Many moons ago I saw a YouTube video of someone eating a roti dish in KL that ticked all of my boxes! From my (limited) understanding, eating roti here is very definitely a breakfast thing. Ordering it in the afternoon is akin to ordering a cappuccino in Italy in the afternoon. Basically if you can find it after breakfast (good luck with that) it is not really the done thing. For the uninitiated, Roti Canai is a traditional Malaysian pan-fried flatbread made with flour, water, eggs and fat. The dough for Roti Canai is repeatedly folded, so the final product has a layered texture, a soft interior, and a crispy outer layer. IT IS DELICIOUS! It is also seems a national pastime to find the best in town. Everyone seems to have their favourite place. I have heard that many places have their dough delivered so quite often it can all taste very similar. When you find the real deal, it’s a game changer!
Ok, so I digress. Roti Canai is served with a curry sauce on the side. Curry for breakfast…..hell yes! But the one I saw on the video was a magnificent roti served with sambal (sauce made from chiles, spices, herbs, and aromatics), curry sauce and soft boiled eggs. I have been keeping my eyes peeled but had no success in finding it in KLCC. So Nick, Q and I went exploring yesterday to Kampung Baru which is a small enclave in the middle of town. Amazing area which is like stepping back in time. It’s been there since 1889 (well before KL as we know it). It has so far held out against development and I sincerely hope it stays that way. We wandered the streets in the rain…….and I found it! We sat down at a local stall and I looked to my left and the lovely lady next to me was eating my dream dish! In true “When Harry Met Sally” style I did my best “I’ll have what she’s having”. The beautiful people next to us helped us with our order and also explained the dish is known as Roti Banjir. So, with one Roti Banjir, 3 Roti Canai, 2 iced coffees and a lime juice (for the grand sum of $5AUD) under our belt, you could not find 3 happier adventurers! Watching these guys weave their magic was amazing. They told me they serve around 40kg of roti each day. Now considering this is a breakfast dish, that’s a hell of a busy morning!
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