Roti King opened in Brighton on May 3 bringing all the flavours, fire and flair of Malaysian street food to the UK. This is the restaurant’s first venture outside of London in its 11 years history, this time finding a new home in the Lanes.
I was lucky enough to be invited to their launch party to get an exclusive look at what is in store for Brighton residents – and it did not disappoint. Providing good beats, and even better food, the launch was full of a lot of roti – shock – paired with chicken, vegetables and various dhals, all presented in the authentically street-style fashion that founder, Sugen Gopal, prides himself on.
What really stood out to me, however, was how immersive it is, with their open kitchen allowing customers to see the roti being hand-stretched and cooked in front of them in real time. In fact, the entire layout of the restaurant is super free-flowing with tucked-away corners, benches looking out through the windows, and high-top stools dotted around, giving the whole space a relaxed feel. Hidden in one corner in particular was a little game called ‘Toads’, which is as weird as it sounds. I’ll admit I spent an embarrassingly long time trying to flip a gold coin into a frog-themed slot whilst standing a solid meter away. All of which I executed with breathtaking precision and success (I didn’t get it in once).
As someone who is desperately trying to become a ‘beer drinker’ in preparation for many pub garden outings this summer, I was pleasantly surprised by the Lucky Buddha brand they serve and even found myself reaching for a second during the night. Other drinks on offer included your classic soft drinks, along with wine. But what really interested me was their in-house drinks including teh o’ais, a fruity iced tea, and Teh Tarik, an intriguingly sweet drink made from condensed milk and black tea.
I’m a sucker for interiors so couldn’t stop myself from staring at the walls which are covered in works inspired by Malaysian street art. And you can’t miss the restaurant’s exterior which is now emblazoned with a beautiful dragon mural, painted live infront of us by the incredibly talented Amy Leung (instagram: @amyyleungg) with some of us even being brave enough to try our hand at painting a line or two only to quickly find out it was a lot harder than it looked. A very humbling experience to say the least!
Everything is very reasonably priced with most mains coming in at £11 a pop. And what’s more? For the first four days of its opening, Roti King is offering a ‘pay what you like’ scheme, starting Saturday May 3, giving you no excuse not to come down and try their sizzling cuisine. Their current menu offers roti canai, murtabak, rice, noodles, and various desserts – all of which I have my eye on. No need to book, as the restaurant currently operates on a walk-in only service with home deliveries in the works for the future.
Address: 57 Ship Street, Brighton BN1 1AF
