Roti King

"This cult Malaysian restaurant is in a basement in Euston and specialises in roti canai—soft, flaky flatbreads served with a bowl of delicious curry. The dhal one is cheaper, but the beef rendang version is our favourite and worth the extra pounds. They also serve brilliant versions of Malaysian hawker stall staples like char kway teow, nasi goreng, and curry laksa. FYI, there’s a queue at peak hours. But that’s no surprise given it’s BYOB as well." - jake missing, daisy meager, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"In the words of Omar Little, if you come at the king you best not miss. Admittedly, he wasn’t talking about missing out on Roti King’s luscious roti canai but who cares? The flatbreads made at this legendary Malaysian spot are no secret. In fact, they stay with you. Buttery finger stains at the top of your jeans, rogue drips of curry on your t-shirt. That’s what Roti King’s roti canai is: a flaky velvety vehicle for sauces." - jake missing

"One of the youngest on this list, Roti King is proof that you can’t always measure ‘classic-ness’ by length of time open. But if we did, the time spent standing in the queue for this Euston basement might make up for it. The Malaysian restaurant’s name has been on Londoners’ lips since it opened in 2014, and there’s a reason this casual spot has a cult following. The namesake roti is always flaky, always hot, and always excellent. Get it with the rich, slow-cooked beef rendang for one of the best-value meals in London." - jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager

"Whenever given the choice, we’d always avoid a queue. But at Roti King in Euston, a queue is not only inevitable, but completely worth it. Yes, they’ve opened spots in Battersea and Waterloo that have a significantly shorter wait time, but there’s something about this original spot’s basement dining room, with its sharing tables and one-person window nook that makes it magical. Plus the Malaysian classics are excellent too. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch By 5pm the queue is 20-people long, and the staff—even with the stream of people—are smiley and welcoming. Once you try the roti canai you’ll understand why this spot is named after it. Behind a glass screen, roti is oiled, stretched, and thrown on the grill, before it’s scrunched and delivered to you alongside creamy dahl. The food comes out quickly and is devoured even more quickly, so just make sure you have a couple of those soft, flaky rotis on your table (if you’re only getting one, pick the beef rendang), and the kari laksa if it’s glove weather. It’s an in-and-out operation, so plan to be moving on from this spot 45 minutes after you sit down. Just know that a dinner here is short, sweet, and filled with some of London’s best Malaysian food. Food Rundown photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Roti Canai Two pieces of flaky, stringy roti and your choice of dahl, chicken, fish, mutton, or beef rendang. Get the rendang: the beef is unbelievably tender, and it’s better with the roti than rice. The dahl is also an excellent comforting contender. If you’re with even one more person, get both. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Char Kuey Teow This is what we always imagine we’ll make every time we pull out the wok. But this flat rice noodle dish is way better. It’s rich and comforting, and there are tender prawns, chicken pieces, and fried egg throughout. photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch Kari Laksa The coconutty broth has the restorative powers of a grandma with a Ninja food processor. It’s creamy, light, and slightly sweet. After you’ve waited in the queue for 30 minutes, this is exactly what you need." - Rianne Shlebak

"Arguably London’s best cheap eat, Roti King is an excellent first mate-date spot. It’s cheap, cheerful, and, if the other person isn’t sure about it you know they’re a wrong’un. A basic roti with curry dhall is just a fiver, which keeps things accessibly priced. Plus it’s in between Euston and Kings Cross, meaning you have plenty of escape routes in case any unexpected and unwelcome political views start getting aired." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing