From its beginnings as a street food stall, Roti King has grown into a pair of restaurants universally loved for bringing the joy of proper Rotis to London. Authentic roti canai is made fresh every day, right in front of diners, with the same traditional skill and theatre that Head Chef and Founder Sugen Gopal learnt growing up. Diners are encouraged to eat with their hands and experience the food as they would on the streets of Malaysia, the home of Roti King’s particular style of roti. If you have not tried it I seriously have to ask why on earth not?
Now, Roti King has announced it will open its third restaurant in the emerging foodie hub of Lower Marsh, Waterloo this month, joining the original Euston site and its second restaurant in Battersea Power Station which opened in 2022. Roti King Waterloo will open Friday 1st December.
Prominent Malaysian street art is the focal point for the design of the restaurant, along with the buildings original brick walls, left exposed. The multiple murals celebrate Roti King’s core values of equality and authenticity. The space has retained as much of the original interior as possible, including tiled walls from a past interior of the building, and room for 50 diners situated toward the front of the restaurant. Behind this, the classic Roti King open kitchen spans down the lefthand side, where guests can watch all the roti-making action.
All Roti Canai will be available with four different options of Kari; chicken, mutton, dahl and fish as well as the stuffed roti Murtabak with a variety of fillings. Dishes served with fragrant coconut rice include Beef Rendang and Nasi Lemak, and noodle-based classics include Char Kuey Teow, stir fried flat rice noodles with egg, prawns and chicken, and Kari Laksa with egg noodles in a warming coconut broth, served with seafood and tofu. To satisfy your sweet tooth, traditional desserts of filled sweet roti are a must, with options being Kaya – with coconut jam, Planta – with condensed milk and Pisang – with banana. South Asian beer by the bottle alongside canned wines, and cocktails by Moth make up the small but carefully curated drinks selection.
The new menu also includes more plant-forward dishes with as much flavour as their meaty counterparts. The newest dish on the menu is the Pulled Shitake Rendang which has been a labour of love from chef Sugen Gopal. For this dish, shiitake mushrooms are cooked down in aromatic spices in the traditional rendang style, served with fluffy coconut rice.
Sugen Gopal says “There is nowhere in the UK that makes Roti Canai the way we do at Roti King. Our attention to detail, fresh British ingredients and a few secret techniques makes this the most authentic place to eat Malaysian food in the UK. I am beyond thrilled to see my cuisine and heritage becoming so popular in the UK and Lower Marsh is the perfect spot to bring Malaysian food south of the river.”
Roti King Waterloo will be open to diners on Friday 1st December, Monday to Sunday, 12pm – 10pm. As with its sister sites, the restaurant is walk-in only, takeaway and delivery will be on offer at Waterloo. This Waterloo launch comes ahead of Roti King’s 10th birthday in 2024.
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