if it’s guyanese roti, that visit is going to happen! and the review will follow. thanks for the suggestion!
Only one I’ve been to is Duck and Waffle - is it the Bishopsgate one? Or the new Duck and Waffle Local at Piccadilly Circus? Anyway, D&W City branch has lovely but EXPENSIVE food but with the most amazing view - if anything though, Sushi Samba has a more intimate view just by being one floor lower. Have you booked SS and D&W? They are booked up weeks in advance.
I have no idea where I put my notes and don’t seem to have an online review - weird. However, I mostly remember it not tasting so great, being a bit shocked at the low hygiene rating, and the tamarind sauce being very difficult to eat - too many chunks in it. A perfect roti? To me it has lots of fabulous gravy, contains a good amount of mashed potato to round out the flavour, is tender and savoury, with a good bite (but add the hot pepper sauce - the yellow one!) and is wrapped in a dalpuri. my favourite is chicken and eggplant (aubergine) and with the potato it practically melts in your mouth. i want some now! i haven’t found a great one in london but when i’m in toronto there are a few exceptional ones.
my partner says to tell you that afro guyanese roti and indo guyanese roti are different too (he prefers indo). and stay away from the jamaican ones. most guyanese are precious about their roti but will bow to the trinidadians if they have to. 
Have you tried roti joupa in Clapham? Their hot doubles are quite something and the rotis aren’t too bad.
And oh, they are Trinidadian at Joupa.
That’s promising, Dean. On my list.
1 Like
Yes, we are going to the Bishopsgate location, didn’t realize a new one opened, is it also 24/7? I’m looking forward to the view. We have prebooked all our reservations weeks in advance. Some, like one I forgot to mention, City Social near the Tower of London, made us actually choose a starter, main and dessert when taking our reservation! That is so heavy handed, IMO. How do I know what I will feel like eating weeks from now. We will have 10 dining for that meal though so maybe that’s why. Still…it feels like large parties are discouraged.
Interesting, thanks! I haven’t had their tamarind sauce but will ask about it next time. (I should mention that their hygiene rating seems to have improved since you were there, and is now “Generally satisfactory” overall and “Good” for food hygiene and safety.)
Mrs Harters is suggesting a day trip to London to see the Picasso exhibition at the Tate. I may try to persuade her that we should make it an overnighter so we can have for dinner at Rules. It’s still my favourite place in the city.
2 Likes
I am curious- any idea what Guyanese food is like. Is it close to Caribbean food?
I have not had Guyanese food. The place I recommended is quite local and I pass it quite often and keep meaning to go in. I’ve had Jamaican food a lot of times and been to tried roti joupa in Clapham which is a Trinidadian place. I had curry goat but with a roti rather than rice and peas (which is typical in a Jamaican place) so I am assuming the food of all three has similarities.
Chris - are you now back in the UK or still travelling?
1 Like
Been back in London about a month now. Bit of a culture shock but at least I can get a scotch egg and a decent pint of bitter now.
2 Likes
hi. a follow up. we went to umana yana. it’s the best roti i’ve had while in london but wouldn’t tempt me back. it’s just not amazing enough. we agreed that 'his 'mum could cook better and umana yana doesn’t do dalpourri - just a plain one with the dhal. i made the mistake of telling the owner that ‘he’ was also guyanese and wow - she didn’t shut up for 15-20 mins reminiscing about ‘home’ and all the while our stomachs were growling. if you go, skip the promising crawfish fritters - they had only a speck of crawfish in there. and keep on top of your order - she’s scattered all over the place oh, yes we had the goat roti, while i craved chicken and aubergine (said to not have been ready). we also had a glass of pleasantly bitter mawby. so go by all means and you may really enjoy it - we just have an excellent home experience that has spoiled us.
2 Likes
Thanks for reporting back. A shame that it wasn’t amazing enough for a repeat visit. I’ve got no benchmark so I may give it a go.
1 Like
Let me know what you think, Chris!
I wasn’t quite sure where to put this, but figured it might as well go in the thread where we’re discussing roti. I went back to GT Flavazs (mentioned in my March roundup) for a roti, partly because last time I was there I discussed Roti Masters with the owner and he, like @calam1ty, insisted that Guyanese roti is better than Trinidadian.
Long story short, I was disappointed. The roti itself was plain, not dhal puri, and the texture of the bread was stodgy and greasy, unlike the ones at Roti Masters. It also wasn’t flexible enough to actually wrap around the curry mutton without breaking (the latter was provided separately in a plastic tub, and was fine per se).
I plan to give Umana Yana a go, but Roti Masters is still the current winner for me.
Roti Masters is not bad, but I do think Roti Joupa in Clapham is a step up. Especially their doubles. They are stunning.
1 Like
maybe i should give RM another try. i do remember they had dhal puri and that’s a good thing. there’s a couple of ladies making trini roti by st augustine’s tower in hackney, where i love, and the curry is pretty good but again they don’t make dhal puri even though they advertise that they do. we enjoyed it.
Dean, i’m hardly ever in clapham but will keep it in mind for the next time i find myself headed that way.
Just to report that Roti Masters in Croydon has closed due to redevelopment of the entire block. Though apparently it has a branch at St Nicholas Shopping Centre in Sutton (SM1 1AY), which remains open.
