Roti Chai is run by Rohit Chugh, who previously ran Cinnamon club and set up Cinnamon Kitchen before branching out on his own. Roti Chai however isn’t your average Indian restaurant, it serves traditional Indian meals with a modern twist. So for those out there who like to say ‘I don’t like Indian food’, this is a completely different experience. That being said, the meals here are still great for those who like traditional Indian food.
Roti Chai, set in the middle of Mayfair behind Selfridges, is split into two different sections under one roof. The Street Kitchen, creatively designed with Indian consumer goods, which serves food from the streets of India, and the formal Dining Room. The Street Kitchen has a more casual setting, with a different menu that is more suited for a quick bite if you’re on the go or lunch. On this occasion, I had dinner in the Dining Room, as I wanted to try the meals on their recently updated menu.
We ordered a round of cocktails, my friend had the signature Maha Mojito and I decided to go with the Pomegranate Martini, along with some chilli cashew nuts. The pomegranate martini was rather strong but not overwhelming, however, I could barely taste the pomegranate in this, and I expected more of a fruity pomegranate taste from the drink but this was lacklustre.
To start, we decided to try the Chicken 65, moreish Chennai style chicken famously served at the Buhari Hotel, the Gilafi seekh kebab, their take on classic lamb kebabs cooked in tandoor, and Dhaba tandoori chicken with a traditional tandoori masala rub. The Chicken 65 was quite different, tender chicken pieces adequately seasoned, and I would definitely recommend trying this starter. However the lamb kebabs were lacking spices, and weren’t as tasty as lamb kebabs should be. The Dhaba tandoori chicken on the other hand, was cooked perfectly and the chicken was seasoned right to the bone, this was my best starter of the various starters we ordered.
For our mains we decided to go with Malabar mooli prawns coastal style spiced prawns, mooli, snow peas & fine beans and one of their specials Raan e baluchi a 16 hour slow cooked Welsh lamb shoulder shank with cumin tandoori masala. We also ordered the Roti – bread selection and basmati rice as sides. The lamb shank could have done with a bit more sauce, however it was quite tender and was falling off the bone, it had a stirfry side of spinach and mushroom which complemented the lamb. The Malabar mooli prawns were cooked in a batter then served in the curry with fine beans and snow beans. The curry sauce for this dish was definitely the nicer of the two and went well with the basmati rice. The roti – bread selection was a mix of garlic naan, parantha and roti. The roti was a nice crisp texture whilst still retaining the layers of freshly cooked dough and the parantha retained its soft inner layers which were filled with sautéed vegetables. The garlic naan was also quite nice, if you’re not keen on experimenting, then you can never go wrong with naan.
If you’re looking for a traditional curry, Roti chai isn’t the place to go, however if you’re looking to try some flavours of India, Roti Chai is a nice restaurant that offers a taste of India. Be warned if you’re hungry as their portions are small. Also if you’re looking for meals that are more affordable and quicker, try the street kitchen which serves dishes inspired by rustic dishes from the roadside ‘Dhaba’ cafes and bustling train stations as well as Indian street cart food. What intrigued me on the Street Kitchen menu was the Tikki wala mini burgers, I wonder how these will taste, well until next time.
Overall Experience: 3.5 stars
Customer Service: 3.5 stars
Meal: 3.5 stars
CONSUME LONDON 