The Missing Pan @ Upper Bukit Timah Road

This entry focuses on TMP's dinner menu. For review on The Missing Pan's brunch items, please click here. 

So yes, we went back on the same day wanting to try other brunch items but alas, it was not meant to be. But that did give us the opportunity to try out their dinner menu. Please make reservations if you're going for dinner on a weekend because it was full house when we went! 

 Complimentary bread and butter 

How nice it is when a restaurant offers complimentary bread. Such a simple gesture that doesn't cost much on the restaurant, but is a sincere display of one's hospitality. 

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Soup with Tom Yam Crouton ($10) 

An innovative twist to the traditional pumpkin soup, adding on a spicy and sour touch to the familiar pumpkin soup. Very nice.

Similar to their brunch menu which is meticulously designed and chosen, their dinner menu also ensures there's something for everyone no matter whether you've a carnivore, vegetarian, or pescetarian. 

Seafood Squid Ink Risotto ($24) 

All things squid ink have grown on me over the years, and as long as I'm with people I'm close to, almost always I'll go for squid ink. Well, you know how the lips and teeth turn black when you have this don't you. The seafood was fresh, risotto nicely done with a buttery taste. We scooped up every single morsel on the plate, save for licking it clean. 

A look at their dinner menu 

Whole Roasted Chicken for 2 ($35) 

Stuffed with olive and sundried tomato risotto, roasted root vegetables, homemade ketchup, garden greens 

IMHO, this is best shared amongst a party of at least four pax. If it's just the two of you, this may become a bit gelad after a while. This is such a farmer's dish, I felt like I was in a farmhouse tearing the chicken apart and scooping up the stuffings. Although nicely roasted on the outside, we felt that the meat inside, although tender, was on the bland side. 

La Passion ($14)

Meringue, passion fruit, fruits 

Check out those cute little mushroom-shaped meringues.

Berries 'N Cream 

At first we didn't fancy ordering this cake as it looked very creamy and pasty. However, it was surprisingly good. Modelled after strawberry shortcake but with mixed berries, it was light and fluffy in texture and not too sugar-laden. 

Besides the satisfying meals we had here, I also like the ambience here. The tables are spaced adequately in between, allowing you to have your own privacy. Although the place was full house, it was not too noisy because of how the place was structured. 

And psst, there's buy-1-get-1-free bread after 7pm! 

The Missing Pan

 619D Bukit Timah Road

#01/02-01 Singapore 269724T. 65 6466 4377

Opening hours:Tuesday - Sunday from 9am - 10pm

The Missing Pan @ Upper Bukit Timah Road

When the Sis and I knew that Grace and Bernard have opened a cafe in the very accessible area of Upper Bukit Timah Road (it's the row of shophouses facing main road, few doors down from My Little Spanish Place and beside Coronation Plaza), being food and brunch lovers, we knew we had to try it! What more a cafe opened by someone we know! Heh heh. 

TMP doesn't take reservations for brunch/lunch on weekends, but yes for dinners. We arrived at about 2.00pm on a Saturday and got seats at 2.15pm. By 2.45pm, most of the crowd had subsided. 

You can access their menu here. Although not a super extensive menu, you can tell that each item is carefully designed and selected with at least something that piques your fancy. For the seafood lover, there's Crustacean ($24; clams, mussels, prawns, in tomato pasta). If you're one who likes your meat, there's steak burger ($22), pulled pork burger ($19; a bestseller from the now-defunct Upper Crust run the same husband-and-wife duo), or Oven Hangover ($19; chicken schnitzel with bacon and sunny side up). Of course, for the brunch and eggs lovers, there's the Eggs Benedicts. 

What makes TMP different from other cafes or brunch places sprouting elsewhere like nobody's business is that they have their own in-house bakery! Taking pride in crafting good and heartwarming loaves, all the bread served in the brasserie comes from this bakery. TMP also provides bread to other cafes and bakeries on the island. 

Lychee & Lemon Soda ($6)

Mocha ($6.50) 

The lychee soda was definitely an antidote to the 35 degrees weather outside. With a zest of lemon and mint, this refreshed our taste buds, and our minds. Although the latte art on the mocha was not very impressive, the aroma of the coffee was satisfying.  

French Toast Salcipon ($19) 

You must be thinking what's so great about a French Toast topped with Fruits, looks like I can make one at home myself too! That's what I usually think and hence usually I don't order French Toast in cafes. However, TMP serves a french toast like no other place; this dish definitely packs a punch! Stuffed with chicken, spinach and mushrooms, with fresh fruits and banana nuggets (ala your modern goreng pisang), savoury and sweet flavours never went so well together before. 

Besides the flavourful stuffing, the french toast was very yummy as well, fluffy, and nicely charred on top. 

62 Degrees Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon (or Ham) ($22) 

A tantalizing dish of wobbly eggs, avocado, in-house hollandaise sauce with a thick slab of smoked salmon, this item is bound to delight any eggs benny lover, like me.

Byo ($14)

Home-made orange yoghurt ice cream, raspberry jelly, marcerated strawberries, basil, chocolate crisp 

Craving for something refreshing on a hot afternoon, we settled for the above. Besides making their own bread, TMP makes their own ice cream too! Now how awesome is that. I enjoyed the chocolate crisp, ice cream, and the crumbly stuff underneath. A sweet ending to a hearty meal.

Simple, modern, tasteful interior decor

Freshly baked bread on sale 

Actually, we weren't satisfied yet. Because there were other items on the menu that we had wanted to try, and another two didn't make it for our lunch date, we resolved to come back again... and it turned out to be for dinner the same day. Brunch menu is served till 6pm on weekends, after which dinner menu is rolled out. Well, dinner is another story to tell. Stay tuned. 

The Missing Pan

 619D Bukit Timah Road

#01/02-01 Singapore 269724T. 65 6466 4377

Opening hours:Tuesday - Sunday from 9am - 10pm

How much did I spend? $40 per pax (A bit on the pricey side, but all worth it once in a while)

Would I come back again? Definitely. 

Paris Baguette Cafe @ Wisma Atria

I can't believe I was at Wisma Atria three times within the past week. Anyhow, when a colleague said she wanted to try this Korean cafe at Wisma, I exclaimed, "Oh yes there's a new cafe there isn't it! But I thought it's a Parisian cafe?" So then we argued for a while. Turns out it's a French-inspired bakery cafe from Korea which has been there for 25 years. Half of the service staff here are Koreans and I suspect the bakers themselves too. 

You will not miss this cafe with its neon sign if you take the escalators up in Wisma. This cafe replaced Din Tai Fung, which moved up to the food court level. One thing I didn't like about this place is that it's free seating! Like food court style.

The sheer variety of breads makes me bubble over with possibilities

Cakes that look too pretty to resist

Their own printed serviettes, a simple, classy design

 

The menu was a bit flimsy (4 pages, 2 on main courses and 2 on drinks) but I don't blame them; most of the choices are on display. We tried the Green Ginger Lemon Tea ($11), a zesty flavour combined with the familiar and soothing green tea taste.   

Strawberry Shortcake ($7.50) - Oh we were spoilt for choice and in the end we settled for this, and it didn't disappoint. Light, elegant, and fluffy. Like how a strawberry shortcake should taste like, you know.

 

 Shaved ice with red bean and mochi $9 - Nothing much to rave about, this was like high-class ice kachang. It was refreshing though.

Cutely packaged milk pudding - I'm a fool for nice packaging ;) 

Cafe Mocha ($6.50) - I really liked this. So I was really miffed when the service staff cleared away my half-full cup :(

Hot Dutch Pancake ($17), with gelato, whipped cream and fruits, sinfully sweet but so good. I especially liked the pancake because it's so different from the usual pancake/waffles we usually have. This is somewhat like prata but also a bit syrupy sweet and crispy. I don't remember seeing this in Holland though! 

We wanted something warm and soupy so the Seafood Chowder ($6?) in the display case beckoned us. The counter staff said she would heat it up for us but she didn't...and we found out after we had a sip so... too late and we didn't want to demand for a new one so we made do with it. The broth was decent but the bread was just too tough. The Wake Up Jane is actually ham, egg and potatoes baked with cheese on a slice of white bread. Not too bad but it was cold like the chowder!

435 Orchard Road

Wisma Atria, #02-48/53

6836 2010

Wild Honey @ Scotts Square

The family went for brunch at Wild Honey one fine Sunday morning. One good thing about the Scotts Square branch is that they take reservations! No snaking queues for the aged parents. 

The interior looked quite cozy, though we chose to sit outside. It was a cool day so the heat didn't get to us. With the breeze and laid-back feel outdoors, it definitely didn't feel like we were in Singapore! (Minus the view of Orchard Road, haha!) 

 

The sis had the French-Pressed Coffee, which was good. 

The classic English breakfast $22 - (hidden) scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, potatoes, mushrooms and giant baked beans. This satisfied. 

The Mocha tasted a bit strange, perhaps not sweet and chocolatey enough. I liked the heart though.

 

Boulevard St. Michel $22 - We really like the thick fluffy French toast, the blob on the left is a parmesan-crusted poached egg, while that on the right is a spinach and cheese souffle. I really liked the sauce on top, a wonderfully tangy and appetizing mix of tomatoes, onions, and unknown spices. The tomatoes were so juicy they spurted when you sink your teeth into them.

 

What was meant as desserts but actually arrived first. Scones (my favourite!) with raspberry jam and butter and apple tea bread (somewhat of a mix between cake and bread).   

 Norwegian ($26) - essentially two poached eggs wrapped with smoked salmon sitting on top of giant slabs of avocado, drizzled with hollandaise sauce and salmon roe, on whole-wheat brioche.

Tunisian - Another signature, comes in a pan of shakshouka (tomato, onion, red pepper and chili), 2 sunny side ups and Chorizo sausage. Goes well with bread. 

 

We had no issues with the service. Although we were seated outdoors, the service staff came around regularly to check on whether we needed water refills so we could catch their attention fairly easily while having the privacy to ourselves.

Wild Honey
Scotts Square #03-01
Tel: 6636 1816
Open Sundays to Thursdays from 9am to 9pm;
Fridays to Saturdays from 9am to 10pm

Lots Gourmet Stop @ Upper Changi Road North

Came here 2 months back but out of the numerous cafes I've been to so far, I must say this is one of the best - though the location is not so ideal. Tucked away in a residential estate at the far east (opp Changi Prison), this place is rather inaccessible. Nevertheless, the food (and company) was very enjoyable and I must find my way back here again soon! Thanks to Y's good recommendation :)

Some snapshots of the place

No-frills, un-airconditioned, simply-decorated place 

 Note the old-school glasses. Coffee (I ordered mocha as usual) was good. Oh the Vespa was a gift I got from Austria for Y as a sign of appreciation for borrowing her (sister's) scarf for, erm, 3 years hahahaha oops. 

 And the food even better! They had a good variety of brunch items like Eggs Benny, Big Breakfast (which were both really good), and pasta (zomg!)

Lots Gourmet Stop
965A Upper Changi Road North, Changi Garden, Singapore
Mon–Thu: 11am – 4pm
Fri–Sun: 10am – 10pm
Tel: 6633 9651

(From their FB page I think they take reservations)

relish by wildrocket @ Cluny Court

Last Saturday a bunch of us went to Relish @ Cluny Court to celebrate the tennis stars' birthdays. "Tennis stars" because they used to be, gasp!, national players?! I think. Anyway. It was a rainy morning but we still managed to get ourselves out of bed and met there at, 1.15pm. More like lunch. All of us had heard of this place before, but never been here. We had our virgin experience together.

While trying to locate this place at Cluny Court, I came across several interesting cafes on the first floor - another potential brunch place, a cupcake cafe, Awfully Chocolate, Marble Slab Creamery, and what we would later find out, 3-Inch Sin! And Cold Storage. Next to this mini shopping centre is Botanic Gardens. This place has everything you need on a weekend! 

Thankfully we had a reservation, because the place was packed with families, couples, friends, expats... 

Blue Cheese Beef Burger with Rucola, Poached Pear & Walnut Butter ($19) -

Beef burger with pears?! Walnut butter? Blue cheese?? An experimental recipe that would go awry, or be awesome? 

Verdict: Simply, awesome. Two thumbs up! We had it medium done. The pears added a refreshing and delightful taste to the burger and left my taste buds wanting for more, and same goes for the walnut butter, which tasted more like peanut butter. Beef burger with pears and peanut-butter, hm, sounds like an unmixable mix, but they surprisingly well together. I couldn't really taste the blue cheese unless I scoop it out, but Pineapple, whom I shared this with, insisted the taste was very strong. Either my taste buds doesn't work well or I'm not adverse to blue cheese. 

 The Englishman had a Pauwel Kwak (a kind of Belgian Beer) to go along with his Steak Sandwich, and it came in an interesting-looking beer glass and wooden stand. Very authentic, I must say. The Peach Beer and Honeydew Beer sounded interesting as well but sadly, no one ordered them.

Eggs Royale   - 

It wasn't on the menu but Ms Soprano requested for the ham to be changed to smoked salmon instead, with an additional charge.

Smoked Salmon, Scrambled Eggs and Cream Cheese Bagel - 

The eggs was good, but the smoked salmon was too fishy and the bagel too hard. Wrong choice, unfortunately. Pineapple shot daggers at me because I kinda forced her to share this with me. 

 Crabmeat Linguine 

This tasted pretty good for the first few twirls, but it could be too much for your palate if you were having this on your own. Food taste best when shared IMO :)
Because it wasn't my main and the grass is always greener on the other side, I stole quite a few forkfuls from TY, teehee.
Real crabmeat with generous servings. After a while it tasted like Chili Crab Pasta - East meets West. Which starts to taste strange after you have half of the dish..

 For desserts (which we placed candles at the side and on top of the dessert cup), we had the Signature Cheesecake ($9), which surprised me when it came in a cup (no photos) with ice cream, strawberries, cream cheese, and crumble. It wasn't fantastic, but it might be because I'm not a fan of cheesecake and sour stuff (strawberries). 


Now this was good - Lava cake with ice cream. Look at the volcano of molten chocolate oozing out! Yummy.

It was a good meal - the restaurant was packed but it wasn't too noisy, which some restaurants could be when they have that amount of people. The ambience was laid-back and the atmosphere casual, sunlight streaming in from the side window after a rainy morning, company of friends who enjoy a good meal with you, what's not to like?


How much was spent per pax: $26 - $33 (I can't remember!)
Would I come back here?: Definitely!

501 Bukit timah road
#02-01 Cluny court
Tel: 6763 1547