) and citrus blossom tea ($6); or a comforting hot brew of Alishan oolong ($6), lychee tea ($5.50) and more.
Whether it’s to work through the entire menu of pastries or check out the latest restocks, this nostalgic nook is one that we’d see ourselves returning to over and over again – and we can’t wait to see what other gems they’ll surprise us with in the months to come.
TIME OUT TIP Check out Takara House’s Instagram stories to see the dessert line-up for the day. While there’s no fixed schedule for the rotation of bakes, you can expect a decent range of tarts, at least one cake, and a couple of financier or madeleine flavours for your choosing on pretty much any given day.
Takara House is located at Level 2 of 674 North Bridge Road, and operates from 10am to 10pm daily, while M.patisserie operates from 10am to 8pm daily except on Tuesdays. While you’re there, check out the other things to do in Kampong Gelam, explore Groundseesaw’s immersive art exhibitions nearby, drop by Serangoon BBQ & Curry’s Raffles Hospital outlet for affordable Nyonya-inspired nasi padang, and end the day off with a nightcap at Atlas, a grand Art Deco-inspired bar in Singapore’s very own Gotham building.
Find out more about Takara House and check out its newest drops here.
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