Restaurant review: Pappa Roti

By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post
 
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of roti? An Indian unleavened flatbread? A Caribbean roll filled with goat curry? Or how about roti canai, a Malaysian favourite?
What about a bun filled with a buttery centre, coated on top with sweet caramelized coffee cream? It looks and sounds like a Bonchaz or a Chinese Mexico bun, but at Pappa Roti on Robson Street, they call it a roti. A friend and I decided to try out this interesting bun one day after having lunch at Gyoza King.
The Nutella topping caught our eye, and we decided to order one to share in-store. At $4.90 before tax, it was not cheap, but compared to the aforementioned buns, Pappa Roti's offerings sport a uniformly crispy exterior all the way to the edges. The creamy coffee flavours could be tasted with each bite, while the soft interior benefited from the buttery filling. As much as the Nutella added another layer of flavours, I preferred the plain version more as it kept things simple.
We both ordered a box of four roti buns to go ($13.25), and the topping remained crispy even after sitting in a box for several hours. Some might argue that the price is too high for buns that are similar to other Asian versions, but these buns are not like the other ones and it doesn't pretend to be. We enjoyed them for their soft interior and crispy coffee flavoured exterior.
 
Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.
 
Pappa Roti
1505 Robson Street, Vancouver
604-366-2867
 
The Good:
• Light and crispy topping
• Retains integrity even sitting around for a while
 
The Bad:
• Expensive
 
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