Chakara Bistro & Bar

We give this place 4 stars because the good service helped the truly 3.5 star food rating.
For apps we had the pork belly sliders and crispy chicken gyoza. The sliders are your tried and true pork belly with sauce and cucumber on steamed buns and they were pretty good. Buns and pork were awesome, but I didn’t love the cucumber. Not sure if it was pickled but the flavor of something was off with the pork belly. However the chicken gyoza was AWESOME! Just crispy on the bottom, chicken and scallions inside and delicious soy sauce for dipping. Just how they should be.
For dinner we didn’t exactly get adventurous and maybe that was why this didn’t wow us. Chicken pad Thai was the usual, very hot (temperature) which was nice but bland flavor. And I didn’t like the full egg on top. My hubby got the tour of Japan with chicken, beef and shrimp with broccoli and asparagus on the sides. It was sweeter, more like a sesame chicken sauce flavor. I liked it but he thought it was too much sweet after a while.
So yea, food was ok to good, my dirty martini was delish :) and the servers were nice. Really good effort Chakara! We might be back and if we are, we will surely order something more exciting.

I absolutely loved this place!!! The food was amazing we got two entrees and I loved both Mongolian Beef with spinach noodles and the Chakara chicken! The espresso martini was to die for as well! The waitstaff was very friendly and personable I would definitely recommend this local joint!!!

I wasn’t expecting much but the reviews suggested this was a good place and it met our expectations. We walked in and were very surprised by the pleasant layout and staff. The food was clean tasting, fresh, and obviously very good. This is a great place to checkout. We will return

I really wanted to love chakara, with all the positive reviews and the fact that it’s the closest restaurant to my work I was very excited to give it a try. Today I ordered the Korean chili beef dish with a pork roll and I couldn’t have been more disappointed. The sauce they used smelled terrible and tasted really bad. Very acidic and salty and just leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. The pork roll was very good and the quality of beef seemed decent but I just picked the wrong dish and had to throw it away. I will hopefully try the restaurant again but based on my first impression it did not live up to expectations

We brought friends here for lunch!
We ordered a variety of different dishes and were not disappointed!
We split a papaya salad which was citrus flavored, healthy and delicious!
One was enough for four to share .
The soups we tried were miso, hot and sour and won ton.
All were good, the hot and sour unusual and a little spicy but most excellent!
As for the entrees, we tried four different entrees.
All were outstanding!
We followed the server (who by the way was excellent also). Attentive but not intrusive.
Try some of the different sauces they offer!
They were great! Did I say the prices were reasonable and great value for what was received.
Overall, a great experience! Worth the trip from Rochester and surrounding areas. The best by far! Don’t believe me, read some of my other reviews.

Very nice Lunch Menu for vegetarians and vegans. I had plenty to choose from with the make your own lunch selections. While we sat at the bar the service was great and friendly staff. Lunch ends at 3pm, with a menu portions thats filling and quality ingredients; for a great price.

Dinner last evening at Chakara was wonderful. The restaurant is clean, well maintained and attractive. Music and artwork make the restaurant even more pleasant and give it an upscale feel.
Appetizer of fried goat cheese and shrimp spring rolls served with a flavorful dipping sauce. A very different and welcomed spin on the traditional fried spring roll. The goat cheese was smooth and melted and the shrimp tender. Perfect textures against the thin, crunchy crust of the spring roll. Yum!
Four entrees plus pineapple fried rice with the most tender pork. Singapore noodles with tofu was delicious with a mild and smoky yellow curry. Chakara chicken was spectacular with large pieces of chicken in a slightly sweet and spicy sauce surrounded by fresh broccoli. Mongolian beef with noodles is tender and spicy and delicious. And then the sweet basil noodle with shrimp. Perfection on a plate. With each enter we ordered a side of tempura shrimp. Two pieces of shrimp with a crunchy tempura and a soy and scallion dipping sauce. They too were delicious.
Portions are very generous so there was enough to take home for a nice snack the next day. Prices are so reasonable. Bill for four was around $ 80 including sodas which were refilled without even noticing.
Not the typical Asian restaurant. Creative and modern. CLEAN. Great bar too.

Not bad, as far as fusion goes. The food was cooked correctly, I guess. Why such a low rating? Well, I ordered the spiciest thing on the menu and… well, I’m pretty sure I get more heat from my morning bowl of oatmeal. Improper seasoning. Shame.

A ate here last night and was very impressed with their Pad Thai last night it was very light and not overdone with peanut butter flavor. Liked it so much came back tonight for take out. Their spring rolls are HUGE but they only have 1 shrimp which surprised me. I would definitely return !

This is easily my favorite local spot to go to eat or get take-​out. I always enjoy the Chakara Chicken with Fried Rice. My son and I usually share it and the portion size is just right for the two of us. We also order their Flat Bread appetizer which is simply awesome! My wife usually tries something new from the menu every time we go and she she has loved it all. Take-​out is always fresh and ready in no time. The staff is friendly and the décor is modern and comfortable. I prefer this over other Asian Food spots around town… I have never been disappointed.

We love this spot and it’s our go to place for take out. The shrimp rice dish with red chili sauce is my favorite. We also like the boneless wing appetizer and the seaweed salad. The servers are friendly and they are open late.

First time here, service was fast, food was delicious! Started with drinks, Asian pear and lichee martini both were very tasty starters! Dined on the gyoza dumplings (veggie version) and three cheese samosa! Then for dinner butter chicken an Asian –Indian fusion dish! My companion had a todo noodle dish both were very tasty.

Been back a few times always very good. Lunches are reasonable for quality prepared dishes.

My new favorite restaurant in Rochester. Great flavors, fresh ingredients all I can say is wow. Thank you.

I normally don’t visit Asian-​Fusion restaurants because I always feel any cuisine should be true to it’s own country and origins. But I am proven wrong. I was worried due to the empty parking lot that perhaps I made the wrong decision. I was dead wrong and so glad I gave this place a chance. Don’t let outside appearances discourage you, the interior is very nice and warm.
We started off with a few appetizers. First up were the Crispy Rolls with prawn and goat cheese. It may sound strange at first having goat cheese inside an eggroll, but surprisingly it was a great combination and really worked. Second were the Three Cheese Samosa, which were light despite being fried, and very creamy in the middle. It also came with this very tasty side sauce with a hint of mango. Third, we tried their Pork Belly Sliders which were exactly how I would expect them to be.
Onto the mains, we ordered the Butter Chicken which I must say really impressed me how tender and juicy they cooked the chicken. The sauce wasn’t overly strong, and really complimented the dish well. The Mongolian Beef was absolutely delicious and again extremely tender and just melts away. The Kurobuta Honey Pig was a very nice dish but the sauce was a tad too sweet for my tastes.
Overall, due to this restaurant it changed my thinking of Asian-​Fusion restaurants completely. This was a very good experience I would gladly return and recommend to friends and family.
Also I’d like to thank Sherry for being such a kind Server. Smiles and kindness throughout the entire meal just made it even better.

I was feeling a bit lazy tonight and didnt want to get ready and go out. We decided to order in and explore the menu. First off let me say I am impressed by the customer service this place has they go above and beyond. They package the to go food better then any place I have ordered take out from. They take the time to saran wrap each container to avoid any leaks. very thoughtful.
The food once again was excellent. We ordered different dishes then the last time. We had the chakara chicken. delish! The garlic wings. yummy! The mongolian beef very tender a flavorful and siam pad thai with chicken spot on. The only thing I forgot when I placed my order was to ask for more heat on the pad thai but I added siracha and kicked it up to my liking.
This place is like a hidden treasure and I recommend everyone to try it.

Ate here with family for the first time the other day and had a great experience. We ordered the pork egg rolls (perfectly spiced and crispy with a sweet and sour dipping sauce), the Mongolian beef with house-​made spinach noodles (my husband ordered rice on the side too just in case he didn’t like the combo with the noodles, but it was really delicious and worked well together) and the green papaya salad (spicy and salty and really enjoyable). Everything had great flavor. Décor was also pleasant and service was great — our server was very attentive and checked on us several times). We will definitely be back!

I love this place! I have returned here so many times because of their delicious foods. The Mongolian beef with spinach noodles is out of this world. The dan dan noodles is amazing! I also love their calamari which is different from anything I have ever tried. Their pork belly buns is very flavorful. Their spicy wontons have a little kick to them. I love you that can tell everything here is homemade. I have never had a bad meal here! Their staff is always nice and timely.

After two visits, I can say that the food is A-​Ok, the service was good but both times I left somewhat underwhelmed. I’ve tried the Edamame and Gyoza Dumpling appetizers, the Chakara Chicken Plate and the Japan Plate entrees, all were o.k. but nothing was outstanding. Don’t get me wrong there was absolutely nothing wrong or bad, it was all (the food) just o.k. — perhaps if I were wanting to drink sake or dine in the bar the experience would have better.
On a positive note, their menu lists GF options, and two dining experiences here with my GF partner have been Gluten Free /​side-​effect free.

I go to Chakara mainly for their pork belly buns, beef noodle soup and drink specials. For those things alone, i’ll give them a ⁴⁄₅. It’s a favorite restaurant of my friends and for good reason. The service is friendly and there’s a cute elderly Chinese lady who takes orders. She is adorable and very sweet!
The food is Asian fusion themed. Usually I tend to stay away from asian fusion restaurants, since it reminds me of P.F. Chang’s, but I guess there’s always a time and place for asian fusion food and I should stop being such a punk about it. The difference is that Chakara is more of a mom & pop shop and I believe their dishes have more of an authentic taste to them.
Chakara is located in Fairport, which makes it a little less convenient for me. The restaurant itself is separated into two sections: bar and dining room. It’s not much to look at from the outside, but the interior is clean, modern and comfortable. Nothing too fancy, but all the furnishings looked new, which is okay in my book. Ambiance — (3.5÷5)
As I mentioned before, the service is good. The lady who takes your order (who I presume is the owner) makes sure you are well taken care of. From refilling waters to bringing more rice she is very attentive. Chakara is also flexible with their menu. They will gladly substitute items, make dishes spicier or milder at your request. Service — (⁴⁄₅)
Honestly, I was not too impressed when I first ate at Chakara. I ordered the Fantail Haddock, which was deep fried and served with sweet and sour sauce. While the fish was perfectly breaded, crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, It was just too much sweet and sour for me. It was mostly my own fault for ordering a sweet and sour dish, as others may enjoy it more.
My friends kept bringing me back and so I tried other dishes. Their red curry was decent, but not as good as Phuket Thai or Thai Time (RIP). I finally tried the pork belly buns on my second visit and I have ordered them every time since. They are great! They just might be better than the ones at Han Noodle Bar. $ 6 gets you two steamed pillowy buns filled with succulent, melt-​in-​your-​mouth pork, scallions, cucumbers & peanuts.
I also discovered their beef noodle soup. Now the combination of pork belly buns and beef noodle soup has become my go-​to meal at Chakara. I’ve ordered it 2 – 3 times in a row now. Beef noodle soup might not be for everyone, but I grew up eating it, so it’s a nostalgic dish for me. Hearty broth, al dente egg noodles (rumor is that they make their own), generous chunks of flavorful beef shank and crispy Napa cabbage to add some texture to the dish. YUM!
Food — (⁴⁄₅)
Their drink menu is surprisingly extensive. If only they were located more centrally, I think they would do great happy hour business. They have 13 different sakes to choose from and also a variety of sake flights ranging from $ 6 – 16. Also on Wednesdays, their sake flights are half-​off. There are also numerous specialty cocktails and a large selection of both red and white wines. If you’re with a group, I would recommend trying the Sake Sangria consisting of Gekkeikan Sake, Elderflower and Mixed Fruit. It’s 56 oz, which for other Canadians out there, is 1.65 L. The best thing is it’s only $ 20, which is trouble if you’re driving from Brighton like me. Drinks — (⁴⁄₅)
I do not want to overhype the restaurant, but it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s a bit out of the way for most, but the overall service, value and food quality keep bringing me back. At this rate, i’ll try all the items on the menu in no time.