Sometime ago, I asked friends on Facebook for suggestions on restaurants that I could review over the weekend. Several came in and we zeroed in on good friend Swaroop's choice - The Rogue Elephant. And Boy!!! am I glad we did. Its a different matter that we could not make it that weekend and the following weekend we could not locate the place.

For directions DO NOT depend on Google Maps or Yellow Pages. They have got it all wrong. The Rogue Elephant is at the Ulsoor lake. Get to the huge Foto Flash showroom and look for the Ambara sign to the left of the showroom. Lost in the foliage is a small sign board - The Rogue Elephant. You enter the building and take the small right into a massive garden and follow the path all the way to the back of the building. The Rogue Elephant is this small cafe nestled at end of all the moss sticks of the nursery.

Anand, the owner welcomes you with a smile and believe me, you will want to get him talking on food. He has some wonderful insights on authentic taste of international dishes and how they get Indianized or otherwise. Now for the food. The menu is small but on first look, you will want to order everything on offer.

For starters we ordered the pita bread and hummus. Yummmmmmyyyyy!!!. The hummus was smooth as it should be and was finished off with a drizzle of olive oil and olives. Unlike other places that I have had this dish at, the serving of pita bread was healthy enough for us to be able to polish off the hummus without having to order another portion. We also ordered the ice tea which Anand informed us, in the original form is a specially made brew that does not use lemon juice or the lemon concentrate. I tried it for the first time in the original form and I truly loved it. Of course, it is an acquired taste and Anand thoughtfully has some lemon concentrate and sugar handy.

For main course I went in for the Herb chicken roast with potato mayonnaise and green salad. I love all things potato and if you add mayonnaise to that then you have a sucker at your hands. And I was not disappointed. I also happened to get my favorite pieces of chicken, the leg and the thigh bone. The chicken was well done with the right amount of crispness on the outside and softness on the inside. The potato mayonnaise was heavenly without making you feel guilty and the green salad had a dressing of olive oil with a dash of mustard if I am not wrong.

Sudhakar went in for the special of the day - Baby Fish in Lemon butter sauce. There was also the option of Putanesca sauce. And just by the looks of it I knew that it was going to be good. The fish was succulent and full and the sauce just right. Presentation of the food is another huge plus point for this place and you will feel for a second that you are spoiling its beauty by digging into it. But then its an all new experience when you do.

For Anoushka we ordered another day special, an Indian one of Mutton Rampuri with spiced rice. Anand was kind enough to halve the portions for her. The meat was boneless and the gravy nice without being customarily drowned in oil. The rice was nice with slight crispness to it.

Now for the desserts. I had the apple pie with ice-cream. The portions are for a single serve and that's good because one mouthful and you would not want to share with anyone. The Apple Pie was filled with a real apple and cinnamon filling and was warm just the way I like it.

Sudhakar had the Banana and Walnut cake. And another first - it came along with a helping of salted butter which we were assured would only heighten the taste. And heighten it did. The restaurant also offers good coffee, an item many restaurants feel unnecessary on their menus.

True to its name, the Rogue Elephant stands out in melange of restaurants that Bangalore has. Would have been nice if it had more publicity and a better signage. But then, I guess all that is with time. The place is a must visit and you will have to make sure that you get there between 11.30 am and 6.00 pm, yes they are open through the afternoon. No dinner service (which is really sad). They are closed on Sundays and all major public holidays (a deal with the landlord). And please carry cash, The Rogue Elephant does not accept card. This meal came at Rs 1100 and was worth every penny. Oh yes and the restroom is unisex and clean. Anoushka always takes care of this particular element of my reviews.