PUBLISHED April 12th, 2015 04:43 pm | UPDATED June 12th, 2020 04:37 pm
The Missing Pan is an absolutely peach of a brunch spot, and we have mad respect for these guys. So when we were invited down to try out their new menu for dinner, we simply couldn’t say no. But brunch is a wholly different affair from dinner; so, moment of truth!
First up was the Chorizo Fiesta, a Spanish Pork Sausage dish with Dried Chilli, Gherkin & Black Olive. To be frank, we felt let down by this promising dish. On top of it being rather bland, the sausage was also very ordinary. And at $10 a pop, there’s definitely something better to be had out there. God bless the Mushroom Quesadillas ($18) that followed. As cheese addicts, we thoroughly enjoyed every gooey bit of the dairy product in their rendition of the Mexican staple, and the wild mushrooms were pretty umami. Still, this dish is a little too pricey for its own good, even though it raised the bar.
Mushroom Quesadillas
Next, the carbs. We had the Smoked Duck Risotto ($25) – think smoked duck breast, semi sun-dried tomato, hojimeishi mushroom, with baby spinach – and the Crab Truffle Cream Risotto ($28) – blue swimmer crab, semi sun-dried tomato, baby spinach, and truffle oil. Perfectly executed and beautifully balanced, both versions of the well-loved Italian dish were superstars of the meal. If you’re in the mood for something light and fragrant, go for the Smoked Duck Risotto. And if you love powerful, intense flavours, the Crab Truffle Cream Risotto is definitely your go-to.
Smoked Duck Risotto
Finally, a flame grilled German Baby Back Ribs ($36) made its way to our table as the final main. Sufficiently tasty, it did pretty well without verging on the spectacular. A copious amount of BBQ sauce was splattered over the meat, which was nicely grilled and tender. We would have liked it to be a little more chunky though, especially at the price of $36. That being said, it would make a good sharing plate if you’re only after a nibble or two.
Frozen Honey Nougat
One thing they certainly do well at The Missing Pan are the desserts – also because they don’t have a fixed selection on the menu. ‘Pleasure’ ($8.50), a bespoke concoction of milk chocolate, dark chocolate cream, hazelnut, and feuilletine was something everyone made space for even though our stomachs were reaching maximum capacity. Sinful and intoxicating, ‘Pleasure’ was as every bit good as its name suggests. While the rest of the desserts didn’t quite reach the same heights, they were decent choices nonetheless.
Our verdict? The Missing Pan is a nice stop-over for a quick bite, but to really appreciate these guys, make your meal stop a brunch over anything else.