The Kati Roll Company (Indian) – Soho

There were a few hits and a few misses when we last reviewed The Kati Roll Company back in 2015, having ordered:

• Beef Tikka Roll, which we considered “the poorest of the selection of rolls” ordered at the time.
• Unda Chicken Roll with eggs, which we not only thought was “well worth getting”, but also worth a revisit for!
• Unda Shami Roll, that “wasn’t all that”.
• Shrimp Masala Roll, “which had rave reviews all round”.

And the place, which accommodates for 25, hadn’t really changed much, looking as purposefully shabby and run-down as we remember enjoying it the first time.

This time, we visited with the intention of providing a far more rounded review along with, of course, FtL’s customary video highlights reel.

The menu hadn’t changed much except for the addition of masala chai, gourmet crisps, the unfortunate introduction of alcohol in the form of a bottle of beer, and a 5% price hike (since June 2015), which pretty much has been the rate of inflation since then.

As for those not in the know, then Kati Roll’s rolls revolve around a flat paratha bread, with the roasted, whole wheat roti being the lighter alternative.

We decided early on, however, that our review would be of their parathas.

Unda Roll – Flat paratha bread layered with a griddled, freshly beaten egg £2.95

The classic egg paratha at just £2.95! A staple breakfast item of the subcontinent which can be doubled up for just £5.40.

This was crispy on the outside (and in!) with the taste of the scrambled egg true and kicking.

Frankly, if you haven’t tried this, then you need to in a hurry!

Unda Aloo Roll – An unda roll stuffed with a spicy potato patty £3.45

Potato is one of those ingredients which, if not prepared with proper consideration, will push a meal it’s introduced to towards being bland, particularly if combined, as was the case here, with a subtly flavoured ingredient like egg.

Alas, since this “spicy potato patty” simply wasn’t spicy enough to compensate for the above reality, this Unda Aloo Roll turned out to be the weakest of the lot.

Achari Paneer Roll (V) – Grilled Indian farmer’s cheese cubes marinated in spicy pickle £4.45

Having ignored the veggie options the first time we visisted, we were intent on trying at least one.

After the last triumphant paneer roll we had at “Gourmet” kebab specialists, Le Bab, in Kingly Court down the road, we just couldn’t overlook the Achari Paneer Roll.

And thank goodness we didn’t either, for this was just as flavourful.

Although the paneer was somewhat lost in translation amidst a tangy green sauce we couldn’t quite identify, and large slices of crunchy red onions and pieces of pepper, who cares? The entire roll was bursting with the flavours of India, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Chana Masala Roll (V) – Chickpeas with tomatoes and blackening spices £3.95

The chickpeas in this Chana Masala Roll, while generously spiced, all but masked out the taste of any tomatoes within.

Now, again, while we weren’t sure what the muddy green mushy condiment was, we were certain that there’s room for improvement with this one.

Putting aside the few slithers of red onions, what was really needed here was a good sauce that would work towards complementing the spices and, thus, elevating this from a tasty roll to a delicious one.

Chicken Tikka Roll – Grilled chicken cubes marinated in yoghurt and spices £3.95

Okay, maybe the Unda Aloo Roll wasn’t the weakest of the lot given how insipid this Chicken Tikka Roll was.

In our books, a chicken tikka is a really well flavoured, well seasoned, and, when really done well, beautifully charred and smoky piece of poultry.

This was anything but that!

Having said that though, the crispy and buttery nature of the paratha made this an entirely edible eat.

Masali Chai – Assam black tea with scalded milk, flavored with fresh ginger and cardamom £1.10

How can a paratha be had, regardless of the filling, without a Masala Chai!

This, on the other hand, was very similar to standard tea except for the mild cardamom flavour and, of course, the scalded milk.

Corkers Crisp £1

This maybe slightly out of place; but, we’re not the ones who put this on the menu, right?

Apparently the selling point with these Corkers is that they’re hand cooked – thick and crunchy they were!