London’s Favourite Malaysian Restaurant Is Actively Seeking Site Number Two

The owners of Roti King, the cult subterranean Malaysian restaurant on Doric Way, close to Euston Station, are actively seeking a second site, Eater understands. The restaurant, which is famous for its freshly-made roti canai, lentil curry and spicy noodle assemblies, is an absolute darling of the London restaurant industry, and beyond. It is widely acknowledged as one of London’s greatest cheap eats.

It is understood that the site Roti King — which is owned by Kalpana Sugendran Sugendran — hopes to secure is the one recently vacated by Byron, the burger restaurant group facing multiple closures, on Store Street in Bloomsbury.

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Marina O’Loughlin, writing about Roti King for the Guardian in 2014, is generally acknowledged as the person who “discovered” it. It was at least following her recommendation that the restaurant-going community followed like lemmings. The restaurant, which last year underwent a refurbishment, still carries O’Loughlin’s review, in full, on the back of its printed, laminated menus.

Eater understands that while Roti King is being considered by the owners of the Bloomsbury site, it faces competition from Stevie Parle’s restaurant company — one whose growing portfolio currently includes Pastaio, Rotorino, Palatino, Craft London and Sardine. The chef-restaurateur was forced to close his original restaurant, Dock Kitchen, in Notting Hill, at the end of last year.

More soon.

• The 38 Essential London Restaurants, Winter 2018 [ELDN]
• The Ultimate Guide to Cheap Eats in London [ELDN]