Yishun Spice Shop With Rempah Pastes From $4: Jeya Spices

Jeya Spices, at Blk 294 Yishun Street 22, #01-327, Singapore 760294, is a family spice shop on the ground floor of a public housing block, and it is one of the few places in the north where the curry powder on the shelf was milled in Singapore. If your spice shop near me search lands you in Yishun, this is where to buy garam masala, fish curry powder and ready-made rempah from a third-generation spice trader rather than from a supermarket aisle.

The homepage states that Jeya Spices was founded in 1947 and that the blends come from the family's own production facility in Mandai, where more than 150 different spice blends can be produced. A 2020 MustShareNews feature on the Yishun spiceman traced the line back to Jeya Seelan's grandfather, Ramanathan Chettiar, who set up shop in Singapore to practise the trade of mixing spices. Jeya's father carried it on, and the son took over after five years of apprenticeship.

That same article retold a story Jeya had shared online. As a boy, he noticed his father's work shirt came home streaked with beige, crimson and yellow, and when he asked what his father did all day, the answer was that he made magic. The About page today frames the business as a tradition handed down through three generations and led by Jeya, who set out to modernise it and bring proper spice knowledge to home cooks. His original post about the shop had drawn more than 1,400 shares when that article ran, a sign of how many Singaporeans still care about curry powder that was blended by hand.

The shop's promise is simple. The About page says spices are milled locally in small batches, sourced from suppliers the family can trace, and blended with no fillers, artificial colouring or preservatives. The homepage adds that blending happens daily. It also mentions spice workshops, cooking demonstrations and mill tours, which are worth asking about through the contact page if you want to see the Mandai side of the operation.

Prices below are the ones on the official online shop. The dry blends are the backbone. Garam masala is $2.94 for 100g, $6.47 for 250g and $1.76 for a 40g pack, which is enough to try before committing. Fish curry powder is $2.94 for 250g, chicken curry powder is $4.12 for 250g, and the South Indian staples sambar and rasam are $2.35 each for 100g. Briyani powder costs $2.00 for 50g, while tandoori masala and fish fry blend are $1.76 for 40g.

The wet rempah range is what sets Jeya apart from most small spice shops. These are pastes made from freshly blended aromatics and spice powders milled in the family factory, again with no preservatives, according to the homepage. Most come in 300g tubs at $4.00, including local chicken curry, fish curry, rendang, Singapore laksa, mee siam, asam pedas, soto ayam and sambal chicken. Butter chicken, biryani rice and nasi lemak chilli pastes come in 160g packs, also at $4.00.

For basics, the dry chilli paste and fresh red chilli paste are $2.35 for 200g, and ginger garlic paste and turmeric paste are $1.76 for 100g. The online shop also lists whole spices, pure spice powders, dried fish, grains, nuts and lentils and cooking oils, so you can stock a full curry pantry in one trip. Malay dishes are covered too, with masak merah powder at $1.50 for 50g and sup kambing powder at $1.50 for 60g.

Start with one wet rempah and one dry blend for the same dish. A tub of rendang paste plus the 50g rendang powder at $1.76 lets you compare a quick weeknight version with a slower one built from the powder. Ask what came out of the mill most recently, because the whole point of a small-batch shop is freshness. Buy small packs of anything you use rarely, and keep the opened packets in airtight jars away from the stove.

Bring a reusable bag and some patience. This is a neighbourhood shop serving neighbours, and the people ahead of you may be stocking up for a family curry or a festival meal. Rempah tubs should go straight into the fridge once you are home, so plan the visit as the last stop of the day if you are carrying them across the island. If the Yishun trip is too far, the contact page lists a second shop at Blk 441 Pasir Ris Drive 6, #01-82, Singapore 510441.

The 2020 feature put the walk from Yishun MRT station at roughly 15 minutes, which is pleasant in the cooler part of the morning and long in the midday sun. A short bus ride from the interchange beside the station is the alternative on a hot afternoon. The route takes you through the ordinary heartland that most visitors skip, with void-deck coffee shops, provision stores and neighbourhood playgrounds between the blocks.

Before or after the shop, Northpoint City beside Yishun MRT is the easy place for lunch, air conditioning and an errand or two. For green space, Yishun Park is a calm stretch of trees and walking paths in the middle of the town. Lower Seletar Reservoir Park, a short ride east, has a waterside promenade that is lovely around sunset. Leave the rempah for the end of the walk, so it spends less time out of the fridge.

Address: Blk 294 Yishun Street 22, #01-327, Singapore 760294. Second outlet: Blk 441 Pasir Ris Drive 6, #01-82, Singapore 510441. Founded: 1947, according to the homepage, with blends milled in Mandai. Prices from the online shop: garam masala $2.94 for 100g, chicken curry powder $4.12 for 250g, wet rempah $4.00 per tub. Contact is through the form and email on the official website, which publishes no phone number.

Best for fresh dry blends, Malay and Indian rempah pastes and small trial packs. Ask Karpo to plan a north Singapore day that pairs the shop with Yishun Park or the Lower Seletar waterfront.