Roll it up with a twist | Roti Rollers in La Mer

This has been long overdue, but better now than never. Flaunting a quirky set up at the popular Le Mer in Dubai, Roti Rollers adds a touch of fun and flavor to your dining experience. Right from miniature trucks to chaat trolleys and rustic road side styled interiors, this eatery transports you to the bylanes and alleys of Indian towns and their famous khao gallis.

Breaking stereotypes linked to Indian street food being notoriously unhealthy, Roti Rollers brings about a fresh new approach with a menu that aims at recreating the magic of kathi rolls, chaat, thali, and a lot of other street food, but with a healthy twist. Read on to find out the variety they offer, what works and what doesn’t.

Drinks

Since we visited the restaurant during Ramadan, we started off with a humble serving of dates and two of their bestselling drinks – Mint Lemonade and Mango Lassi.

While I loved the refreshing lemonade, I just tried a sip or two of the lassi because that would have otherwise killed my appetite for the rest of the meal. Having said that, the lassi is quite a cooler, especially during these summer months.

Roti Crisps with Dips

This is probably the most signature item at Roti Rollers. Served with a choice of dips as well as an accompaniment with all their mains, the roti crisps are lightly fried roti pieces that are prepared fresh in-house on a daily basis and mixed with different flavors like beetroot and avocado.

Imagine having an avocado flavored fried roti with burnt bell pepper dip, or maybe the beetroot flavored roti crisp with chimichurri? Yes, these are all in here in addition to the classic roti crisps and multiple dips like indie guacamole, tikka masala, makhani, burnt chilli and fennel, cashew, and many many more! A must must have!

Chaat Trolley

Sporting an actual chaat trolley at the restaurant, Roti Rollers offers a decent selection of some of the chaat favorites from back home. We tried two of these – Pani Puri and Dahi Puri.

The former came with all the basics, albeit with a twist. Instead of small bowls katoris that hold the sweet and spicy accompaniments for the puris, these were instead served in spouted bottles, making the preparation of the puri so convenient. The puris were pre-stuffed with chickpeas and spices, which made nice for a filling.

The latter was a burst of colors and flavors in every way. Combining the flavors and textures of crispy puri, smooth yogurt, mushy potato, sweet and spicy chutney and crunchy sev, the dahi puri was a delight.

These two are certainly worth a try at Roti Rollers. If you try something else from their chaat menu too, let me know how it was in the comments below.

Chili Omelette Paratha

Who doesn’t like a good ol’ omelet paratha? Roti Rollers takes it a step further with their spicy chilli omelet. Rolled up and served in two pieces, I found the paratha slightly dry and the omelet not fluffy enough to fill up a bite. I would recommend they make the omelets a little more thick so the paratha feels more filling.

The Emiroti

Listed under their signature rolls, The Emiroti came highly recommended by Chef Sameer. Although I don’t like lamb as such, I am more than happy to eat it in the form of kofta, and that’s exactly what this roll had. Flavored with garlic, parsley and a very surprising cinnamon, this one came wrapped in a whole-wheat roti with Middle Eastern elements of Arabic garlic sauce, tahina, sumac and red onions.

I loved how tender and juicy the lamb was, it literally just melted in our mouths. All in all, this was definitely a good choice. We opted for this roll as a combo with a side of roti crisps and masala fries.

Masala Fries

These were quite a delight. I love fries, and if there’s a variation to these, I want to be the one to try it. So this was it for me. Although much like any other masala fries, these sure made a good side to the roll, so a thumbs up from me!

Up All Night To Get Plucky

The concept at Roti Rollers allows you to choose your signature roll featuring a selection of their bestselling combination. Or you can create your own mix by choosing a base from roti, rice or quinoa, followed by a protein and a couple of their signature sauces, and finally some toppings.

We decided to go the “build your own” way with this one. We opted for the quinoa peas biryani with their signature Up All Night To Get Plucky sauce. This featured a quinoa base with chicken tikka pieces along with spicy tikka masala and parsley and coriander sauces. It was topped with loads of onions, red chillies, and red peppers and served as a combo with a side of roti crisps and smash fried okra.

Smash Fried Okra

To add to the crunch, we opted for fried okra on the side. These golden fried okra pieces reminded me of fried bhindi made at home. Really good and definitely worth a try, if you are a fan of bhindi.

Jalebi

Although not a big fan of this sweet, Jalebis move to a whole new level of desirable for me when served along with cream of rabri. At Roti Rollers, it was the latter. I loved how hot and tiny these jalebis were – so easy to eat. And paired with the cooling rabri, they were the food form of a match made in heaven.

Karak Chai

Possibly the most refreshing part of my meal, this Karak Chai was just like you get in street stalls and villages back home. Nothing fancy, but not one to miss!

Good to know

Most of their items are made using no oil at all. And the other few take up extremely little oil to create a remarkably appetizing dish.

Roti Rollers

Location: La Mer, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
Contact: 04 3855596

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