Cafe Rogano, 11 Exchange Place, Glasgow. Tel: 0141 248 4055

IT was handbags and gladrags at dawn. The Moll had pulled on her party frock for her birthday but it was clear the years were taking their toll. "I've got more crow's feet than a rookery," she sulked.

"And I've more bags than the Hermes counter at Frasers. Do you think a nip and tuck would help?"

"With what?" I replied. "A JCB? Come on, I'll treat you to a nice lunch to cheer you up."

Her face soon lit up to it's full 40 watt glow when I guided her toward the entrance of Rogano, the city's other grand dame. STARTERS: Duck spring rolls 4.95 Prawn tempura 5.45 MAINS: Breast of chicken 11.95 Fish and chips 9.95 DRINKS: 2x bottle lager 6.40 Mineral water 1.30 TOTAL: £40.00

"I'm impressed," she mouthed as we walked through the doors. Her frown lines reappeared when I ushered her downstairs, away from the main dining room.

"Listen, I said, I'm not paying 20-odd quid for a main course for anyone's birthday, the downstairs cafe will do just fine."

The smile returned to her face once sat at the corner booth in the cosy basement womb. A quick glance at the menu and her thaw was complete.

Her mood still sightly sullied by her birthday, the Moll was in need of comfort food and her starter of tempura prawns with chilli sauce fitted that description perfectly. Five giant, plump, prawns coated in a super crisp batter disappeared within minutes.

My own starter was equally satisfying - a couple of Peking duck spring rolls with a plum dipping sauce. Bursting with flavour, they were faultless in the taste stakes.

The best thing about Rogano isn't on the menu - it's the potential for Grade A people-watching. From ladies who lunch, sipping dinky cocktails, to cufflinked businessmen waffling loudly over an oyster or six, it's a great opportunity to pass the time while waiting for our mains. Which was handy because the time between courses was a little longer than I would have liked.

That said, the friendly waitress soon arrived with my breast of chicken, deep-fried mozzarella and grilled vegetables. The tender chicken was juicier than a bikini-clad Carmen Electra, the crispy coated cheese and vegetables, the perfect foil.

The Moll had taken an eternity to chose her main course. She toyed with the idea of the tempting aged beef hamburger with Shoestring Fries' but bitter memories of a television detective played by Trevor Eve put her off. To be fair, the menu holds many tempting dishes - including a rage of delicious-sounding sandwiches, pastas, fish and steak dishes.

When it came to comfort eating, however, there was only ever one option for the Moll - fish and chips with mushy peas and pickled onions.

"Hey, if it's good enough for Rod Stewart whenever he's in town, it's good enough for me," she reasoned.

According to the Moll, it was a reasonable effort but the chips were ever so slightly undercooked for her delicate mouth. "Not bad but nothing the local chippy couldn't equal," she opined. "I thought Rod had more taste.

"I'll stick to something more adventurous next time."

In the spirit of generosity, and seeing as it was her birthday, I offered her a mouthful of chicken. Big mistake. Before I knew it, she'd convinced me to swap dishes.

"Well, it is my birthday after all," she winked.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: The chicken breast is best.

WHAT TO AVOID: The service can be a touch slow.