April 29, 2024
Michael subbed into a friend's netball game in Footscray on a Monday night. I wouldn't usually follow along, but he had the idea of grabbing some dinner in the neighbourhood afterwards and I checked our prospects for finding something good after 8pm on a Monday. I was excited to find out that Roti Road would likely serve us - I've had them bookmarked for a decade! Indeed, they were not only open but positively buzzing, and we had no worries of them packing up chairs and mopping floors around us as we ate.
In waiting so long to visit Roti Road, we've allowed them time to work up to a dedicated two-page vegan menu! There's a variety of noodles (mostly fried but also in soup), rice-based dishes, vegetable-centred dishes, mock meats and sides. Michael's curry lamb ($25.90) arrived long before the rest of our meal - he liked its spiciness, less so its (accurate) chewiness.
True to its Malaysian roots, Roti Road has an extensive non-alcoholic drinks menu. My Traditional 3 Color Milk Tea ($5.90) was just barely triple-toned and not as intensely flavoured as I'd hoped for. Michael needed to rehydrate with an orange-apple juice ($4).
Our roti made it eventually, scrunched up and crispy-edged. Michael just had plain one ($7.50) while I went for Roti Canai ($9.50), knowing that the sambal wouldn't be veg-friendly (big points for the clear labelling here!). I loved the dhal but the curry was too spicy for me (again, I was fairly warned by the menu labels!) and most of it was soaked up by Michael.
Service was fast and capable and really, we were just so happy that they were offering full service at the later end of a Monday night. I'd absolutely stop in for another roti, and would be curious to try some of their other dishes (CKT, nasi goreng, plum mock-duck) when I'm able to take my time over a larger meal.
____________
There are blog reviews of Roti Road stretching across a decade! Positive accounts can be found on Footscray Food Blog, Spoonfuls of Wanderlust, Melbourne Food Baby, grazing panda, Eat & Be Merry, Purple Bowl, halal culinary adventures (twice) and Mamma Knows West. Views on Consider the Sauce diminished over time, and The Tall and Short of It were entirely unimpressed.
____________
Roti Road
189/193 Barkly St, Footscray
9078 8878
Accessibility: Roti Road has a wide, flat entry and wide walkways through its dining area. Furniture is densely arranged, mostly low height with booths and backed chairs (the tall tables have backed stools too). We ordered at our table and paid at a high counter.
No comments:
Post a Comment