Downstairs – Void Deck-Themed Cafe That Will Bring Back Memories

Downstairs is a newly opened cafe in UE BizHub East (it’s located in the south wing). Inspired by a HDB void deck, it offers local dishes with a slight twist.

They’ve taken key elements of a void deck, and incorporated them into a cafe setting. You have a choice of sitting at a normal table, or the famous blue-tiled tables that you used to see at the foot of HDB blocks. My favourite part was the old letterboxes.

Now, let’s see if the food can evoke feelings of nostalgia as well.

I’m going to cut to the chase. The Rice with Honey Glazed BBQ Pork and Lava Egg ($6) really impressed. The sweet and spectacularly charred meat was perfectly moist and had the right amount of fat. It is honestly one of the best char siews I’ve ever had.

The lava egg and its jammy center acted as a dip for the char siew. After you’ve finished the yolk, just pop the whole egg in your mouth for a hit of soy sauce infused egg white.

Next up is the Braised Pork Belly Rice w Lava Egg ($6). My rule of thumb when eating lu rou fan is if you could eat the rice with just the gravy, you know it’s good stuff. This bowl fell just slightly short of that, unfortunately. However, I really liked the tender pork belly which had been slow-cooked for a few hours. The fatty bits gave a nice moisture to the pork as well. I also liked how the pickled vegetables on the side cut through the richness of the pork.

Last but not least, we tried the Nasi Lemak w Salted Egg Chicken ($8.50). The star of the dish was the crispy fried chicken coated in a salty, eggy sauce. The sauce was creamy but wasn’t too rich, so you won’t feel jelak after eating the whole plate. The chicken remained crispy throughout the meal, down to the last bite. I can see why this is one of the favourites amongst office workers in the area.

The sweet sambal, which had ikan bills in it, paired really well with the rice, so make sure to pile on the sambal in between bites for a delightful sweetness and a touch of heat.

Bring your kakis over to lepak at this void deck-inspired cafe. For each main course that you order, you can top up a $1 for a drink. Come downstairs for some good food, won’t you?

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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