10 places that all Millennials miss in Singapore

This restaurant brings back lots of sweet memories. Opened in 1995, New York Dessert Café quickly became a favourite haunt among friends and families who came here to celebrate special occasions and to enjoy a good meal together. The first outlet was located at Holland Village and they soon expanded across the island, with outlets in Wheelock Place, Bugis Junction, Velocity @ Novena Square and more. One of the highlights of this venue is its extensive selection of desserts, ranging from decadent cheesecakes to indulgent mudpies and a dizzying array of sundaes. One of the things we miss most about this iconic establishment is their Irish cream mudpie comprising French vanilla and double chocolate chip ice cream with baileys layered on an oreo base, topped with chocolate fudge and whipped cream. Their savoury offerings were also a hit with many, especially the buffalo chicken wings which were fried to crispy perfection and was best enjoyed with the flavourful buffalo sauce.

Tears were shed when news broke that this institution was closing its doors for good in 2022. Since then, we’ve missed their traditional nonya kuehs and other local bakes. Those who have tried their creations will agree that their kueh dadar is truly exceptional, featuring white desiccated coconut shavings soaked with rock sugar and wrapped with a thin layer of pandan flavoured crepe. Another notable treat we wish we could have just once more is the ondeh ondeh, boasting molten gula melaka encased within soft and chewy sweet potato and glutinous rice balls, coasted with desiccated coconut shavings.

First opened at Orchard Road in the 1970s, the bakery was originally known as Dong Le Yuan, before changing its name to Glacier when they moved to Serangoon Central. They renamed to Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry when they relocated to Tiong Bahru in the early 2000s. Third-generation owner Tan Yong Siang made the decision to shutter the business last year as he was getting on in years.

Opened in 1977 by the Prima Group, this revolving restaurant was an unfortunate victim of the pandemic, shuttering its doors in 2020. Prior to its closure, this institution had been serving families for more than four decades – many would recall having sumptuous dim sum spreads here with their loved ones on a weekend, while taking in panoramic views of Sentosa, Mount Faber and its surroundings. Serving Beijing cuisine, some of their signature dishes that we miss dearly include the egg white with scallops and fish meat as well as the Peking duck.

A familiar fixture at Holland Village for many years, Fosters Restaurant, opened in 1960, officially closed its doors last year. Not many may know this, but the restaurant operated at several locations in the city during its early days – they first opened at Amber Mansions at Orchard Road, then moved to Specialist Shopping Centre and again to the basement of Palais Renaissance before relocating to Holland Village. The establishment, which had a stunning alfresco dining area, was a popular spot among couples and families, who flocked here for their steaks and high tea.

Children growing up in Singapore during the 90s’ will remember visiting Borders at Wheelock Place, a book lover’s paradise filled with numerous cosy corners for one to spend hours poring over their favourite books. It was a popular spot for families, and especially during the weekend – you’ll see parents reading with their kids in the children’s section, which had a spacious area with sofas arranged in a ring in the middle of the space. Avid book lovers were drawn to this store which was stocked with every imaginable genre from mystery, literary fiction, fantasy to historical fiction, folklore and more. Border’s flagship store was operational at the same location in Orchard for 13 years before it shuttered in 2011 due to a rental dispute.

Long before streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV and Disney+ existed, people used to visit video rental stores like Video Ezy for their home entertainment fix. From Hollywood blockbusters to animated films, TV dramas and documentaries, this home video rental chain offered it all and more. One of our best memories growing up was visiting Video Ezy every Friday with the family – we would pick a movie together and huddle up on the couch for movie night. These days, with endless options on streaming platforms, we find that we spend more time scrolling and deciding what to watch than actually enjoying a film together. It really makes you miss the good old days.

Before Universal Studios Singapore, we had Escape Theme Park, an outdoor theme park located inside NTUC Downtown East in Pasir Ris. The park, which operated from 2000 to 2011, was often packed to the brim with families and students who spent hours queuing for their signature rides like the log flume, pirate ship, haunted house and go-kart. An unfortunate accident on the indoor “Alpha 8” roller coaster – two girls were critically injured after falling three metres due to a safety restraint fault – resulted in the ride being discontinued. Following the demolition of the theme park, the grounds have since been redeveloped into the current D’Resort @ Downtown East.

Once upon a time, before the rise of blogshops and online shopping, 77th Street was where the cool boys and girls were seen at, either shopping for trendy apparel and accessories or getting their second or even third piercing. Some of the things that the 90s’ kids will remember buying here include Billabong and Roxy pencil cases and wallets, friendship bracelets, caps and earrings.

Being huge music buffs, we recall saving up a part of our weekly pocket allowance to buy a new album every other week at HMV. Yes, collecting music CDs was a huge thing among kids back in the 90s’, with some of us having over 200 albums at one point. There’s just something special about owning an album, especially from your favourite artist, and there's nothing like flipping through the CD booklet and reading the lyrics while listening to it. Spanning over 25,000 sq ft, the first HMV store at The Heeren was truly a music haven, offering all sorts of genres from artists all over the world.

A Japanese retail giant, Sogo set up shop in Singapore at Raffles City in 1986 and quickly became a hit with shoppers, offering a slew of Japanese and international brands, which was a fresh and exciting concept back in the day. The Japanese department store filled a gap in the market, offering stylish men and women’s fashion, kids’ toys and clothes, electronics, cosmetics and more. Millennials might remember visiting the store when you were young to browse Sanrio stuffed toys like Hello Kitty and Keroppi. Unfortunately, the mall ran into real estate investment issues and was forced to shut in 2000. Sogo was eventually replaced by Robinsons.