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You are here: Home / Lifestyle / The Kati Roll Company, Reagent Street, London – Review

The Kati Roll Company, Reagent Street, London – Review

February 6, 2014 by manjirichitnis 28 Comments

During my very first year after we moved to London I was on a spree to explore the city and of course travel around England. My first winter ( 2011) I really took my time to acclimatise and had a tough time going from one day to the other without feeling a mixture of utter boredom, gloom and loneliness ( maybe one of the reasons I subconsciously pushed myself to start blogging again after a long hiatus , my old blog started in 2006 , I abandoned for various reasons didn’t seem something I wanted to go back to…and ”sliceoffme” was born) On one such terribly cold and grey evening one of my old college mates who I found stayed in London via FB (Thank god for FB!) and me met for a drink and some window shopping. After walking all over Oxford Street we were ravenously hungry and I wanted something substantial and if possible Indian and not expensive – humm , lucky for me she really knew the area well and we walked to a tiny by lane off  Reagent street n queued up inside The Kati Roll company. It was packed to the gills and is a tiny little place but very popular as I was informed by N.

The juicy and perfectly spiced pieces of meat,chicken or paneer wrapped in one of those ready to eat thick parathas  (why?! well of this is NOT  Mumbai is it so no chance of the REAL DEAL aka a Rumali Roti – a fine Indian Bread which is made by bravely tossing the dough around in open air and full public view and lands expertly on a tandoor – if I was to try it would probably land on my face! ) and seasoned with a spicy chutney and finely sliced red onions are so good especially when washed down with a chilled cola. I ordered two rolls with meat – but one can really fill you up if you are not too hungry.We managed to get a place to sit, partly because I hovered around a table where a group of hungry young men were wolfing down their rolls and managed to look very exhausted , hungry and in need for a place to sit – sigh… the things one has to do to get a table anywhere nice in London πŸ˜‰

Last month when I was out near Reagent Street and struck by a serious hunger pang I made a beeline for The Kati Roll Company. Pleasantly surprised to find the place was not as busy and the interiors also seemed to have had a serious facelift. New on the menu was a very tempting bottle of thick mango lassi , the last one was sitting there in the fridge begging me to buy it…something about a water droplet slowly making its way from the too of the bottle along the side which was very ummm… mesmerising ? πŸ™‚ Alas the hungry man who ordered right before I did bought it – dang!So armed with a Shami Kebab and an Unda Shami Roll (guilt guilt !) I grabbed a table before it vanished.

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So I had to settle for a coke – ah well. I sat on a table facing a wall with Aamir Khan staring down at me from a  movie poster of his best film yet – Lagaan. I love how the posters had been put pasted onto the wall and then run over with a roller, I suppose, making it look like the bricks had these images and had just been fitted into one another (much like the stunning wallpaper at Tartine Artisanal in Tooting – read my review here)

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Several old Bollywood posters decorate the orange brick walls at The Kati Roll Company. Just then a very noisy bunch of ladies, giggling and talking all at once stepped in to get some rolls rudely snapping me out of my reverie… and here I was so far away from London, imagining I was in Bombay sitting on a wooden bench outside Bade Miya –  a roadside stall probably more famous than The Taj restaurant behind which it operates. (Actually, a roadside stall is probably the worst way to describe this crazy popular ”landmark” in Mumbai, they probably are the richest operators selling kebabs in Bombay city!) I could almost smell the open-air grills giving out tantalising aromas of succulent kebabs sizzling away, the laughter of young and uppity South Mumbai crowd intermingled with the murmur of conversation from the office -goers, college students, a few tourists, and the other odd people, all huddled together in small groups around cars -or just standing around, while the super busy ”waiters” rushed around with a stub and a mangled notepad yelling out our orders to no one in particular.

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Sometimes I miss Bombay so much that I have a very real physical heart-ache and it takes me several minutes to snap out of my walk down memory lane. The Kati Roll company is one such place where it is very easy for me to slip into such a state and happily so. Its only when I walked out of there and the cold afternoon January wind slapped me in the face did I suddenly realise that I was ONLY a few thousand miles away from Bade Miya and Bombay city,  in London – on a cold winter afternoon…

So yes its possible to get a really decent, as close to  authentic ”Indian” kebab rolls on a budget in Central London.

Should you go there ? Heck yes!

Is it on my list of favourite cheap eats around London – yes !

Do you need any more prodding ? Guess Not!

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Aamir Khan, bade miya, Central London, India, Lagaan, Reagent Street, Review, Rumali Roti, Shami Kebab, South Mumbai, Tartine Artisanal, The Kati Roll Company, The Taj, Tooting, Unda Shami Roll

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Comments

  1. shweta a says

    February 6, 2014 at 10:24 am

    The whole place looks so changed…I love channa masala and paneer roles here…Well written πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 8, 2014 at 10:18 am

      Thanks, Shweta, yes they have changed the interiors for the better. oh, you are a vegetarian then?

      Reply
  2. Tina @ The Spicy Pear says

    February 6, 2014 at 10:26 am

    I love Kati rolls. Yum. Next time take me with you πŸ™‚ PS they used to serve roomali rotis at one of the stands in the food court, in Yaohan Plaza / Oriental City in Colindale, North London – so upset that place closed down, my mum and I would visit at least once a month and eat authentic chinese dim sum and peruse for hours over the decorative cookware.

    Reply
    • Manjiri says

      February 8, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Of course Tina , would love to go there with you! Oh thats sad I hate it when good places which we frequent shut down!

      Reply
  3. Bintu @ recipesfromapantry says

    February 8, 2014 at 11:26 am

    I would have fought the man for the mango lassi.

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 8, 2014 at 2:19 pm

      Teheh believe you me I wanted to, but, hunger had rendered me weak and defenseless πŸ˜›

      Reply
  4. London-Unattached.com says

    February 8, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    What a fascinating place. I don’t think I’ve even seen it, I’ll have to go in search of!

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 8, 2014 at 2:18 pm

      It is quite something that place, yes you must go sooonnnnn!

      Reply
  5. Choclette says

    February 9, 2014 at 8:37 pm

    Ooh yes please, would love a peneer roll. When I was a student in London, I used to eat in the Indians just behind Euston station – really tasty but very cheep authentic food – loved it.

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 10, 2014 at 11:35 am

      Oh yes, the Paneer Rolls are awesome too but when given a choice between Paneer and Lamb I crumble each time πŸ˜‰ Sounds like a great student meal option this place, do it still exist?

      Reply
  6. Karen Burns Booth says

    February 9, 2014 at 10:43 pm

    I love Kati rolls and this is such a super post too, with lovely images! Karen

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 10, 2014 at 11:33 am

      Thank You, Karen!

      Reply
  7. Emma Julia (A London Kiwi) says

    February 9, 2014 at 11:14 pm

    Sounds utterly scrummy!

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 10, 2014 at 11:33 am

      Yes yes, it is!

      Reply
  8. inher30s says

    February 10, 2014 at 10:01 am

    Looks fantastic!

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 10, 2014 at 11:32 am

      It is so Yummy Manasi, a must-go-to place!

      Reply
  9. Fuss Free Helen says

    February 10, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    If it transported you back to Bombay then it must be authentic. I shall seek it out!

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 10, 2014 at 11:49 pm

      Oh yes, Helen, they are the REAL deal, or as close to it as possible!

      Reply
  10. Jac -Tinned Tomatoes (@tinnedtoms) says

    February 10, 2014 at 10:50 pm

    That looks like the Turkish wraps we have in the north of Cyprus. They are glorious and I love watching them working the dough. They serve them with a wonderful shredded salad with pomegranate and a pomegranate & lemon dressing. Oh mouth is watering! I would love a recipe. Next time you go, could you ask……..

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 10, 2014 at 11:46 pm

      Hey Jaq, those Turkish Wraps some delicious Ummm! Humm, u just gave me a weekend lunch idea – recipe for Kati Rolls coming up this weekend πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Ren Behan says

    February 11, 2014 at 11:39 am

    I’ve never tried this kind of Indian food. We have a new Street Kitchen restaurant (Singhli) here in St Albans though and the food is amazing. I’ll seek this out next time I’m in London. SO pleased it took you back home for a moment!

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 11, 2014 at 2:05 pm

      That’s good, always great to have a good Indian restaurant nearby I say! Oh yes please do check out this place in London, its worth visiting! And that nostalgia trip was so real even now if I close my eyes I can ”walk” down the streets of Bombay – that city lives in every cell in my body πŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. HedgeComber says

    February 11, 2014 at 4:12 pm

    Manjiri, when I next come to London, would you take me there? Pretty please…?
    Janie x

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 11, 2014 at 10:23 pm

      Yes yes yes!:) xx

      Reply
  13. Janice says

    February 11, 2014 at 8:30 pm

    Looks like a place full of atmosphere and the food looks great.

    Reply
    • Manjiri Chitnis says

      February 11, 2014 at 10:22 pm

      Oh yes, Janice so true!

      Reply
  14. Sylvia says

    February 16, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    Looks like an awesome place to go! Love the decorations inside, gives a special atmosphere to the palce! x

    Reply
    • Manjiri says

      February 16, 2014 at 10:53 pm

      Yes indeed Sylvia it is a very cute place!

      Reply

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