Cow Play Cow Moo (Bishan)

Cow Play Cow Moo at Bishan sits on the second floor of the NTUC Club clubhouse rather than in a mall, a few minutes from Bishan station.

It is the smallest branch in the chain and makes no attempt to hide it: one modest floor of claw machines with a handful of cabinets, reached by escalator from the clubhouse entrance. What it has is condition and calm. The machines are among the newest the chain runs, and because it sits inside a clubhouse rather than on a mall thoroughfare it is rarely busy — you can work a machine for as long as you like without a queue forming behind you.

The staff are quick and genuinely helpful, topping up cards before you have to ask. This is a small floor, so if you want a wide spread of cabinets the Suntec or Jurong Point branches are the ones to travel for. The room warms up noticeably once it fills, which is worth knowing if you have a child who wilts in the heat.