Roti & Chai is spicing up Umhlanga!
There’s always that one meal from childhood that stays with you until adulthood. For Sandesh Rampersad, it would be the roti and “sweet tea” or chai his grandmother used to make for him as a child. He pays homage to his roots by incorporating that same homestyle cooking in his dishes and the name of his brand, Roti & Chai.
Well-known for its stores on Florida Road and Suncoast and incredible naan wraps, this family-owned eatery has made its way to Umhlanga to open its flagship store at The Pearls, and we cannot be happier about it.
Roti & Chai’s story begins in Sandesh’s very own kitchen. Encouraged by his daughters, Sayali and Medhiya, Sandesh took the naan chicken wraps he used to make for them as a meal to Musgrave’s Night Market to supplement his income, which completely sold out. From there, the family worked tirelessly to grow the brand, self-financing their first store on Florida Road in 2018.
Facing COVID and even near closure at one branch, through perseverance and hard work, this brand has been established as a household name in Durban. Now, they have chosen to settle down in Umhlanga and make it their head office from which to manage the other stores.
The Umhlanga store promises to be something never seen before by customers. It is a high-street eatery modelled around the Indian eateries in New York City and the United Kingdom. You can experience authentic Indian street food in a comfortable and upbeat environment. A team of exceptionally talented architects from Studio 3B Architects truly brought the vision for this store to life.
Besides its magnificent design, the Umhlanga store’s menu differs from its sister branches, featuring dishes developed with love and passion. Even the cooking methods are different here. It’s authentically ‘street’, where every dish is cooked over fire. They have recreated the tandoor ovens from thousands of years ago to provide the most authentic and consistent taste experience! You can also look forward to an expanded range of chai, introducing a pumpkin spice chai developed by Sayali for Halloween. In the spirit of creating new offerings for their customers, there’s also a masala coffee in the works, truly inspired and original.
The concept of cooking with fire stems from Sandesh’s passion for preparing food over an open flame. He feels a kinship with the unpredictable nature of fire as it resembles the nature of his creativity. By optimally using the spices, utilising the temperamental nature of the fire as a catalyst and infusing the smoke into the dish, he got a consistent and delicious result every time.
Now that Roti & Chai has found its home in Umhlanga, what’s next? Well, the future is female and in the youth. His eldest daughter, Sayali, is currently in her matric year and is looking forward to studying for a business degree next year. She is passionate about the brand and is very hands-on in marketing. Don’t be fooled by her age. She has been contributing to the business since the age of 11! His youngest daughter, Medhiya, is the taste connoisseur for the most of the dishes, usually stamping her approval before it’s on the menu. They consult as a family, usually during dinner, discussing new menu options. Sandesh has inspiring business partners in his daughters and in incredibly proud to know they are enthusiastic about taking charge of the business.
For the rest of the country who can’t wait to try the famous tandoori wraps, Roti & Chai is planning on expanding. Exciting plans are in the pipeline to grow the brand and open branches in Ballito, Gauteng and Cape Town areas! Now that events and concerts are back, they are looking to take the food to the road, travelling all over South Africa in a mobile kitchen on a bus. Roti & Chai are going on tour!
There’s a lot to look forward to in this new store. Look out for their themed evenings where they pair the food’s culture with music to give you a holistic experience. Umhlanga certainly will never be the same again with this addition to the family.
www.rotiandchai.co.za
sandesh@rotiandchai.co.za
@roti_and_chai
Words: Cristina Govender
Photos: Orobella Photography