ION Orchard

ION Orchard, the newest kid in shopping mall heaven in Singapore, opened just 2 weeks ago. Already it is packed daily, making the other malls pretty empty. Already Takashimaya has been having promotion every weekend to try to get the shoppers and browsers back.

I like that there are some art sculptures out front. At least it is not totally just buildings and shops. In fact, there is an art gallery up on Level 4. There are 8 levels in ION Orchard, making it having a bit of everything for everyone.

With Levels 1 to 4 featuring luxury and high-end goods, it will appeal to the fashionistas and tourists with money to burn. Basements 1 to 4 (yes, 4 levels underground) will be where you get food from the various food stalls, restaurants and food court, plus regular stores to cater to the teenagers and budget conscious shoppers.

Basically the lower it is, the "cheaper" the stores are. $100 is not cheap, but when compared to over $10,000 for an item on Level 1 or 2, then yeah, it is. All is relative :p

One of the entrances leading into ION Orchard. Sandwiched between Louis Vuitton and Prada, you sure get lots of eye candy from the window display. So far, I have always entered ION Orchard via B2 where the Orchard MRT is. I love the underpass on B2 which links to Wheelock Place. It is so convenient, especially since they have removed the pedestrian crossing on Orchard leading to Wheelock. You have to cross over at Paterson Road now.

As it was the soft opening, not all the stores are opened yet. Plus I don't think it has achieved an 100% occupancy rate. So you see some hoardings still around ION Orchard. I do quite like the series the ad agency has come up with. "A xxx takes minutes, A xxx takes time" with different images can be seen all over the place.

The ceiling of ION Orchard. I am quite surprised that I do like ION Orchard. I did not really expect that. It is spacious with plenty of resting areas, especially on the upper levels. The basement levels are always packed as it attract more traffic, particularly on B2 and B4 where the food and MRT are.

Prada has yet to open. It will be interesting to see what is in store. Louis Vuitton occupies 2 levels. It seemed to be a trend for designer stores to have 2 levels now. Even in Paragon and Takashimaya, stores are renovating to occupy 2 levels.

Burberry and Harry Winston. The taxi stand is on Level 2, right in front of Burberry, and the drop off point is where Harry Winston is. Landmarks to remember.

Dior is also coming soon. I heard there will be Dior Homme too, which will probably be welcomed by the men. I am also waiting for Yves Saint Laurent to open. Finally another option besides the store in Paragon. Church's (men shoes) is also opening soon, plus Car Shoe. Miu Miu has already opened and I like the place. Looks so much better and more welcoming than the one at Paragon. So Prada group has all its brands under one roof (Church's, Car Shoe, Miu Miu and Prada) in ION Orchard.

Besides labels, there are also many food places. I am looking forward to TWG opening too. Already I spied this cafe Gusttimo Di Roma which looked so inviting on Level 1. Casual, bright airy place to have a cup of coffee and reading a good book.

Another exciting store I am waiting for is Herve Leger. Currently his clothes are available at Pois.

4 levels above ground. You could see almost all the stores in one glance which is very welcome. I am so tired of all the other malls where there are so many nooks and crannies. With so many levels, there are escalators which will take you directly to B4 from B2, or Level 4 from Level 2.

Level 1 and 2 are where the premium luxury watches, jewelry and designer stores are. Level 3 is where you get local watch stores like Cortina and Hour Glass and local designers like Alldressedup and Kwanpen and the lower end of designer stores i.e. Furla, Longchamp.

enVie de Pois is also on level 3. Lovely display with its gowns and chandelier and runway shows on the backdrop.

See the different escalators leading up to the various levels. It is quite a massive place though you will more or less know where things are if you spend an entire day walking the mall. I did that and it did not feel so huge there after :p The only mall I have not finished walking all over is the West Edmonton Mall in Canada (the biggest mall in the world in the 1990s, not sure about now, but still the biggest in Canada). For that, you really do need about 3 days just to explore.

I am used to big malls. After living right next to Metrotown (largest mall in British Columbia, and 2nd largest in Canada) for a few years, I have to be. It was my playground and had everything I needed. Another reason why I rarely went to Chinatown or even Richmond for Asian food or stuff.

A whiskey store on Level 4. I like its tagline. "See - Sample - Savour"

My favorite supermarket for now. ThreeSixty Marketplace on Level 4. It has all the stuff which you hardly get at other places. It is probably the most expensive of all the Marketplace too. I am so excited that it has Ghirardelli chocolates with more choices than the one at Raffles City Jasons. If that is not enough, there is also Hediard (also available at Paragon Jasons), Dean & Deluca, Waitrose (available at VivoCity and elsewhere), and so many others which I don't remember now. There is the dessert section with yummy looking cakes and brownies. Some cakes are so huge that it reminded me of the 7-layer cake.

It also stocks many selection of ready-made food for cooking. Freshly made burger patties, roasts ready to go into the oven, plus the various frozen food too. It has a small section for fresh seafood too. Very nice.