Appam, the fermented Indian rice pancake shaped like a UFO is our childhood fave. It’s pretty hard to find a good one these days, but appam stall Heavens in in Ghim Moh Market is famous for its yummy version. In a fun collaboration, chef-owner Dylan Ong of casual French-Asian diner The Masses has partnered chef Daniel Suren of Heavens to come up with a couple of contemporary versions of the pancake for brunch.

Before you baulk at the price, know that you get two larger-than-usual pieces of appam. The batter is prepped at Heavens before being sent to The Masses' kitchen to be fermented for 12 hours and cooked a la minute. The pancakes are just lovely, even when eaten cold after delivery. They’re very plump and puffy in the middle, kissed with an addictive tang and lemak hint from coconut milk in the mix. The lacy edges remain deliciously crispy and form a nice contrast to the spongy centre. They pair surprisingly well with the garlicky, creamy mushroom and spinach ragout, gooey-yoked sous-vide egg, salty slices of Italian prosciutto, and a sweetish chilli chutney (made with tomato paste and bell peppers, among other spices).

A vegetarian appam, which we regret not ordering over the waffles (below). We didn’t get to try this, but it sure looks and sounds yummy — it’s topped with a melted medley of cheeses such as mimolette from France, halloumi from NZ and aged parmesan from Italy. Also comes with eggs and chilli chutney.

Aside from the two appam options, there are four mod European offerings for brunch. We ordered these homemade waffles, served with The Masses’ signature jams. The spreads include an Umami Butter, indeed very umami and tasty as it’s whipped with bits of briny kombu and a “secret sauce”. We also like the fragrant Rhubarb Jam, a sweet-tart, chunky combination of strawberries and rhubarb, mellowed by thick Chantilly cream. Pity the waffles themselves were quite stodgy and not particularly flavourful. Stick to the appam.

The brunch in bed menu is only available on weekends, from noon to 3pm. Dine-in or order via takeaway/delivery (minimum spend of $25 required; free with minimum spend of $100; otherwise delivery charges range from $6-$9) here: https://order.themasses.sg/.

The Masses is at 85 Beach Road, #01-02, S189694. Open daily. Tel: 6266-0061.

Photos: The Masses/ Heavens