9 Singaporean things we should appreciate before they're gone

It's true when they say "you don't know what you have till it's gone"

9 Singaporean things we should appreciate before they're gone

I think we can all come to a conclusion that some of the things that were so easy to find 10 years ago, are now extremely impossible to come across!

These treasures have contributed so much to our Singaporean identity. For example, Thieves Market, otherwise known as Sungei Road Flea Market, was a hotspot for locals in the hunt for secondhand goods or cheap replacements for a faulty or lost items. In 2015, it closed its doors to make way for the construction of the Jalan Besar MRT Station.

Here's our list of things every Singaporean should appreciate because they might not be around for much longer!

Cobblers

Image credit: ghettosingapore

Nope, not the ones with official physical stores. We're talking about the uncles with their little equipments that are usually around on weekends, located near markets and hawker centres repairing shoes. They do it at very cheap prices, for example, $6 for a (really good) sole repair!

Based on my experience, there were at least 3 of such cobblers around my neighbourhood 10 years ago. Today, believe it or not, there are none – partially due to the rise of other shoe repair stores around Singapore.

The cobbler uncles may be gone before you know it, so appreciate their cheap shoe repair services before it's too late!

Roasted chestnuts

Image credit: sethlui

Uncles and aunties selling roasted chestnuts used to be a common sight ten years ago, especially at bus stops or void decks. Today however, they're so rare that we get excited at the sight of them! One time, me and a friend bought $10 worth of chestnuts – just because.

Honestly, it would be really comforting to see roasted chestnuts still around in the future, so can someone take one for the team and make this local favourite stay?!

MRT Curry Puffs

Image credit: Straits Times

Nope, we're not talking about the ones from Cheers or 7-Eleven. The MRT Curry Puffs we're referring to are the ones sold by Makciks, normally at the entrances of stations. The Curry Puffs come in two flavours; sardine and potato and are often palm-sized. They sell at $1 for 3 pieces.

We won't say they're the best curry puffs around but come on, $1 for 3 pieces?! I'd choose that for breakfast over anything else! However, it is illegal for unauthorised food production in Singapore and in the recent years, police have caught a number of these sellers.

With an ongoing issue with the law, it's sad to say that the MRT Curry Puffs won't be around for much longer.

Food Coupons/Flyers

Image credit: couponcodesblog

You might be thinking; "how can these things be gone anytime soon when my letter boxes still get flooded with them every other month!" Think about it, with the growing technology and the increasing usage of mobile apps, fast food joints like Mcdonalds and Burger King are slowly transitioning to the use of online coupons, which is actually already happening!

If the trend continues, we can picture majority of patrons queuing at fast food joints and showing food coupons through their phones to the cashiers in the near future. Also, it'll be very unlikely to have your letter boxes flooded with food coupons and flyers as well!

Wide HDB corridors

Image credit: Straits Times

Don't understand why this is on the list or rather, what even is this? Have you ever realised that the new concept of HDB blocks has corridors so narrow, that you can't fill them with plants, bicycles or even a sofa, as compared to the older HDB Blocks?

And that's why this is on the list. With all the new blocks having narrow corridors one after another, wide corridors will be rare to encounter, unless they decide to change the concept!

Mama Shops

Image credit: SG Icons

Somehow, it's always a comforting sight whenever we come across a mama shop under HDB blocks. Maybe it's because it was our go-to place after school; we'd buy a few snacks and just sit at the void deck and talk about anything. Or maybe it's because these shops sell really cheap....everything!

From sweets to drinks and in some shops, indian curry puffs. You can buy a drink, a curry puff and add on a snack all for under $5! They're not around as much anymore partly because of the bigger convenience stores that are on the rise. Mama shops will definitely be missed!

Pasar Malam

Image credit: cavinteo

Pasar Malam is everyone's favourite neighbourhood surprise. Face it, it pops up without any warning and for about a week or so, it's swarmed with queues of people buying food or household goods or for the little ones, to play the games.

Pasar Malams are on this list even though we feel that there's a 50-50 chance on whether they'll be around for long. Although some of the food stalls are dominated by younger sellers selling current favourites such as fried Oreos and churros, food trends always change. For now, we can only hope this local favourite will still be around for a long, long time!

$1 Ice cream

Image credit: followmefoodie

The $1 Ice cream is probably the comfort food of every Singaporean in Singapore. Yes, every. The hilarious part is, almost everyone agrees that they always taste better when it's raining!

However, although it's still quite easy to spot the "Ice cream uncle" now, there aren't as many around now as they were 10 years ago. If the trend continues, it's quite possible that we are not getting our $1 ice cream anymore in 2026, unless the younger ones choose to take over!

$1 toy vending machines

Image credit: theurbanwire

Ah, these machines are etched in every Singaporean's mind. Or maybe just the ones above the age of 20? But come on, admit that you used to beg your parents or older siblings for that precious $1 just because you wanted to try your luck at getting that one keychain in the machine. Don't worry, we've done that too. Although, the chances of getting that one particular keychain is close to none.

Our 5-year-old eyes would lit up at the sight of these machines which sadly, are not around as much now. It would be sad to see this one go but if by some miracle, they still exist, you'd bet my middle-aged self would be digging my pockets for a $1 coin!

Do you have any other Singaporean favourite in mind that won't be around in the near future? Share them with us!

Written by

Aisyah Amin

9 Singaporean things