Neil Littman went along to the opening night of Roti & Spice in Winchmore Hill

Roti canai with chicken curry and green beans

My friend Ed recently gave me a tip-off after seeing a post online announcing a new restaurant opening event in Winchmore Hill called Roti & Spice.

I went along wondering whether it would be an invite-only affair full of influencers, or whether I would get a table. It turned out to be a ‘soft opening’ with a mix of friends and family and a few curious locals like me, plus the bonus of 20% off the bill.

Roti & Spice serves Pan-Asian cuisine and is part of the Peninsula Restaurant and Hospitality Group. It has branches in Victoria, Croydon and Greenwich, with the new Winchmore Hill venue located on The Broadway.

The interior is furnished in the modern chic style; parquet floors, banquettes, a ‘garden wall’ and elegant cutlery and place settings. It is stylish and cool, though a few paintings wouldn’t go amiss on some of the walls. The restaurant is also interesting in terms of layout; three levels including a bar on the lower floor at the back, a mezzanine, and a private dining room.

The menu has a few Sri Lankan vegetable dishes, but the focus is predominantly on Malaysian, Indian and Vietnamese cuisine. The opening night was enjoyable, despite a few hiccups.

I ordered a fried squid starter (£9) which was enough for two people and consisted of minced squid with a blend of spices, deep fried in a light tempura-style batter. It was very good, but the advertised chilli dip didn’t arrive.

For my main, I ordered a Malaysian kingfish curry (£13.50), although I was confused about which side dish it was meant to arrive with despite asking, and I ended up with steamed rice instead of roti canai. The kingfish was in a rich spicy sauce, including okra that packed a hefty punch and necessitated ordering a glass of water to cool myself down. I also ordered a mango lassi (£7.50) which was so thick the straw remained vertical the whole time it sat on the table.

First-night nerves may account for being asked five times by different staff members how my meal was, including a request to scan a QR code to leave a review which seemed a bit excessive.

Fortunately, it was a bit calmer on my second, midweek visit. The service this time was generally good and I was pleasantly surprised to see the restaurant busy, including some of the same diners from my first trip.

I ordered Indian-style vegetable rolls with a spiced potato filling (£5.99) accompanied by a sweet chilli dip (which did arrive!) and roti canai with chicken curry (£12.80) – this time, thankfully, I was asked how spicy I wanted it. The roti was soft and flaky. I also had a green bean curry side dish with a sambal chilli sauce (£9.99) which was hotter than the chicken curry. There is a good selection of cocktails and mocktails, but I settled for an Asahi beer.

Overall, I was impressed with the wide-ranging and moderately priced menu. They also serve a range of traditional Indian deserts.

Roti & Spice is a good addition to the area. Diners can expect to spend about £35-£50 per person including a service charge of 12.5%. Takeaway options are also available.

Separately, I was sorry to hear that my local sushi restaurant in Palmers Green, Takenoya (reviewed last August), has closed. I turned up to find the owner and his family outside the place with the shutters down and he explained that, after 20 years, they had decided to retire.

For more information about Roti & Spice including opening times:
Visit rotiandspice.uk

Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in Enfield to review or feedback on the places Neil has already reviewed? He would love to hear from Dispatch readers:
Email [email protected]

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.