Una is a Spanish Restaurant, Tapas Bar & Wine Bar with Alfresco Dining helmed by Chef Jean-Philippe Patruno in the lushly Rochester Park.
[We revisited UNA for their new menu.]
As a Spanish Restaurant, Tapas, Paella are the usual that we tend to associate. Lesser known is the Spanish Grilled, equally go after for which is also found on Una menu. A pity, we didn’t order any this round.
Tapas
At every Spanish Restaurant, Tapas should never be missed out.
Cold meats, pan con tomate & manchego cheese
The platter of cold meats ($28) is with the selection of the best Spanish hams & cold cuts and pan con tomate and manchego cheese. This was the only cold tapas, among 4, we tried.
Among the 4 diners, most didn’t enjoy the sweetish sourish jam like pan con tomate, but I did. I thought it was a good break of saltiness that existed throughout the cold cuts and cheese.
Grilled octopus
Smoky tender grilled octopus ($32) on a bed of ratte potatoes with paprika, a chef’s special, was the description on the menu.
Indeed exactly per the description on the menu.
Potato bomba
Consisting of Fluffy potato with a meat & potato stuffing was the Potato bomba ($14)
Though I spotted meat but I tasted mainly the potato and the sauce topped on the bomba. I could hardly savour the meat.
Ibérico ham croquetta
Creamy béchamel croquettes ($14) with Ibérico ham is another Chef’s Special we ordered.
It totally fitted the description.
Paella
Paella is another highlight in Spanish Restaurant. Though I never quite like rice but somehow I always enjoy Paella. Una offered 3 Paella dishes; 2 rice and 1 pasta. All are Chef’s Special.
It offers 2 sizes; small (for 2 – 3 pax) or large (for 4 – 6 pax). We ordered a rice and a pasta paella. Both small.
Black rice paella
On its menu, the annotation of the Black rice paella ($62) was “beautifully stewed in savoury squid ink broth & topped with crispy baby squid”
All the rice was infused with squid ink and homogeneously black. It was a pity we find it far too salty.
Seafood fideuà
Seafood fideuà ($62) is a Barcelona-style paella with fideuà pasta & fresh seafood
This was my first time trying out a pasta paella. The pasta was amazing flavourful. The seafood fragrance permeated into the pasta. I wouldn’t mind having only the pasta without the seafood. 4 thumbs up for the Seafood fideuà.
Desserts
Desserts is my soft spot. I would love to have everything as usual. On Una menu, there are 5 items excluding Cheese. We tried 2 of them. I was a little disappointed to see that none of the dessert was the Chef’s Special.
Churros & chocolat
Churros & chocolat ($14) Crispy churros with dark chocolate sauce & light honey ice cream
The churros served at Una was one of the softest, fluffiest fried dough. And when eaten together with the dark chocolate sauce, it was fabulous. The ice cream was smooth and creamy but I thought it wouldn’t make a different having it on the plate.
Panna cotta with popcorn
Our second dessert for the night was Panna cotta with popcorn ($15) is a light crème pudding with sherry apricot puree, topped with popcorn fluff
The sherry apricot puree brought out the best of the panna cotta.
NAHMJ Opinion and Picks
Hits and misses are inevitable. Nonetheless, all 4 diners enjoyed the dinner at Una though it was a shame that the Black rice paella was far too salty. Otherwise, it would have been a much more enjoyable dinner.
NAHMJ picks at UNA are Grilled Octopus, Ibérico ham croquetta, Seafood fideuà and both desserts; Churros & chocolat and Panna cotta with popcorn.
Una @ One Rochester
1 Rochester Drive, Singapore 139212
Tel: +65 6773 0070 or 6773 0060
Website: http://una.sg/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/1RochesterGroup?fref=ts
Menu: http://una.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/food_menu_May_2015.pdf
Opening Hours
Monday – Saturday 1800 to 2300
Getting There
By MRT:
- Circle line or East-West line – Buona Vista station
By Bus:
- alight at or opposite Buona Vista station or after Anglo Chinese Junior College 74, 91, 92 95, 191, 196, 198, 200
Rating: 8/10