The Missing Pan | Cosy Bakery-Cafe in Bukit Timah

11th March 2015.

Tucked away in a row of shophouses along Bukit Timah Road near Coronation Plaza is a cosy little bakery and brasserie named the Missing Pan. Opened by Bernard Toh and Grace Chia, the masterminds behind the former Upper Crust, an organic bakery, this elegant and serene little bakery-café has been around for some time now.

"The name The Missing Pan invites curiosity and conjures up scenes of a busy chef who has lost his pan, and a bustling kitchen of animated crockery and runaway spoons."

- the inspiration for the cafe's name by Asylum, a local design agency which designed for the Missing Pan.

While the café might be known for its brunch, I was given the opportunity to try some of the food served at the Missing Pan, including some of their main courses for the diner seeking for a more substantial meal at the Missing Pan.

Here are some of the items I tried :

Caesar Salad / 10.00++ SGD | Creamy, leafy, crunchy salad. Okay.

Romaine lettuce, bacon, garlic croutons, 62 degrees egg, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing.

The addition of a runny egg yolk for the Caesar salad gives this salad an even more creamy texture. If you are into heavier salads with thicker dressings rather than the lighter leafy ones, this Caesar Salad is a decent choice.

Chorizo Fiesta / 10.00++ SGD | Good choice of condiments but ordinary at best.

Spanish pork sausage, dried chilli, gherkin, black olives.

This is one of the least memorable dishes for the meal. The chorizo was tough but I liked the pairing of gherkins and black olives that complemented the spiciness of the chorizo. However, that isn’t enough to make me order this dish again.

Chargrilled Squid / 12.00++ SGD | Excellent. Could have more punch though.

Marinated in our hush hush seasoning. A little spicy!

This was really good, the squid was succulent with crispy bits from the grill and the sweet and sour seasoning was very tasty. The accompanying Honey-Lime Mayonnaise goes well with the squid too. It is a lot less spicy than I expected and mild in comparison to Immigrants Gastrobar’s Squid Bombs which packed a lot more punch and has a build-up in spiciness. 

If you really like the spicy until shiok kind of food, you might find this a little on the milder side. On the other hand, the mildness meant that this is a pretty good appetizer to share.

Mushroom Quesadillas / 18.00++ SGD | Not bad.

Wild mushrooms, capsicum, Spanish onions, mozzarella.

The mushroom quesadillas is a fresh alternative to the usual vegetarian pasta option for vegetarians. This is a really enjoyable comfort food, crispy, sheet-like quesadillas paired with stringy mozzarella cheese and a variety of ingredients such as mix of mushrooms, crunchy capsicum and mildly sweet Spanish onions, great for a light snack while meeting friends or relaxing by the window.

French Toast Salpicon / 19.00++ SGD | Like birds out of a pie, this is a surprise mix of sweet & savoury.

Chicken, spinach and mushroom stuffed in French Toast, banana nuggets, mixed berries, strawberry and smoked maple syrup.

Salpicon refers to minced or diced ingredients bounded with a sauce or liquid. This French Toast is quite huge and it is probably one of the most instagrammed items from the Missing Pan. Rather than a French toast, closer to a quiche with a generous filling of chicken, spinach and mushroom garnished with a sweet mix of maple syrup, berries and fried banana. In short, a very interesting dish.

Smoked Duck Risotto / 25.00++ SGD| Robust flavours. Good.

Smoked Duck Breast, semi sun-dried tomato, hojimeishi mushrooms and baby spinach.

The Smoked Duck Risotto was highly recommended by a friend of mine. I seldom see smoked duck as an ingredient beyond salads. Hence, I was interested to find out how the risotto here fare.  This was pretty good in terms of flavour and the entire resembles a Japanese zosui or ojiya, a thick, flavorful porridge dish.

In other words, this is a delicious comfort food with familiar flavours and textures. On a rainy day, this would be awesome.

Prawn Aglio Olio / $24.00++ | Excellent.

Tiger prawns, spaghetti, chilli padi, parsley, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

The Prawn Aglio Olio here was really good, the prawns were crunchy and succulent, and the spaghetti was just right and well coated with the olive oil without coming across as soggy or too dry. The mix of spiciness from the chilli padi and fragrance from the olive oil and parsley was spot-on too.

Aglio Olio is a seemingly simple dish that is not easy to get it right but Missing Pan does a rather excellent one. Hopefully, this will not be a one-off miracle.

German Baby Back Ribs / $36.00++ | Very Good.

Flame grilled, glazed with signature bbq sauce, fries and mesclun salad.

For the meat-lovers, die Gegrillte Rippchen mit pommes und mesclun salat, is the dish to pick at the Missing Pan. The ribs were well marinated and seasoned with a sweet-spicy mix. The meat was tender but slightly on a dry side on some parts but the marinade and seasoning compensated for that. The straight cut fries were decent but not memorable.

How German is this? I have no clue =p

Lastly we are on to the desserts… the Missing Pan has no shortage of desserts (and a portfolio of cakes) to enjoy with coffee exclusively sourced from Coffee Culture. They have a special blend made for the Missing Pan.

Panna Cotta / $12.00++ | Looks like Tofu…..but Excellent.

Mango passionfruit jelly, blackcurrant coulis
This would not resemble any panna cotta that you would have before but don’t let its appearance (which somewhat resemble the tubes of tofu) discourage you from having this as a dessert. The pudding-like and milky dessert was really good with hints of vanilla. The mango-passionfruit jelly goes very well with the panna cotta as well.

Black Forest with Kirsch Liqueur / $8.00++ | A decent classic.

The Missing Pan’s Blackforest is just one of the many cakes available others include the highly recommended Pleasure Cake. However, I have a soft-spot for the blackforest cake and this turned out to be decent. The kirsch wasn’t strong (which some might find disappointing but not me) and it wasn’t overwhelmed with cream, with more emphasis on the chocolate and berries instead. On top of that, this is a firmer rendition of the blackforest cake.

Brownie & Thyme Ice Cream / $12.00++ | Fascinating mix but needs more tuning.

Homemade thyme ice cream, nutty brownie, berry compote and crumble.
Thyme ice cream caught my attention. It was surprisingly mild but quite nice and makes an interesting combination with the dark chocolate brownies. Presentation wise, it was quite unique too. Nonetheless, I thought this has a bit more tuning to do.

Overall, if you have noticed, the Missing Pan’s forte is in comfort food with a little beat of playfulness and whimsical innovation. This atmosphere is well captured in its interior décor as well as branding which was designed by none other than Asylum, a local design agency founded by Chris Lee. Asylum also designed by Lolla and the White Rabbit.

It reminded me of Pidgin when it started out (though more upscale in comparison), I liked that emphasis on comfort food and the element of casualness and playfulness. I would love to come back here again for coffee or breakfast. It is a nice place and they have discounts for students too!

The Missing Pan

619D Bukit Timah Road

#01/02-01 Singapore 269724

T. 65 6466 4377

Opening hours:

Tuesday - Sunday from 10am - 10pm

Thank You Cyndiana and Go-oun from FoodNews for the invitation!