Attention all people with taste buds
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Photo courtesy of seekaltroutes |
The beloved Kati Roll Co. in midtown Manhattan, that bastion of classic Bolly phillum posters, is moving. The new location is seven blocks south, 39th St. between 5th and 6th Aves., just below Times Square. They will be closing on June 28 and reopening at the new location July 7.
To my taste buds, the midtown location has better aloo masala rolls while the downtown one has better achari paneer, and insane lines after 11pm.
Speaking of all things desi in midtown, the death of the Virgin Bollycinema in Times Square has only scattered Hindi films to theaters like the Village 7 by Union Square and the Regal E-Walk in Times Square, not to mention the Imaginasian. But the selection is limited. I’ve even considered taking the Weehawken Ferry and catching a cab to the North Bergen Bollycinema. Lemme know if anyone’s up for an outing.
on Monday, June 18th, 2007, 12:10 pm in Film, Food › 
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love this place, thanks for the heads up. I’m not in manhattan enough to keep up on these happenings, I would have most definitely gone to the old location for my unda roll fix . I’ll be back up north (middle-of-nowhere texas now) around mid august if you want to do some sort of ultra-meetup
didn’t realize anyone even went to the midtown one. is there less B&T up there?
kid’s just tryin to grip a unda aloo without having to fist fight fuckin Kunal from Montclair, you know?!
It’s three times the size so you don’t have to dodge spiky hair and vodka breath.
there’s other (non-aquatic) ways to get to Cineplaza…..
So useful. Thank you for that…
ok. I am embarassed to say I dont know what a kati roll is. The ladies seem to be enjoying a nice fat burrito in the pic. Is that what’s it, A wrap, like a shawarma? Is it a nooyawkah invention, like chop suey?
Anyone care to vax eloquent, and link to more pix, please. Jhu shall do a desilaziboi a good serbhijh.
and btw - word from the sage - thou shalt not grab thy unda aloo in public, unless the recipient of the gesture is a bhoochie , in which case this is normal social interaction - and is to be encouraged.
It’s a parantha wrap, invented in Calcutta. It’s like a Bombay frankie. Not very healthy, but so tasty, especially when you ask for it with extra spice.
Ah! thanks Manish. Will have to look for it on Gerrard St.
I saw the nytimes review also. Lazee me. It did have some explanation. It was kind of cute seeing a semi-serious review from a foodie on something so desi-humble.
BTW There is an interesting parallel of the kati roll in Tamil nadu. It’s called mottai parotta and it’s made by smashing eggs, tomatoes, chilies, onions and paranthas on a flat tava with long flat-tipped rods. Very delicious. In Karachi, they make the same dish with chopped up beef offal in stead of eggs. Not my stuff, but rumor has it the stuff has filled the cravings post many a late night binge.
damn, i miss those kati rolls. they’re actually one of the reasons i’m excited to be moving back to ny - seriously. i’ve tried re-creating the magic on my own, but no luck. trollerboi - any particular place you recommed for these muttai parotta, e.g. in madras?
My experience with mottai parottas is at streetside eateries or dhabas to use PunjooParlance. Generally, I saw them wherever it looked like travellers or singletons converged. More than madras - I would say your best bet is to take a long distance bus ride and step out to the local eatery at the rest stops mid-way.
Closer to home your best bet is chez trollerboi. I have a big ass cast iron pan on which I go medieval, slapping and slashing all ingredients with a pair of knives. That said, the magic is really in the ambience of the street eateries. Cant beat sitting on plastic furniture on a sprinkled down clearing, under an incandescent bulb casting shadows of moths flitting in the muggy air, waiting for a 36 year old ‘boy’ to rip past and drop you your steaming hot dish, even as you hear the bracing staccato of the chef hammering away on a large steel pan against the background of tamil pop.
Bliss, my man, bliss!!
I would be down for an outting
Ah! i liked the midtown joint better, althought i completely agree that the downtown folks have a more spicylicious achaari paneer! and you should not be too displeased with the Hindi film scenario in Manhattan, atleast you have something! West LA has nothing except crazy store wallas offering DVD rentals, who want you to return the DVDs the same evening! you gotta’ drive all the way to Artesia or Valley for a Hindi movie, no public transport either. Be good and enjoy the ferry ;).
nice visual, trollerboi. takes me back to a roadside stand in TN, watching the dark, sweaty, muscular man making greasy, delicious-looking parothas that i was forbidden to eat (due to my weak, amreekan stomach, i was told). thanks for adding another bullet-point to my to-do food list.
Hey! Be careful ak! I was born in India, and my stomach lining has been tempered on desi foods. Even so, I would be a little leery of dipping into the korma they serve in those joints. I had a buddy who saw something red and wrinkly in his dish. He said, “this looks like a roach”. Our companion said, “na. na. That is dried chili. Good for you. Drink up.” So buddy drains it, and then looks down. It WAS a roach that had long given up the ghost… and legs. We all went a little green. But anything fresh off the griddle is good.