Roti King

You’ll usually spot Roti King before you find its door, because there’s a queue snaking along Doric Way most evenings, spilling out from what is essentially a basement dining room near Euston station. Founded by Malaysian chef Sugen Gopal, it built its reputation on one dish done properly rather than a sprawling menu, and that focus still shows.

The roti canai is the reason people queue: dough that’s oiled, stretched thin, thrown onto the grill and scrunched up again before it reaches the table, served alongside a dahl that’s rich rather than watery. It’s genuinely one of the better versions of the dish in London, flaky and slightly chewy in a way that’s hard to replicate. Beyond the roti, the curry laksa and nasi lemak are worth ordering too, and portions are generous for the price.

The room itself doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is: strip lighting, close packed tables seating around thirty, and a semi basement setting that gets loud and warm once it fills up, which is most nights. This isn’t somewhere for a quiet conversation or a special occasion dinner, it’s a fast, cheap, satisfying meal eaten elbow to elbow with strangers.

A full meal with a couple of dishes and a drink rarely clears £20 a head, which puts it firmly at the cheap eats end of London dining and explains why students and Euston commuters keep it busy on weeknights as much as weekends. It suits anyone who wants proper Malaysian food without a formal sit down experience, and it’s a genuinely good option before an evening train out of Euston.

The honest downside is the queue itself: they don’t take reservations for small groups, so arriving at 7pm on a Friday can mean a thirty minute wait outside, whatever the weather. Go earlier or later than peak dinner hours if you want to walk straight in, or head to the Battersea branch which tends to be marginally quieter.