UNA at One Rochester

The moment I stepped into UNA One Rochester, the ROMANTIC white alfresco seatings simply left me dumbstruck. It was the perfect setting for any weddings, private events and of course, a lazy Sunday brunch with good company.
The brunch started with a little confusion as I thought the indoor buffet SPREAD consists of only the cold, seafood platter and the salads selection, while the rest shown on the menu had to be ordered. Only later did I realize that some of the tapas such as Machego Cheese and Membrillo, Sourdough Bread and Alioli and Anchovies, Tomatoes and Jalepenos were already displayed as part of the buffet SPREAD.
The UNA’s signature egg benedict is the dish to order as it is hard to find another version that can CONSOLIDATE the deep umami flavours of both smoky mackerels and bonito flakes into one. The paprika heat was mild but I wondered if flatbread worked well as a base as it was limp and chewy, making the dish quite «flat» without any textural contrast.
From the grills section, the chicken wings with mojo picon were rather disappointing as the smoky and spicy flavors of this classic red pepper sauce was elusive, failing to lift up the wings that looked as if they were rushed hastily from the marinade container to the tables.
Found at the bottom end of the loin, this prized cut from the acorn-​fed Iberico pigs have a very nice marbling and sliced off as easily as Wagyu beef. It seems like the forte of the meats lie in the pigs as I heard that another pork dish, Pinchos morunos, was also EXCELLENT. But I was already very satisfied with this cut and this is definitely THE dish to order.
While one may get the value back by eating plates of excellent grilled meats or eggs, it would be great if there were other seafood OPTIONS such as fish. Even though the highlights may be understandably the Spanish tapas and grills, I felt the team was doing themselves injustice as the pedestrian desserts looked dubiously outsourced.
Regardless of the variety, the quality of the desserts should at least match up with the theme of the brunch. Switching to offering some of the desserts from the regular menu will be a good start.

I had heard that UNA was good but overpriced, and went in with a fair amount of trepidation.
I was happily corrected.
The food at UNA was top notch, and it wasn’t even that expensive.
My friend and I ordered 4 tapas items, one main, two desserts, and a glass of sherry, all for $ 80 nett each.
That’s not CHEAP, but it was definitely good value. We ended up paying even less because there was a promo for a free dessert with every main when booking through Chope, so end result? $ 73 per person, net. For really really good food.
Tapas-​wise we ordered the croquettas, the grilled octopus, ox-​cheek bruschetta, and clams in sherry.
The croquettas were disappointing only in the size of the portion. Three balls of ABSOLUTELY AMAZING CREAMY GOODNESS. Good, tasty bits of ham nestled in oozy luscious Bechamel sauce. Piping hot.
The grilled octopus current ranks as #2 in Singapore on my list, flavourful with a good meaty texture, they’re only surpassed by Osteria Mozza’s rendition.
The clams in sherry (or was it white wine… whichever, clams in alcohol) were good but unspectacular. The clams were very fresh, succulent and tasty. The broth was so good we soaked up every bit with the bread we had.
I didn’t like the ox-​cheek so much, the bruschetta was as tough as leather, and the meat while superbly tender, didn’t really have a flavour that I liked. My friend really like it though, so this was clearly a matter of taste.
Our main, the grilled Iberian pork, didn’t really do it for either of us. It was… tasty. Juicy. Well charred. It was technically excellent, but for some reason just didn’t appeal to our palates. I couldn’t fault it though. It definitely set out all it intended to do, in terms of texture, cook, taste… It was just a matter of the marinade/​taste/​flavours that didn’t grab us.
For desserts, the bitter chocolate ice cream is worth a miss. It’s listed on the menu as ‘with olive oil and sea salt’. Those components were no where to be seen. The churros, on the other hand, were exemplary. Crisp exterior, fluffy interior, great chocolate sauce and the honey ice cream.
The ambience of the place also is a huge factor. A lot of the seats are al-​fresco, and the grill is located outside the main house, by the dining area. There’s a real charm to the outdoor setting, having the chef in line of sight, grilling up meats and seafood, the entire area with a herbed, smokey, smell. It’s, for lack of a better word, just incredibly charming.
I can’t say much more to convince you of how impressed I was beyond the fact that I’ve already made another booking for the coming Tuesday, just one week after my first visit. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it was that good.