If you have visited Suntec City of late, you might have noticed a curious minimart called China Commodity. This minimart – albeit nowhere near the size of other supermarkets within the same building – truly lives up to its name. While it wouldn’t be wrong to describe it as a shop where everything is made in China, what sets this shop apart from others is that it specialises in food and household products from China brands. It looks like it is targeted at Chinese nationals in Singapore or those who love cuisine from the mainland.
The China Commodity store at Suntec City.
Snacks
For those who love snacks, you will be in for a treat at the snacks section. We found Lay’s potato chips, with unusual Chinese flavours–different from the usual sour cream and cheddar variety. There are also ‘healthy’ snacks–like dried wolf berries good for eyesight.It would be unforgivable for the store not to stock the iconic White Rabbit candy which those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 80s will recall from their childhood of yesteryear; I was not disappointed.
‘Tomato’ and ‘Finger Licking Braised Pork’ flavoured Lay’s Stax chips.
‘Sizzled Barbecue’ and ‘lime’ flavoured Lay’s Stax chips.
Chinese-origin brand chips – this Single Dog brand is popular nowadays.
Swiss rolls and little bread rolls are favourites for long road trips on the mainland.
Moving on to the ‘healthier’ (relatively) snacks like fruit crisps and haw.
Dried wolfberries and red dates. Wolfberries are good for the eyesight and red dates, or jujubes are said to be the new ‘superfood’ today, being full of vitamins and antioxidants.
Walnuts from Yunnan province, and red dates and ginger-flavoured candy.
White Rabbit candy, the childhood favourite. Enough said.
Cooking condiments
Cooking aficionados and those who love DIY mala hotpot meals at home will be happy to note that the China Commodity store also stocks a whole range of condiments, seasoning and cooking wine.
Wine used in cooking.
Various pastes made from mushrooms, beans and chillies.
More pastes, including the love-it-or-hate-it fermented beancurd. Pickles too.
Black vinegar.
Quick meals
For those seeking a fuss-free meal, there are frozen dumplings and instant noodles in flavours like Chongqing sour and spicy noodles, and Yunnan’s trademark ‘crossing the bridge’ noodles, not commonly found in local supermarkets.
Dumplings.
Instant noodles with flavours not found yet in our local supermarkets.
Dairy products
In recent years, the Chinese have gained a really big appetite for dairy products after the Beijing 2008 Olympics saw the rise of major sponsors like Yili which manufacturers milk products from the Inner Mongolia region. The store stocks milk tea, a ubiquitous sight at every convenience store in China, and a variety of yoghurt drinks.
Milk tea.
Yoghurt drinks and other beverages.
Alcohol
Besides cooking wine, the China Commodity store carries a variety of beers and top Chinese wines. You can find the famous Tsingtao beer and Cheerday Qiandaohu beer from the ‘Thousand Island’ lake in Hangzhou.
Cheerday Qiandaohu beer and Tsingtao beer.
Wines are the most costly items in the store.
More wines.
Non-food items
The shop doesn’t just sell food items. To our surprise, we also discovered an entire shelf of curated Chinese fiction and non-fiction, including travel guides on the mainland. Toiletries products feature too.
A curated selection of books from and about China.
Bath gel.
Tissue.
Toothpaste, with herbal medicine fragrance.
The China Commodity store is definitely worth checking out for Chinese mainlanders residing in Singapore, as well as locals who like to cook Chinese food and are keen to try the range of Chinese flavours and alcohol. Word has it that there’s an outlet in Geylang too, but otherwise this Suntec store is a convenient stop.
China Commodity
East Wing, #02-611/611A/612/612A
Suntec City
Singapore 038983
