Place to buy dinnerware

[Sarah.b]

Hi all,

I've recently relocated to singapore and left all my plates and dinnerware back home for fear of breakage. Does anyone know of a good place to buy those here in singapore? (Not ikea pls!)

Thanks in advance for any help!
Sarah

[sundaymorningstaple]

C. K. Tang. Corner of Orchard & Scotts in the basement level. Or Robinsons.

[x9200]

C.K. Tangs is also in Vivo City.

Another place with reasonable dinnerware choice in Orchard area is Takashimaya (B1). Some stuff is also at Spotlights and Courts (http://www.courts.com.sg/tableware-2063-2081-t.html) I believe.
Yet another place is Lim’s Arts and Living (Holland Village). They do not focus on dinnerware but they used to have very nice sets.

Lastly, there is also Tott with a focus on cookware but with a choice of tableware too.
https://www.tottstore.com/

[JR8]

In all my time here I still have never been to Tott

From all I've heard it sounds great, as a pro/serious-amateur cook's supply story. I'm going to send the link to my wife and remind her we have to visit!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Tott's had prices to match the inflated prices of Cold Storage and Jason's and such as well. Nice stuff, but definitely on the pricey side. Makes Takashimya look like NTUC Fairprice Finest. But if you are a seasoned gormet cook or an aspiring one, it's probably a one stop shop in getting all you need up and including cooking/baking lessons (they also have fully equipped kitchen classrooms).

[x9200]

Tott is a one stop place for what perhaps could be bought elsewhere cheaper but may be a challenge for an average, non-professional person to find. For example, I like very much all what they can offer for Japanese (tableware), Korean and Chinese (cookware). Things like hot plates or traditional pots:



Together with the burner's holder (I don't know how to name it) etc.

Or bamboo dim sums steamers.

Perhaps they are overpriced but for the above, this is a $2-20 range so I would not bother.

[JR8]

It's interesting the difference between pro/trade shops, and posh home-cook shops.
I'd always thought a trade shop would be cheaper, but it's usually the opposite. Counter-intuitve as their stuff is often less glitzy. But they're good to peruse items and ideas re: work-horse items, that you'll never see in Taka etc.

Imagine going to Taka and buying a serious wok that will outlive you; not non-stick, has to be washed and oiled after every use -> never.

...I'm trying to reel the wife in, I sent her a link to their muffins and cookies class



p.s. I like the look of those JPnese stew-pots, so much classier than Le Creuset, and not French lol

[the lynx]

Crate & Barrel (all three of them in Orchard area), Tangs (many malls), Robinsons (many malls).

IKEA is not bad for dinnerware actually. Unless you want really branded stuff (then yes to the above list).

[Primrose Hill]

Yup, I do want to go to Totts too

[JR8]

Our daily crockery is from IKEA, and for me it has been for 10+ years. It's plain white, robustly made, and inexpensive. Plus, I also know if stuff gets broken I can replace it with precisely the same product today.

That's why their kitchen stuff is also ideal to provide in a rental apartment, if it's let on a furnished basis. As if a tenant breaks patterned crockery, odds on that design has been discontinued, and then the landlord is obliged to replace everything of that same design. Reason being if a prospective tenant opens a kitchen cupboard and sees a whole jumble of random crockery it creates a very negative impression, whereas a visually 'clean' stack of all white crockery suggests order and has positive appeal. [And no prospective tenant ever starts picking up crockery to see who it's manufactured by!]. But if you replace a whole range of patterned items when the tenant only broke a few items, it is *guaranteed* to kick off WW3.

p.s. I was curious whether it was Tott or Totts. Perhaps a victim of local mis-pluralisation. Nope, apparently it's the acronym for 'Tools of the trade'... so FWIW (very little, I know ) it is indeed Tott.

[Primrose Hill]

No idea if it is TOTTS or TOTT.
I do use IKEA dinner plates here but I do not supply china in our rental properties even though it is rented out as furnished.

[JR8]

I don't let furnished any more. I've only done it once, and I quickly realised it's a real PITA and doesn't increase the rent at all either. Even worse when you've furnished a place and a prospective tenant asks is much or even all of it can be removed as he has his own stuff.

These days I aim for unfurnished+just enough furniture to legitimately claim the 'furnished let allowance', which at 10% is significant! The legal hurdle for that is that the tenant must be provided with the basic means to 'Sit, sup, and sleep', sup akin to supper and meaning eat. So all it needs is a say a sofa and armchair in a typical one bed flat, a table and chairs in the kitchen/dining room, and a bed. A pretty generous allowance, esp if you buy tenant-proof furniture that's going to last a while.

Edit/add: +1 @ CG below, appreciate the tip!

[curiousgeorge]

If you like Tott (and I do), then you should also try Sia Huat on Temple Street. Tott is basically the glitzy side of the same business, Sia Huat is a bit more pro. A lot of items sold in both stores, I believe SH is cheaper...

[Sharon123]

I had some difficulties looking for affordable and durable dinnerware in Singapore too. Didn't like ikea plates as the designs r very plain... And when I host guests over at my place, would like to display the food in fancier dinnerware. Went to places like totts, crate and barrel, robinsons, but find that the pricing is a bit steep!

Thankfully I chanced upon this online shop recently ,

[sanitized by the Moderator]

They have a varied range of designs, and all quite pretty ! Also the pricing is very reasonable. Some of the designs are similar crate and barrel but it's half the price .

Hope this helps!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Just registered today.....
To link an online shop......


moderator