rogue bar & bistro had been on my breakfast radar for some time when my workout-and-brunch buddy and i needed somewhere to refuel after our recent sunday morning run. you know a cafe is worth visiting when it's highly recommended by three totally unrelated friends, and this was the case with rogue.
even though we managed to arrive just before their major sunday morning rush, there was still a waiting list of about half an hour. we popped our names down on the list, ordered a takeaway coffee, and found a space on the conveniently located couch out the front with the other hungry patrons. our waiting time was used wisely by pouring over the menu and drooling over rogue's instagram feed.
surprisingly, we were seated and ordering our second round of coffees 20 minutes later - mug of vanilla flat white for me and a long black with skim on the side for her. both of my coffees (what?! i was tired! 🙊) were perfect; great strength, no bitterness, lovely crema, and a great mouth feel. my buddy was also a very happy, caffeinated lady.
our decision regarding food, however, was incredibly difficult - too many amazing choices! in the end, we decided to go all out and split three - yes, three! - breakfasts between us. the lucky winners:
- omelette - bbq pork belly, asian slaw, spiced labne, black sesame aioli, and ciabatta;
- mushrooms - truffled scrambled eggs, pancetta crumb, caramelised onion, chèvre, and sourdough;
- pancakes - blueberry, salted caramel, chocolate ganache, popcorn, and vanilla ice cream.
first up, the omelette was delicious! the pork belly was so succulent, the fat rendered beautifully. the asian slaw was a perfect match for this too. i absolutely loved the creamy texture and the taste of the black sesame aioli. everything on this plate was delicious!
but then i tried the mushrooms..... oh. my. gosh. those truffled scrambled eggs were simply divine! the mushrooms were scrumptious, well-cooked but still retained a little bit of bite. the caramelised onion was so lovely and sweet and the pancetta was a beautifully crispy and salty contrast. the chèvre was a nice accompaniment to finish such a well thought-out dish.
finally, for dessert, the pancakes - amazing!!! everything on this plate just sang! the pancakes themselves were a little dry initially but when paired with maple syrup they were heaven. the popcorn was a great textural element and worked beautifully with the delicious salted caramel. and i couldn't get enough of the gorgeous chocolate ganache - i just kept diving back in for more! my workout-and-brunch buddy is not a fan of sweet breakfasts but even she was in love with this perfectly balanced, dessert-like plate of food - congratulations on converting the unconvertible!
the service at rogue was impeccable from start to finish and ran like clockwork. each member of staff knew exactly what they were doing, which tables were theirs, and were super professional and friendly in all things. the waitress who served us gets extra points for her attention to detail in the way she looked after us, ensuring that we had sufficient plates and cutlery for sharing without us needing to ask.
the white and wood decor with plenty of natural light and greenery, coupled with the fantastic staff, great coffee, and amazing food really made our sunday. i think i may have found my new default breakfast retreat! thank you, rogue!