B@Rochester

It’s been more than a year since the last time I’ve eaten here, and while somethings have changed, the care, attention to detail, and general quality of produce used definitely hasn’t dropped.
Gone is the Seaweed Martini, one of the more interesting drinks on their menu. Not to worry though, the Wild Calpis is a light, fruity, and refreshing cocktail that probably won’t be popular with people who’re looking for something ‘undeniably alcoholic’, but for those of us who like fruity drinks that only hint at the alcohol in them? You’ll like this.
This month B@Rochester was having a special. $ 68 for 6 course set menu, must be ordered with at least two people, and when you order it you get 20% off sushi and sashimi! Not only that, you get an additional 20% discount when you book through Chope!
After taxes and everything, that comes out to only about 60 bucks per head.
For 60 dollars, you get:
Salmon carpaccio (delicious, the salmon was fresh, the salad it was served on was well marinated),
Kabocha (pumpkin) purée soup that was tasty, but could have done with a bit more richness
Nimono Wrap that was chicken and carrots wrapped in cabbage, in a… stock of some sort. It was delicious. The flavours were hearty and rustic, but the cabbage-​wrap was daintily tied, like a parcel. The contrast of elegance and flavours was quite well done.
Mekajiki Teriyaki: Swordfish teriyaki, this was also delicious. The fish was very well cooked (ie not overcooked), fatty, and flavourful. My mother actually thought it was chicken.
Crab udon: The crab meat was very fresh, but it was a bit disappointing that this turned out to be a kitsune udon, topped with crab meat.
Dessert was a lime sherbet served with pomegranate and pomelo. Light, refreshing, with a nice change of fruit from the typical raspberries and strawberries etc.
I’m really looking looking forward to next months’ set menu. William, the manager said they were going to do a fruits based menu for next month, and if there’s another 20% discount just for booking though Chope? I’m definitely there.

B@Rochester is a good place for those who like Japanese food with a twist.
Food: The Momotaro salad i. e Japanese tomato infused in mirin and shoyu, mixed with anchovies, crisp bacon and balsamic vinaigrette was a refreshing start to the meal. Fresh, juicy and ever so slightly tart, it was a good mix of textures and flavours. The Boston lobster bisque with onions, carrots and celery served with shredded lobster was rich and satisfying, while the French duck breast au, pan-​seared to medium doneness and accompanied with Chinese snow pear was a delight even for those who don’t like duck. The Hotate mentai, baked diver scallops with cod roe, mayonnaise and Swiss emmental cheese was pretty good and our friend who got the scampi somen, stewed Japanese rice noodles in lobster broth, served with Danish scampi prawns and shredded spring onions couldn’t stop gushing about how much he liked it. The Saikyo miso codfish, oven-​baked Alaskan black cod, served with zucchini, cauliflower purée, crispy leek, French beans and balsamio however seemed a tad dry and overdone … we definitely have had better ones.
Ambience: Quiet and cosy, a good place to catch up with friends
Service: Efficient and pleasant
Overall decent but not mindblowing so probably won’t return