DESI ROTI
Date of Visit: Friday 08/12/17 - 5:00pm
Veg Samosa - £1.85
Veg Pakora - £2.00
Chicken Danshak - £5.50
Chicken Balti - £5.50
Chicken Biryani - £5.50
Keema Naan - £1.80
Garlic Naan - £1.50
No more reviews of Desi Roti will appear on this website - we will still be eating here but will not be making any further comments on the establishment.
We regard Shaz & Shapal as friends and want it to remain this way.
We like the guys, the venue and the food.
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DESI ROTI
Copley Road, Doncaster, DN1 2QW
Telephone: 01302 760 760
Opening Times:
Sun & Mon: 5:00pm - 11:00pm
Tues to Sat: 11:00am - 11:00pm
"More Of A Note To Self"
Date of Visit: Friday 10/11/17 - 5:00pm
Seekh Kebab - £2.50 (4/5)
Veg Pakora - £2.00 (3/5)
Onion Bhaji - £1.50 (3/5)
Chicken Dopiaza- £5.50 (3/5)
Chicken Jalfrezi - £5.50 (3/5)
Lamb Balti - £5.90 (4/5)
Chapatis - 50p
Keema Naan - £1.80
The Seekh Kebabs were nice and spicy, the Veg Pakora a little dry, the Onion Bhajis were ok, as were the breads.
I ordered my Lamb Balti, madras hot - and I received a very tasty, flavoursome and spicy dish. Very enjoyable and one that I would recommend.
The Greyhound selected the dish that I had and enjoyed on our last visit, the Chicken Jalfrezi... which I ordered madras hot. However, The Greyhound dithered somewhat when ordering and didn't go all out on the madras heat.
Old Ironguts commented before the dish arrived, that this is a recipe for disaster, as in a way, it is unfair on the proprietors...madras hot, but not madras hot.
Old Ironguts would have preferred his Chicken Dopiaza a little spicier.
Guys - when ordering here - go for Madras Hot - as it is bang on the button - a good spicy, flavoursome curry.
I always seem to get a good dish when I am clear and concise in what I want... and to be fair, Shaz & Shapal (not sure if I've spelt that correctly) know what I want.
Don't go half way - go all out... and order Madras Hot!
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DESI ROTI
"Good To Return To The Home Land"
Date of Visit: Friday 20/10/17 - 3:30pm
Popadoms - gratis and accompanied by a very impressive 5 dish pickle tray
Seekh Kebab - £2.50
Veg Pakora - £2.00
Chicken Biriani - £5.50
Chicken Jalfrezi - £5.50
Chapatis - 50p
Chips - £1.20
We prefer going to Desi's mid afternoon, as they aren't so busy with takeaway business then - as most people are still at work. This means, that Chef can put his heart & soul in to your dish... and, he does.
We like this place as the owners are affable, gregarious chaps who always give us a very friendly welcome.
Today, the Popadoms were fresh, plentiful and the five dish pickle tray was excellent!
In the past, we've rated the Vegetable Pakoras five star. Today, though fresh and tasty, they weren't quite up to the mind blowing standard that Desi's are known for on their Veg Pakoras (4/5)
They nailed the Seekh Kebabs (5/5), freshly made, meaty and spicy. Fantastic.
When the Greyhounds Chicken Biryani (4/5) arrived, I just knew that he'd be taking some home in a takeout box. The portion size was mountainous! The dish contained copious amounts of premium quality white chicken. Maybe a tad more sauce was needed with this feast... I should have photographed it!
My Chicken Jalfrezi (4/5), I elected to have madras hot - at Desi's, you can pick the spicing of the curry... medium, madras, vindaloo. It was a good dish, nice chicken, nice quantity, nice spicing.
The Chips were fine, better than KFC's I think. The Chapatis were ok, though I prefer mine a little lighter.
In summary, we always get a decent curry here. Today was a top end 4 star meal, banging on the door of a five star rating. Maybe if they had some Rasmali or Barfi to go with a cup of tea, then it would be the complete restaurant in South Yorkshire and would surely be a five star establishment.
For value, convenience and friendliness... it can't be beaten!
Try it mid-afternoon - highly recommended.
DESI ROTI
"Open When Others Aren't"
Date of Visit: Friday 12/05/17 - 6:00pm
Popadoms - 40p
Chicken Biriani - £5.50
Garlic Chili Chicken - £5.50
Side Salad - £1.00
Chapatis - 50p
We have visited Desi Roti many times recently and love the fact that the guys are open from lunch time onwards. This give us great flexibility as to when we can call in to get our curry fix.
The off the menu Garlic Chili Chicken was good. The Biriani was also good but would have benefited with a wee bit more chicken.
No complimentary popadoms (though we don't really expect them) here these days...ah, God Bless the Mangla !
The curries are generally good to very good.
DESI ROTI
"VFM - it's still one of South Yorkshire's cheapest."
Date of Visit: Sunday 17/01/16 - 2:30pm
Vegetable Pakora - £2.00 (5 pieces)
Chicken Pakora - £2.00
Seekh Kebab - £2.50 (2 pieces)
Chicken Rogan Josh - £5.50
Lamb Rogan Josh - £5.50
Chicken Jalfrezi - £5.50
Palak Paneer - £3.25
Tandoori Roti - 70p
Peshawari Naan - £1.80
Keema Naan - £1.80
2 Naans - 0.99p... no longer available.
2 Rotis - 0.99p... no longer available.
The main dishes have increased in price by a pound.
The vegetable pakoras have increased in price by 25p.
It was just three months since we last visited one of, if not our (current) favourite restaurant.
What has changed?
Well, there's been an increase in price of the main dishes and an uplift in the cost of the Vegetable Pakora's. Also, the 2 Naan's and the 2 Roti's for 99p are no longer available.
Desi's was phenomenally good value pre-price rise... and even now, is still one of the cheapest places to eat good quality Pakistan/Indian food.
Bear in mind that it's a business, not an "old boys club" or a charity. If they don't make money, then the shutters don't open.
And the food?
The Vegetable Pakoras (5/5) were excellent, as usual. The Seekh Kebabs (5/5) were also first class as were the Chicken Pakoras (4/5).
My Palak Paneer (5/5) was devine. It's a dish I order quite frequently from here as a takeaway. The Chicken Jalfrezi (4/5) and the Lamb Jalfrezi (4/5) were well thought of and both scored well.
One of our party shot himself in the foot for the second week on the bounce. I don't want to disrespect my friend or the restaurant - which makes summing up his dish difficult. He ordered a Chicken Rogan Josh ("2 or at best 3 out of 5") but Madras hot.
I think my friend may have misread the menu?
The "Desi Special Ka Maza" section of the menu list the Pathias, Dupiazas, Rogans, Jalfrezis etc but in a smaller area of the same section, it lists the bog standard Chicken Curry, Lamb Curry, Prawn Curry etc... which are available as either Curry (medium), Madras (hot) and Vindaloo (very hot).
Asking for a Rogan Josh Madras hot must have thrown the owners & chef. As a result, my friend wasn't impressed with the dish.
Whilst in the restaurant, we had a discussion on cooking fresh chillies at home, and the need for an extremely powerful extractor fan to prevent the "chilli heat flash / burn" to the throat and eyes whilst cooking. I think we concluded nearly two decades ago, that very few restaurants use fresh chillis at the outset of the cooking process - many opt for the easy "fix" of a teaspoonfull of both chilli powder and curry powder... perhaps garnished with a raw or near raw chilli late on in the process or on presentation of the dish.
As I said, I neither want to insult my friend or the staff at Desi's with my interpretation.
Desi's still serve great food and it's still comparatively cheap.
Recommended.
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"Śānadāra"
Date of Visit: Saturday 24/10/15 - 2:00pm
Vegetable Pakora - £1.75 (8 pieces)
Seekh Kebab - £2.50 (2 pieces)
Chicken Rogan - £4.50
Chicken Biryani - £4.50
2 Naans - 0.99p
2 Rotis - 0.99p
Three weeks ago, we made a special trip to Bradford (Karachi) - we needn't have bothered… Desi Roti is far superior to Bradford's oldest Indian restaurant.
The Vegetable Pakoras (5/5) were devine. The Seekh Kebabs (5/5) were excellent, being a little spicier than normal. Both starters tasted as if they had been freshly made during the morning.
We shared a Chicken Biryani (5/5) and a Chicken Rogan Josh (5/5), which were both excellent. The rice was flavoursome, containing ample amounts of Chicken and was accompanied by a piquant, Madras strength sauce. The Chicken Rogan Josh was also a delight.
We ordered 2 Naan's for 99p and 2 Rotis for 99p - Outstanding Value!
We are uplifting Desi's to 5 stars - the food is excellent and offers exceptional value for money!
Śānadāra - Excellent / Magnificent
____________________________________DESI ROTI
"Dine Like A Prince At Shazad's"
Date of Visit: Friday 19/09/15 - 7pm
Poppadoms & Sauces - complimentary
Vegetable Pakora - £1.75
Vegetable Samosas - £1.75
Chicken Dopiaza - £4.50
Chicken Biryani - £4.50
Lamb Balti - £4.90
Pilau Rice - £1.50
Plain Naan - £1.20
Mango Lassi - £3.70 (jug)
Shazad is the elder of two brothers who own and run Desi Roti and who's Muslim name means Prince.
We returned once again to one of our most favoured restaurants and were reminded of what we've been missing.
The Poppadoms and sauces were warmly received and were accompanied by a minty yogurty and a fiery chilli sauce… excellent.
The Vegetable Pakoras (5/5) were as good as ever. You must try these! The Vegetable Samosas (3/5) weren't quite as good but were thoroughly enjoyed. I prefer the larger sized variants of the Samosa than the smaller ones that are served at the majority of restaurants.
Old IronGuts went for the Lamb Balti (4/5) which he enjoyed and commented that "it was just missing that complex spicing to launch it in to 5 star territory". The Greyhound had the Chicken Dopiaza (4/5) which "was a decent dish and that Desi's is one of Doncaster's best Indian restaurants." My Chicken Biryani (4/5) was excellent - the rice was perfection with more than ample chicken in the dish. The accompanying sauce was piquant and of a Madras hotness. At Desi's, there are never any problems concerning portion sizes and we always leave the restaurant sated.
We all went for a Plain Naan to accompany our main dishes, these were of good size and quality. The Pilau Rice is sensibly priced and flavoursome.
We had a jug of Mango Lassi, which at £3.70 is another example of the sensibility of the pricing here. A jug contains ample to share between four people.
This is one of our favourite restaurants and one that we always enjoy returning to. Desi's is in our Top 5 - we rate it up there with the likes of Mangla (Sheffield), Zaika (Rotherham & Sheffield) and Emaans (Rotherham).
If you live in Doncaster, then go along and experience a real Desi / Apna (homestyle) curry!
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"Very Popular With Asians & Indians - A Good Sign!”
Date of Visit: Friday 03/07/15 - 7pm
Vegetable Pakora - £1.75
Chicken Baltii - £4.50
Chicken Karahi - £4.50
Mixed Grill Sizzler - £7.50
Pilau Rice - £1.50
Plain Naan - £1.20
This is one of our favourite restaurants. It serves great food, at sensible prices in non-ostentatious surroundings. You know it's good because it is one of the few restaurants in South Yorkshire where the majority of the clientele are Asian/Indian. As a result, you are guaranteed (in our opinion) a top class Apna/Desi curry.
Vegetable Pakoras were the starter of choice for all three of us… and we weren't disappointed, scoring them 4/5.
Old IronGuts went for the Chicken Balti and was impressed with the dish, awarding it 4/5. The Greyhound had the Chicken Karahi and his sparkling plate & dish indicated that it had hit the spot - 4/5. My Mixed Grill Sizzler was a meat feast, enough for two. I really enjoyed the dish and the bed of infused onions on which it was served. For me, this was a five star dish! Maybe a small plate of salad would have really topped it off. The meal was accompanied by a Plain Naan, which was also of good quality. The Pilau Rice is sensibly priced and there was nothing wrong with it.
We had a jug of Lassi, which at £3 for the sweet version and £3.70 for the mango one, doesn't tug on the wallet too much.
If only they'd had a couple of portions of Rasmalai to hand; it's on the menu but so few people ask for it, that it never seems to be stocked.
If I could award 4 and a half stars, then I would. It is banging on the five star door but there is just that "Je Ne Sais Quoi" that is holding it back.
Highly recommended.
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DESI ROTI
"A Bradford Style Curry Cafe On Our Doorsteps!”
Date of Visit: Saturday 16/05/15 - 3pm
Vegetable Pakora £1.75
Vegetable Samosa £1.75
Karahi Keebab £3.99
Chicken Jalfrezi £4.50
Lamb Dopiaza £4.90
Tarka Daal £3.95 (as a main dish)
Pilau Rice £1.50
Tandoori Roti 70p
Shaz was out in Pakistan at his wedding… so, we were a little uncertain as to what we'd be offered on this visit. Our "concerns" were swiftly put to bed, as the food was as good as ever.
The free poppadoms and pickle tray weren't presented but we weren't too fussed anyhow. Desi's don't push the poppadoms on to you, unlike many establishments where 3 or 4 different members of staff may ask the question.
The Vegetable Pakoras were slightly below their sublime best, but still better than most other places. The Vegetable Samosas, as with most places were pretty ordinary.
My Karahi Keebab - "Diced chicken fried in butter, capsicum & tomatoes" was served with a decent amount of mixed salad and served on a lush Naan. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and recommend it to you. The Chicken Jalfrezi and Lamb Dopiaza were both appreciated and seemed to hit the spot. The Tarka Daal was very tasty, nice and piquant. The Pilau Rice and Tandoori Roti's were of good quality.
One of my friends thought that overall, Desi's had just slipped a little in to the top echelons of the 3 star banding. My other friend and I thought that it had done enough to retain its 4 star status.
I'd recommend eating in as opposed to ordering a takeaway - as with all restaurants, eat in is always a better experience.
Once again - it is a restaurant / curry café that we wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
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"Donny's Finest?... But It Wouldn't Suit The Social Butterflies”
Date of Visit: Saturday 28/02/15; 7:30pm
If you need your Indian restaurant to be all bling and sparkle, then Desi Roti isn't for you… and we will probably have SEEN you in Elachi at Armthorpe or Mehfil in Sprotbrough etc.
Anyhow, if you go for a curry for the quality of the food and not to be seen at the latest "in venue", then you can't go wrong here! As I have said previously, it's a no frills, functional curry café... the type that abound in Bradford - serving great curries!
Veg Samosa £1.75
Chicken Tikka £2.80
Seekh Keebab £2.50
Veg Pakora £1.75
Lamb Tikka Dopiazza £5.80
Lamb Korma £4.90
Chicken Dopiaza £4.50
Chicken Jalfrezi £4.50
Pilau Rice £1.50
Tandoori Roti 70p
Chapatti 50p
The pre-meal Black Sheep quaffed in the Stag Inn (Dockin Hill Road) were on top form!
Newcastle Noel joined us on this occasion and it was good to have a new face around the table.
Poppadoms (complimentary) were accompanied by a spicy and also a minty/yogurty dip - an excellent start!
The Seekh Kebab was of good quality but not spicy enough for us. The Vegetable Pakoras, Vegetable Samosas and the Chicken Tikka were excellent. A generous portion of salad accompanied each starter.
One friend enthused over his Lamb Tikka Dopiaza and Noel was more than happy with his Lamb Korma. I shared the Chicken Dopiaza and Chicken Jalfrezi with the other member of our party. The Dopiaza was top drawer, right up there with the very best - the Jalfrezi was also of a good standard.
All four dishes/plates were mopped up with first rate Chapattis and Rotis… no dishwasher needed here, as the plates were returned gleaming. Excellent. The Pillau Rice was also good.
Rasmalai, Gajar Halwa and Kulfi (all £2) feature on the menu. Unfortunately they had sold out of Rasmalai - though I managed to pick some up from a store I use on Chequer Road on the drive home.
We like this restaurant and put it in the same bracket as Mangla, Zaika (Sheffield) and Zaika (Rotherham) - exalted company!
Each dish was distinctively different - which tells you a lot. Chef takes his time conjuring these dishes and they are worth the short wait!
Take-away business was brisk - yet there appears to be more social butterflies than curry lovers, as inside business was slow.
Value is awesome - the Seekh Kebab, half a (generous) portion of Vegetable Pakoras, half of two main dishes and 2 and a 1/2 Chapattis cost a modest £7.871/2p. We have regularly paid this sort of money for just the main dishes at many a "fake" Indian Restaurant.
It is a restaurant / curry café that we recommend.
The pre-meal Black Sheep quaffed in the Stag Inn (Dockin Hill Road) were on top form!
Newcastle Noel joined us on this occasion and it was good to have a new face around the table.
Poppadoms (complimentary) were accompanied by a spicy and also a minty/yogurty dip - an excellent start!
The Seekh Kebab was of good quality but not spicy enough for us. The Vegetable Pakoras, Vegetable Samosas and the Chicken Tikka were excellent. A generous portion of salad accompanied each starter.
One friend enthused over his Lamb Tikka Dopiaza and Noel was more than happy with his Lamb Korma. I shared the Chicken Dopiaza and Chicken Jalfrezi with the other member of our party. The Dopiaza was top drawer, right up there with the very best - the Jalfrezi was also of a good standard.
All four dishes/plates were mopped up with first rate Chapattis and Rotis… no dishwasher needed here, as the plates were returned gleaming. Excellent. The Pillau Rice was also good.
Rasmalai, Gajar Halwa and Kulfi (all £2) feature on the menu. Unfortunately they had sold out of Rasmalai - though I managed to pick some up from a store I use on Chequer Road on the drive home.
We like this restaurant and put it in the same bracket as Mangla, Zaika (Sheffield) and Zaika (Rotherham) - exalted company!
Each dish was distinctively different - which tells you a lot. Chef takes his time conjuring these dishes and they are worth the short wait!
Take-away business was brisk - yet there appears to be more social butterflies than curry lovers, as inside business was slow.
Value is awesome - the Seekh Kebab, half a (generous) portion of Vegetable Pakoras, half of two main dishes and 2 and a 1/2 Chapattis cost a modest £7.871/2p. We have regularly paid this sort of money for just the main dishes at many a "fake" Indian Restaurant.
It is a restaurant / curry café that we recommend.
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Copley Road, Doncaster, DN1 2QW
Telephone: 01302 760 760
"Desi Roti… a curry from the homeland!”
Date of Visit: Saturday 04/10/14, 6:00pm
Desi
- derived from the Sanskrit word Deshah meaning "one from our
country." It usually refers to people from India, Pakistan, &
Bangladesh. Sanskrit is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India.
Copley
Road has/is re-inventing itself and is now a thriving “Ethnic Alleyway” with
entrepreneurs from many different nationalities operating in this part of the
town. It is pleasing to see shops trading and new premises being fitted out.
Far too many establishments have closed down and remained empty over recent
years.
Anyhow,
I digress… on to the curry.
There
is the old saying that “We eat with our eyes”… well, can I ask you to look
beyond the exterior of this establishment and the functional interior. For me,
a good curry is about the quality of the food, the care and craftsmanship in
creating a special dish just for you and not how flash and luxurious the
interior and exterior of the premises are.
Desi
Roti brings a little of Bradford and Snig Hill/The Wicker/Firth Park
(Sheffield) to Doncaster. It’s a no frills, functional curry café, and the type
that abound in Bradford. It doesn’t serve alcohol, just great curries!
Chicken Curry £4.50 – served with either, a Naan,
Pilau Rice or 2 Roti’s.
Dall Curry £4.50 – as above.
Pilau Rice £1.50
Mixed Kebab £3.80
I
shared the above curries and rice with one of my friends along with a naan and
a mixed kebab each.
Chicken Tikka Dopiaza £5.50 was the dish of choice
of our other friend.
I’d
had a take-away mid-week, ordering a Chicken
Rogan Josh and a Chicken Balti
and was impressed with both dishes.
Complimentary Poppadoms were accompanied with two sauces – one spicy, the other,
minty yogurt in taste. An excellent start!
The Mixed Kebab consisted of Seekh Kebab, Onion Bhaji and Chicken
Tikka and were excellent. They were spicier than the normal offerings of
other restaurants. A generous portion of salad accompanied the starters. So
far, so good.
For a
box standard Chicken Curry, the dish
was of good quality and spicier than most (supposed) “hotter” curries that are
served in the majority of restaurants in South Yorkshire.
The Dall Curry was excellent. This is a
dish that I highly recommend.
The Chicken Tikka Dopiaza was described as
being a very good dish and very enjoyable.
The Naan’s were a good size and were served
hot. They were probably the thickest naan that I have ever had; maybe the
owner/chef was a little over generous in the amount of dough used?
The Pilau Rice was good, no problem here.
Most
Indian restaurants in South Yorkshire don’t serve Indian desserts… Desi Roti
isn’t one of them!
Rasmalai, Gajar
Halwa and Kulfi (all £2) feature
on the menu. I tried a portion of gajar halwa, my friend had the kulfi – both were
enjoyed and were an excellent end to the meal.
We
liked this restaurant and put it in the same bracket as Mangla, Zaika, Balti
Palace and the Bengal Lancer. It is a restaurant / curry café that I recommend.
On
the evening that we dined, take-away business was brisk yet we were the only
patrons eating in. I passed Ashoka (Armthorpe) at 9:15pm and they didn’t have
any diners eating at all.