Lou Shang (楼上)
If you thought Mama Diam along Prinsep Street was an elusive find, its latest sibling, Lou Shang (楼上), takes the term "hidden gem" up a notch - quite literally. Tucked away on the second floor of Mama Diam, Lou Shang serves as a cafe by day and a cocktail bar by night.
To discover this retro haven, all you need to do is ascend the staircase beside the quaint Mama shop at the ground level. It leads you to a mock HDB lift lobby complete with a notice board and letterbox. Press the lift button and voila - you're ushered into an old Singaporean HDB estate. The cafe embraces its HDB theme down to the minutest details: old-school window grills, louvre windows, colorful plastic-wrapped bamboo poles with hanging garments, and even Chinese altars hanging outside mock HDB units. This place has it all.
Lou Shang's culinary offerings attempt to give a creative spin to traditional Singaporean fare, but it's a mixed bag. Here’s a rundown.
Breakfast
Rainbow Roti ($9): A beautiful display of rainbow-colored bread is accompanied by a selection of flavoured custards like kaya, milk, chocolate, and bandung. A visually captivating dish that might work better on Instagram than on your palate.
Small Bites
XO Crab Dip with Papadum ($16): Imagine scooping generous amounts of crab meat mixed with XO mayonnaise and chives onto a crisp piece of papadum. It is an explosion of flavours that will leave you craving for more.
Roti Hey ($13): A fusion marvel, the dish consists of a Tiger Prawn cake elegantly laid on a baguette, deep fried, and doused in rich Nonya Chicken curry gravy.
Har Cheong Gai ($13): Fried chicken wings marinated in prawn paste that captures the essence of the original recipe.
Noodles
Chili Crab-tivating ($20): A daring mix of Crab and Ricotta Ravioli presented in a plate of sweet spicy Singapore Chili crab sauce.
Hokkien Prawn-tastic ($18): A plate of pork and prawn tortellini mimics local fried Hokkien mee. The dish is garnished with chives, egg, and beansprouts, and served with sambal chili and calamansi on the side.
Oink Oink ($18): The braised pork trotter tortiglioni could shine with a bit more attention to detail.
Desserts
Cinna Cake ($12): Warm cinnamon cake served alongside a scoop of green apple pie gelato.
TuTu Kueh ($13): It may look like traditional Tutu Kueh, but it's a blend of coconut mousse with a core of gula melaka, surrounded by vanilla chiffon. A clever presentation that sadly does not deliver on taste.
Gem Biscuit ($13): This dessert resembles the old-school ice gem biscuit but comprises layers of Earl Grey mousse, vanilla crème brûlée, and chiffon cake.
Lou Shang is definitely a nostalgic adventure filled with culinary twists. However, while the ambiance scores high marks for its attention to detail, the food, despite its creativity, leans towards the pricier side considering their portion sizes. The desserts, in particular, look more promising than they taste.
The venue may benefit from reinventing its culinary approach to encourage repeat visits. One visit might suffice for the novelty, but for regular dining, Lou Shang will need to do a bit more.
So, is it a must-visit? Yes, to relive the Singapore of yesteryears, and maybe you'll find that the trip down memory lane is just as tasty as it is visually pleasing. But perhaps just once, unless they keep surprising us.
Lou Shang (楼上)
38 Prinsep Street
Singapore 188665
Cafe
9:00am - 5:00pm
Bar
6:00pm - 11:00pm
