Perfect Roti from The Roti Shop
BASIC ROTI PRATA WITH CURRY SAUCE (P150)
The Roti Shop came as a result of a concept refocusing done by the owners of its previous iteration, Wild Ginger. Wild Ginger’s menu seemed like a hodgepodge of signature dishes from various Southeast Asian countries. This lack of cohesion translated to its dishes; which were well-cooked and tasty, but painfully forgettable. This resulted in a concept armed with brightly colored interiors and crazy wide collection of lucky cats of various shapes and sizes, The Roti Shop, which boasts of a stripped down menu focused on serving Singapore hawker favorites.
BAK KUT TEH (P350)
The first order of business would obviously be to try out its Roti Prata. Roti isn’t typically served in most Singaporean restaurants in Manila; so this was definitely a welcome addition for me. One bite of its Basic Roti Prata dipped in its flavorful and perfectly spiced curry sauce; and it immediately makes sense why they opted to center the restaurant around this appetizer. The delicate roti had a nice crisp to it; and possessed a subtle smoky charred flavor to it. Its curry sauce was a heavenly mixture of spices that balanced heat with flavor. It's easily the best Roti Prata I’ve tasted in Manila.
CHAR KWAY TEOW (P275)
I was never really a fan of Bak Kut Teh as I’ve always found it to be an excessively rich and greasy bowl of soup. However, seeing as my dad barely touched the bowl despite being a fan of this dish indicates that Bak Kut Teh is not a strong suit of The Roti Shop. One thing that the restaurant can boast about is its Char Kway Teow, especially since a bite of it immediately transports me to Makansutra Gluttons’ Bay. Its stir-fried hofan noodles are perfectly tasty on their own; but it definitely didn't hurt to toss in some meat and seafood in the mix.
HAINANESE ROASTED CHICKEN RICE (P495) and BEEF RENDANG (P425)
The Roti Shop offers both classic and roasted versions of the Hainanese Chicken Rice; but both were unfortunately underwhelming. Both come in half portions (two quarter legs); but just with a cup of rice each. The classic dish was also dry; and it didn’t help that the sauces it came with were hopeless and ineffective in salvaging the flavor of the dish.
The roasted version was slightly better as the meat was actually juicier; yet, it still failed to deliver on taste. On the other hand, its Beef Rendang was nearly perfect as it’s not shy in packing up some heat, and it was able to temper its use of coconut milk; that it’s not overwhelming. My only beef with it is that it was a tad bit too sweet.
Overall, The Roti Shop's Roti Praya is phenomenal; its Char Kway Teow is a must-try; but you can opt to sleep on its other dishes.
The Roti Shop
Level P1, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City
Date of Visit: November 25, 2018 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua and Jared Chua
