1-Caramel at One Rochestor

average brunch food at rochestor park. if you’re looking for brunch options in this area — I’m going to have to point you to graze. this place was really rather meh, with uninspiring food and an ambience that made nothing of its gorgeous surroundings. if the other places around here are packed up, then perhaps you could come here — but otherwise I’m not sure there’s any point.
on hindsight (which this is, of course), there was nothing really wrong with the place so much as it was pretty boring. it isn’t very expensive, the food wasn’t bad — serviceable, really — and the place wasn’t run down. it just felt like it had so much more potential to be fantastic! but alas.
the eggs florentine came with its requisite runny yolk and sufficiently smooth hollandaise on toasted crumpets, with a side of dressed salad, and my caesar salad had romaine and a poached egg. I did like the poached egg — but I had taken up the option of chicken, and that came as minuscule pieces that did nothing for the salad.
the desserts fared a little better, with stronger flavours and more impression of skill. the soufflé was sufficiently risen but held no clear hazelnut flavour; I give them kudos for a decent chocolate ice cream though. the platter of three desserts weren’t too bad neither: the sticky date pudding was a better rendition than at jones the grocer, the praline a deep and not-​too-​sweet slice. I thought the pannacotta was the weakest — I can’t even remember now what it was.
that’s the problem with the meal — it was rather humdrum. I certainly didn’t dislike it — I wouldn’t raise any issue if someone suggested coming here, but I almost definitely wouldn’t be coming back on my own. not too expensive, and we were stuffed at the end of the meal — there’s conceivably a mild recommendation hiding somewhere in this if you’d like one.