The Missing Pan

There are so many brunch places along this stretch of shophouses on Bukit Timah and I feel that The Missing Pan is just average, hence the three stars which might be a bit harsh but four is too generous so I’ll stick to three stars.
I had the Beef French Toast Salpicon which is a thick slice of French Toast stuffed with a beef stew and topped with fresh fruit. This was ok, but although I am a big fan of brunch dishes which combine sweet and savory (like Chicken & Waffles) this did nothing special for me: the taste of the beef overpowered the French Toast, it felt a bit like I was eating beef stew with a hint if sweet syrup.
I noticed that previous reviewers spoke about this dish containing chicken, I am not sure why they changed it as I believe a chicken stew would be better to accompany the French toast.
We also had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict which was also ok, but we both agreed that Choupinette (which is on the same block) does a much better version. Additionally you only get one egg, whilst other places give you two for the same price.
Would I return? Probably not considering the many other places in the neighborhood who offer brunch but don’t think it is too bad either.

After achieving raving success for its delicious brunch dishes, The Missing Pan, a cosy bakery-​cum-​brasserie at Bukit Timah, has launched several new main courses and light bites that are perfect for sharing over dinner. The good news is that they are available all-​day just like their hearty brunches.
Highlights from the «Munch» section include this Chorizo Pork Fiesta ($ 10), a generous serving of intensely savory Spanish pork sausages that are bouncy on the teeth. I thought the meaty discs combined with black olives were a little too salty on their own, but the acidic crunchy gherkins and dried chili acted as good mediators in terms of both flavors and textures.
I am not a fan of squid but this Chargrilled Squid ($ 12) were so sweet and succulent that made me rediscovered the charm of this brainy seafood. The enticingly sweet and spicy «hush hush» seasoning probably won a lot of points for this dish, which implied that the side dressing of honey lime mayonnaise did not serve much purpose but this would taste equally mouthwatering even if other seafood are tossed in.
The Mushroom Quesadillas ($ 18) had the basic necessary ingredients such as wild mushrooms, bell peppers, onions and mozzarella but the taste fell rather flat. It was a pity because the tortilla skin made in-​house was excellently crisp and fresh. Perhaps a mix of cheese and a little more spice would bring about clarity of flavors.
Nonetheless, regardless whether you have visited in the past for the food, the Smoked Duck Risotto ($ 25) provided another good reason to dine here. Instead of slices of smoked duck breast, the meat was meticulously chopped into bite sizes, blending itself seamlessly with the rest of the ingredients including hojimeishi mushrooms and baby spinach. The bright zesty flavor of the semi sun-​dried tomato lightened everything instantly and served as a good foil for the rich and creamy base.
The vigilant eye for consistent quality food is not kept to the main courses but also the desserts section, where non-​conventional pairings like thyme ice cream and nutty brownie would invite you to linger for more. Take for example the Frozen Honey Nougat ($ 12) that was flecked with pistachio nuts, dried almonds, and jazzed up with a delicate and aromatic coconut tuile biscuit. I was amazed how this chilled meringue was so restrained in sweetness, even when consumed with the meringue sticks. This is definitely a wonderfully refreshing and healthier confection than the usual ice cream to tide sweet cravings.
Topped with all kinds of fruits you can imagine-​from the usual berries to apples, grapes and even watermelon, the humble Bread and Butter pudding with Vanilla Crème was transformed into the largest and possibly most beautifully plated version I’ve ever seen. This eggy pud would set you back at only $ 8, but increase your belt size by another hole. Begetting a long swipe through the vanilla crème and cocoa crumbs, the lush custardy interior would be perfect if it had a toastier exterior.

one of the better brunch places in the new morass of food establishments — how do they keep popping up?! — with generous portions, good cooking, and a beautiful space (and bad ventilation, though that depends on where you’re sitting). I’m very pleased with this place — I haven’t left so full and satisfied after brunch for a long time, service is mostly prompt and food comes quickly, and prices aren’t crazy.
very good, and well worth a visit. almost everything we ordered was good to excellent — with flavor that feels both comforting and homely. big sizes too, even for my large appetite.
1) the bircher muesli was a pretty darn big bowl of soaked oats and fruit — I only wish they hadn’t used quaker oats, which has a rather distinctive musty cupboardy taste (does anyone else get that?) — very filling, and not-​too-​sweet.
2) a slice of tiramisu, with a fluffy mascarpone layer and a cake layer soaked with coffee syrup — very lovely, and a decent slice for not being too dense
3) savories: a big-​breakfast type offering with scrambled eggs, sautéed corn-​and-​mushrooms and sausage, as well as french toast stuffed with sautéed chicken and spinach with fruit atop. classics, but with good twists.
4) the pumpkin salad tends on the sweet side with the walnuts, raisins, and a slightly sweet dressing. it’s a good mix with the crunchy romaine, and a good example of salad that doesn’t rely on meat for heartiness.
this is possibly as good a brunch place as I’ve come across recently — it reminds me of wild honey, in style of food and portions, though it certainly doesn’t come with the same price tag (this place is so much more reasonably-​priced). keep in mind the big portions — you’d do well with one dish a person — even with our green, we could barely finish our side orders.

They said they don’t answer phone on weekend, so how do we make reservation?
Food is average.
Staff were unorganised.

Taking over the space of 7-​Eleven is this new café called The Missing Pan. Opened by The Organic Baker (who owns Meat the Butcher and Eat Organic a few shops away), they have formerly operated at OUB Centre and Circular Road as UpperCrust. Spanning 2 levels of seatings (there’s another 2 levels which I don’t know where it leads to), there is a lift inside the shop to facilitate the move between both levels (there is also a staircase right beside for people who aren’t willing to wait).
For a start, they served complementary baguette. The Iced Chocolate is rather diluted. Otherwise, the quantity is a lot.
The Flat White ($ 7.50++) is ok although it is slightly burnt and thus had a bitter taste. X had this last week while he was here and he had the same comments as well.
The Over Hangover ($ 5.50++) consists of chicken schnitzel, bacon and sunny-​side egg sandwiched by the sourdough, bacon vinaigrette and served with chips. This is great to order.
The Crustacean ($ 24++) is rather acceptable. The serving is rather generous, and the pasta taste great. However, some of the crustaceans were not thoroughly cooked and tastes rather raw. Notwithstanding, this is something that can be ordered if you want something pasta (provided you take seafood).
The 62 Degree Eggs Benedict with Ham ($ 19++) had honey-​grilled gammon ham, sauteed spinach and mushroom and buttered corn spreaded with in-​house hollandaise sauce on top of 2 pieces of sourdough and served with salad. This is a definite must order. The ham tasted great. The egg was
The Iced Mocha ($ 7.50++) tasted better than the Iced Chocolate as it is more concentrated in terms of chocolate taste. The amount of milk added is also just right.
The Cioccolatto ($ 8++), a dessert consisting of a chocolate cream (in the form of a ball), sprinkled with Maldon salt flakes and vanilla-​infused olive oil and topped with a sugared bread, came out rather disappointing as we thought the quantity would have been slightly more. The chocolate cream was rather rich (we thought it was chocolate ice cream at first and as such thought it tasted odd). The use of Maldon salt flakes and olive oil made the chocolate cream tasted odd as well. Probably I do not know how to appreciate this dish, but I feel it isn’t to my liking.
If you are around the Bukit Timah area and looking for a café to have dinner at with family and friends, this is the place to consider.

A good love story always begins with fresh, rustic bread. That’s how The Missing Pan was started by by artisan bakers and husband-​and-​wife team Bernard Toh and Grace Chia in November 2013. I couldn’t help but fall in love with this all-​day bakery/​brasserie that serves up freshly baked organic breads in their little shophouse along Bukit Timah Road.
The first level is the bakery that spills out to the small alfresco area along the sidewalk. But hidden on the upper floor is a cosy brasserie where diners get to enjoy more elaborate meals.
We started with the Bircher Muesli ($ 10), my go to when I want something healthier. TMP’s version is smoother but you could still get the great taste of Granny Smith, muesli, puffed brown rice, oats, maple syrup, nuts, cinnamon in a yogurt mix. I love how tangy the dish was and it’s a great starter to share but it certainly will fill you up if you have it as a main.
The French Toast Salpicon ($ 19) is a delightful plate with the many colorful fruits. It may look like an ordinary sweet french toast but it hides a huge secret within it.
Cut through that fluffy brioche and out spills a savory combination of chicken, spinach and mushrooms. Weird it is not, in fact I thought the gravy could be more creamy and savory. It’s really a go-​bold-​or-​go-​home dish. The strawberry-​smoked maple syrup was delightful with the toast though.
The 62 Degree Eggs Benedict with Smoked salmon ($ 22) is another favorite with diners. TMP got all the ingredients right; perfect salmon, creamy avocado, seaweed crumbs on crunchy sourdough but the somewhat weak in-​house hollandaise sauce didn’t managed to lift the dish. The overall taste was a lil blah.
The Guinness Pot Pie ($ 24) got most of the things right. Hearty beef stew with Guinness topped with a buttery flaky puffed pastry. This is the perfect cold weather dish!
For desserts, the Mela Con Formaggi ($ 14) is a sweet-​savoury combination of granny smith, banana caramel sauce, chocolate soil, citrus mascarpone, homemade honeycomb and parmigiano reggiano chips. I couldn’t stop eating this one.
The Chewy Brownie Coffee Cheesecake ($ 7.20) will satisfy your coffee addiction. I loves the creamy cheesecake on top and the chewy chocolate brownie base. Delicious!
My mean cup of coffee complemented the sweets well. TMP uses a special blend customised by a local coffee roaster. The coffee is smooth with slight chocolatey undertones. If coffee is not your thang, there are milkshakes, ciders and a good selection of craft beers from Belgium and the United Kingdom.
The Missing Pan also offers hearty dinners such as Pan-​Fried Red Snapper ($ 24) and roasted chicken. Or if you’re like me, you can always have toast for dinner!

Came for dinner and had the beef cheek, ramen and squid ink risotto — all spectacularly prepared. Highly recommended. :)

Another meh brunch place I’m afraid.
The bread is fantastic I’ll give you that. I liked the french toast, sans the weird, totally pointless chicken/​spinach stuffing that added nothing to the dish. Salpicon is what makes great tostadas, chicken roulade or interesting vol-​au-​vents canapes at cocktails. In this case, I’d probably stick to ordering the french toast off the kid’s menu.
That was off the dude’s granite tile (yes plates are too under «conceptual» here). I ordered the Oven Hangover, which in theory sounds glorious. Chicken schnitzel, fried bacon, fried egg… on a great piece of sourdough. Except there wasn’t any fat — no avocados, mayo, nada — to take the edge off the grease overload. And there was no seasoning. I know I wasn’t the only one who found my stack bland because the guy at the next table asked for salt and pepper just as I asked for mayo, which the kitchen apparently doesn’t stock.
Guess my impression of this place is that they are trying to be different for the sake of differentiating an otherwise conventional brunch menu in a crowded market. A lot of thought seems to have gone into the interior design, but I think it’s important to get the basics of the food right. Oh and when you step out of the elevator to enter the brasserie, it’s weirdly positioned at the waiter’s station where they stand with their backs facing you and you awkwardly wait for a minute before *ahem*-ing so that the nonplussed waitress takes you to a table. So yep, I’ll still be heading down the row to Choupinette for my grilled cheese sandwich.