COSY FIND

Hidden away in Bukit Timah is The Missing Pan, from the owners of the now-closed Uppercrust, and on its menu are breads and cafe food.

Look for the bakery first and the cafe is above it. Enter the bakery to take a lift to the first level.

It is a quiet, cosy place, excellent for intimate meals.

I found it relaxing.

But, the opening hours were a little confusing - brunch is served from 9am to 2.30pm on weekdays, 9am to 4pm on Saturdays and 9am to 6pm on Sundays.

Dinner is from 6pm to 9pm between Tuesdays and Sundays.

The place is closed on Mondays.

I ate there twice, trying the brunch menu on both occasions.

The Missing Pan has enough good dishes (with a few standouts) to make it worth your while going there, but it is challenging if you do not drive.

The easiest and most pleasant way to get there is to take the MRT to Botanic Gardens station and take a stroll towards Coronation Plaza, if the weather and air quality are favourable.

This way, the mood is lifted and you would have had some pre-food exercise.

CHICKEN IN A TOAST

The French Toast Salpicon ($19) is a surprising dish.

It has chicken, spinach and mushroom stuffed in a French toast, with banana nuggets, mixed berries and a strawberry smoked maple syrup.

It is both savoury and sweet, which makes it an interesting combination.

Chicken is a versatile meat, so the fruits did not clash with it.

It was slightly dry when I returned, but it was not a deal breaker.

BIG BEN

Any place with a brunch menu will have Eggs Benedict. Here, the name is more fancy: 62 Degree Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon ($22).

It is a common dish and there is not much you can do to change it. But the egg was cooked perfectly and the chunks of smoked salmon were delicious.

And the portion was one for the hungry.

AROMATIC ROSTI

The rosemary rosti stack ($16) had a hint of rosemary that perfumed the dish, making it an aromatic experience.

But it was a tad oily and that added heaviness to the dish.

PRETTY BUT FORGETTABLE

The beetroot quinoa salad ($12) was such a pretty dish.

It was sweet enough, but not memorable.

HEARTY GUINNESS

Order the Guinness pot pie beef cheek ($24) on a day when you are famished.

This is a hearty dish with a heartier sauce.

Our portion tasted as if the alcohol had not burnt off, though.

WHAT

The Missing Pan

WHERE 619D,

Bukit Timah Road

OPEN Tuesday to Sunday

CALL 6466-4377

for reservations