The West Side story

Euphoric feel

Tucked away in the heart of old Bengaluru — Basavanagudi — is ‘The Rogue Elephant’, a quaint eatery, which true to its name, stands apart from the rest of the herd. The place offers customers a food-high in a peaceful ambience.

While one’s senses are awakened by the ambience, the taste buds are triggered with just a bite of their salads, which are prepared with fresh, hand-picked vegetables. The ‘tomato, avocado and almond salad’, with three types of tomatoes, stimulates the desire for more. The place also serves the seasonal ‘mango, avocado and almond salad’, which is as novel as it can get.

Shiela Appa, the proprietor and chief chef, runs it with partner Anand Chettur, who is a humble and an ever-smiling hotelier. While Shiela works on the well-presented food, Anand guides his customers through the menu. It is this personalised service that adds to the euphoric and homely vibe of this place. Since both are enthusiastic travellers, they are able to offer authentic Western cuisine with original flavours.

The ‘tomato and basil crostini’ is flavourful with well-marinated and fresh tomatoes. The ‘falafel with tabbouleh and hummus’ is served traditionally without being wrapped as a roll. The hummus served with the dish is homemade and adds seasoning to the crispy patties.

With each bite of lasagna emerges great flavours and one can’t but indulge in the food oblivious of the conversations around.

Though they have equal options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, it is the variety in chicken and fish items that takes the centrestage. With a separate menu for snacks, the place also serves some exotic desserts including ‘coconut macaroon topped with fruit and ice-cream’, ‘Nutella delight’ and ‘lemon curd tart and ice-cream’.

   The restaurant is located at 93, near Generation School, opposite Krishna Rao Park, Kanakapura Road, Basavanagudi. For details, call 49652849.