Invited Session: Roast @ 1 Rochester

This is the second of the last three invited sessions that you will be reading on this blog. Thereafter, this blog will no longer be taking any more food tasting invites, for reasons that would be explained in further detail next week. For now, here's something from Roast at One Rochester that you may be interested in, especially if you're planning a date or an intimate group outing. In fact, the food featured in this post are part of a "Communal Dining" menu where you're actually encouraged to share.


Roast is within the premises of the main One Rochester Group and features comfortable al fresco seating for that romantic drink and dinner. If you hadn't known, the One Rochester Group also features other well-known places 1 Caramel and 1 TwentySix, the latter of which follows a very similar design at its little sanctuary at East Coast.


It doesn't matter if you're coming with a partner or a group of friends, just make sure the company is good for a night of lovely conversations over glasses of wine, beer and bubblies.


As the sun sets, you know the gastronomic moments are about to begin. Enjoy.

Bread Basket


I always like the way the bread is wrapped like a baby, and how we have to slowly pry the napkin open for a better look inside. I love babies by the way.


Nibble Platter



The Nibble Platter consists of herb crumbed stuffed olives, potato skins with sour cream and ocean trout caviar, radish, tapenade and crudite, foie gras parfait, cured hams and pickles. Not really my kind of thing, but it may work for you.

Tiger Prawn Salad with Cous Cous, Pomegranate, Mint & Persian Feta


More food for the (healthy) soul.

Cheese Soufflé


This sure does look delicious, but if would have been better if it had some seafood ingredients inside or something, like a baked cheese pie. Great for those who like a veryyyy strong cheese flavour.

Pan Fried Foie Gras with Catalunya Spices, Sweet and Sour Cherries
& Juniper Cured Salmon Gravlax with Scrambled Eggs and Toasted Soldiers


More nibbles: foie gras, scrambled eggs, gravlax (cold cured salmon) and brioche. The creamy scrambled eggs went well with the brioche, yums!

‘Roast’ Rosemary Potatoes
& Seared King Scallops with Smoked Sea Urchin Risotto


I liked the Rosemary Potatoes a lot, they were fragrant, crisp and a bit salty, nice enough to start your appetite going. The Seared King Scallops were well grilled, but the slightly over-done risotto failed to impress.

Grilled Cod Fillet


The ladies who tried the cod gave their nods of approval. Nothing fancy added to it, just white beauty in all simplicity.

Baby Chicken with Pine Nut, Raisin and Truffle Stuffing
& Braised Wagyu Beef Brisket with Creamy Paris Mash Potato


The Baby Chicken is usually wrapped with proscuitto but for obvious reasons that I was there that 1 Rochester was kind enough not to have it on the dish. For a marbling score of 8-9 for the wagyu beef brisket you would expect something really tender, and it was quite so actually. The only better one I could think of would be the grilled beef ribs from Hyatt's Oasis (coming up next!). The red wine used needed some getting used to though, as a couple others on the table pointed out as well.

Apple Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream


Vanilla bean ice cream has been the popular trend these days, bringing sexy back to the otherwise plain ol' vanilla. The ice cream here tastes a little different, I couldn't put it down exactly if it was the cream or any particular essence that was added to it. I liked the crisp sides of the apple tart, and me and Elaine also fancied the aromatic and sweet vanilla sauce drizzled across the plate.

Grande Assiette




The Grande Assiette is a selection of five petite sized desserts, and we had:

1) Wild Honey and Pistachio Nougat Parfait with Cherry Compote: the gentlemen's favourite dessert for the night; nutty and flavourful
2) Classic Lemon and Lime Soufflé: the ladies' choice; this tasted better and better with each spoonful, very refreshing touch
3) Devils Flourless Chocolate, Mascarpone and Raspberry Ripple Cake: as the devil would have it, this is something very rich with (too many) distinct flavours
4) Rose Perfumed Panna Cotta with Poached Pear in Crème de Framboise: this had the potential to impress but it didn't; Glenn found it too soft for his liking
5) Pavlova with Vanilla Cream, Poached Strawberries and Passion Fruit Coulis: the pavlova was just too sweet for everyone, and I myself was wondering if I'm eating plain icing haha.

Overall, the food at Roast, 1 Rochester was decent, with its share of hits and misses. Nevertheless, we know this place will always be popular because of its fantastic outdoor ambience, with large fans hidden strategically all around to give you that cool breeze. If you want some place romantic, this could be it.

I thank Ms Audrey Rabarot from the One Rochester Group for her kind invitation and for having us there for this invited session. I wish the Group all the very best in its exciting upcoming endeavours.

Price
$65++ (minimum two persons)

Place
1 Rochester Park

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.