[top photo: Chocolate truffles sold at Borough market, London]
By Daphne Lee
"WELCOME to east London," says our tour guide as we hop off the tube at Liverpool Street station.
A five-minute walk later, I am in a vibrant area of art museums, markets and boutiques. With a burgeoning creative community living and working in the area, East London has become a hip enclave thronged by Londoners.
It teems with vintage fashion shops that you can wander in and out of, and no two are alike. This is where models and stylists go, to comb the stores for personal buys and fashion inspiration.
At Absolute Vintage, my eyes are drawn to the rows of vintage shoes - pretty pumps, old-time bowler shoes and chunky boots - that have found a place in this store on Brick Lane.
In another store, the Laden Showroom, new fashion designers can rent space to display their creations. Popular retail chain Topshop is known to scout for up-and-coming design talents here.
There are many other imaginative stores, such as Junky Styling which recycles used clothing by transforming them into new, one-of-a-kind designs.
Not far from Brick Lane is the famous Brick Lane Beigel Bake shop that is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. The shop sells bagels that are prepared fresh with hot salted beef. Just be prepared to join the queue of people waiting to grab a bite.
To market, to market London's bustling markets are good places to mingle with the locals. My first stop is the Old Spitalfields Market in east London.
This used to be the main fruit and vegetable market and it has been spruced up considerably.
On Thursdays, the stalls sell antique wares, bric-a-brac, and vintage accessories, clothes and other items. At one of the stalls, I snap up a set of six vintage teacups, saucers and sugar bowl at a bargain price of £42 ($93).
Vintage finds
Portobello Market in west London is a favourite among Londoners for weekend browsing. Portobello Road runs through the heart of Notting Hill, the area made famous by the movie of the same name.
I wander past the antique stores to the fashion stores, lose my way and stumble upon the start of the fruit and vegetable section.
Portobello Market extends for 3.2km and if you are able to complete exploring the entire length, you end up with a shopping experience that is varied and diverse. People peddle wares of all kinds, mostly antiques that range from teapots and porcelain ware, to other treasured items such as maps and vintage jewellery.
Enjoy the busy atmosphere by watching from a street corner, or plunge in with the rest of the shoppers to sniff out a bargain.
The real highlight for me is my visit to Borough Market, London's oldest market, where celebrity chef Jamie Oliver shops for his produce.
People crowd the stores, and you rub shoulders with the locals shopping for groceries.
The stalls sell specialist foods such as fresh handmade pasta, caramel sweets made with unrefined sugar, and varieties of chocolate truffles to choose from.
You can sample the foods and most vendors are happy to share recipes using their ingredients. It is this experience that draws the crowds, which comprise locals and tourists alike.
I am happy with my purchase of two packets of alcohol-infused chocolate truffles, a sweet ending to my market explorations.
The writer was a guest of AirAsia X and Visit Britain.
