As if Singapore needed another great shopping location, and along comes Vivo City! And yes, it is a mini city! Vivo City aims to cater to all manner of tastes, budgets and shopping habits. Like any city there is the big, the small, the popular, the quaint, the bright and the dull. Also like any city there is a lot to like and dislike. With majestic views to Sentosa Island, and expansive outdoor areas to escape the shopaholics. Vivo City seems to have it all.

 Located on the Harbour Front precinct, Vivo City has been opened for just on a year. According to Wikipedia 

The name Vivo City is derived from the word vivacity and evokes a lifestyle that is modern, stimulating and a ccessible to everyone, a place bubbling with energy and flowing with vitality.

I visited on 23rd December 2006, yes two days before Christmas and a Saturday no less. Vitality indeed, the centre was abuzz with thousands of shoppers, looking for last minute presents. I had spent most of the morning wandering the streets of Singapore and was initially surprised how quiet it had been, apparently everyone who was out must have been over at Vivo City.  

 Vivo City is supported by the major marquees of Singapore shopping. At Vivo you will find a Singapore institution in Tangs and a Marks & Spencers store. For the fashionistas there are enough stores at Vivo to keep you busy for a whole weekend not just one day. Stores like Mango, Brooks Brothers, Diesel, Dockers, Adidas, Puma and the list goes on. For kids there is an E-Zone to keep them occupied. Interestingly on the top floor, there is also a wading pool for little kids to splash around in. Most kids were going in with the clothes they were wearing which presents parents with some rather soaked kids to ferry home. Just a note of warning, while the water is only ankle to knee deep in places, there are no lifeguards present, so it is solely up to parents to supervise their kids. The area is vast, so be sure to keep an eye on your kids! There is even a pet store in Vivo. I spent a few minutes in the store and I am sure many parents will be cajoled by their kids to come spend some time here too. Towards the back of the store there are puppies for sale which serve as the main attraction. Lots of 'ooos' and 'ahhhs' as the kids spotted their favourite dog. As well there is a grooming service and you can actually watch the groomers at work on the dogs, which I thought was a pretty neat concept.

Vivo City is big, and after a couple hours of walking around your appetite quickly grows. There are a dozen cafes, to enjoy a quick coffee and something sweet or a range of restaurants specialising in Peranakan, Chinese/Seafood, Japanese and Korean. For the more adventurous there is Brazillian Churrasacaria which is mainly a parade of barbequed meat Brazillian style. Being a visitor to Singapore, I was going to steer well clear of the restaurants and head to the local hawker style food court on the top floor. Food Republic is the name and specialises in local favourites but in surrounds which are more comfortable as those you would find in a typical Singapore hawker centre. I settled for the Roti Prata with chicken curry for my lunch.  For those not initiated with Roti Prata it is a layered pancake, pastry type bread which is eaten with gravy. Delicious! You can watch the cook knead and twist the pastry  as well cook it on the spot. No packaged or frozen food here! There are other options like a Nasi Padang, Bak Tu Keh(clear pork rib soup) or you could try Ah Kong Fish Ball Noodles which literally translates to Grandpa's fish ball noodles. I could go on but simply there are dozens of choices and if you are shopping in a group you can share a lunch with amazing variety.

Finally when you are done shopping for that new dress or pair of jeans, you need to feed the gang at home or stock up on toilet paper. Vivo caters for these needs as well with the giant Vivo Foodmart. It's a 3 level grocery store which should allow you to get your meat, vegetables, seafood and household items.

Overall Vivo City was a great experience, I expect when I next come back I will definitely return to a more polished facility. Getting there is made easier by the fact that it is serviced by the MRT and taxis are readily accessible. If you drive a parking tower is there fr your convenience.

With a mix of huge department stores and niche stores, a well stocked grocery store, and numerous cuisine options Vivo City has the makings of a one stop shopping paradise that will perhaps start to lure shoppers away from the Orchard Road shopping precinct.
 

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