The fresh aromas of freshly baked naan bread and the lingering of spices of tandoor chicken, lamb seekh kebab, prawn and paneer on the open grills meets all the senses as you enter Roti and Chai.

The first taste of the tandoor chicken naan wrap spurts an explosion of unique spicy flavours onto the tongue. What follows is a sequel of palate pleasure and surrender to devour the tandoor chicken naan wrap in messy street style etiquette.

The eatery is a fusion of chic lighting and rich stories of colour displayed from the tiling, to furnishings, signage and the bold art mural. Roti and Chai is an audacious contemporary space with hints of culture and tradition. The ambience is enthralling with bustles of conversations, captive lines of customers, shouts from the kitchen and the tunes of contemporary Indian music.

It is an awe-inspiring welcome to Roti and Chai, a one-of-a-kind Fast, Fresh Indian Street Food Tandoor Kitchen with a signature blend of Chai.

The Story

The Roti and Chai story is heartwarming and remarkable. Founder, Sandesh Rampersad fought from a pit of bitter life circumstances and plight to feed his daughters to put food on the table. Inspired by his grandmother and mother, who fed him fresh roti bread and an array of traditional Indian food, Sandesh ignited the legacy placed in his hands to bring Roti and Chai to life.

He bravely brought together ingredients of passion, love and the heart to provide delicious Indian Street Food like no other. The result: masterpieces of food filled with emotions and memories.

Roti and Chai is an original authentic Indian Tandoor Kitchen with a select menu of naan wraps of chicken, lamb, prawns and paneer, with each having its own fingerprint combination of spices and flavours. The wraps are served with homemade sauces and various salad accompaniments tailor-made for the different menu options.

Sandesh and his daughters, Sayali and Medhiya, are the brainchild behind Roti and Chai. They started from humble beginnings and as unknowns in the foodie industry. They emerged a mere three years ago, unassuming and quietly selling their wraps in various of Durban’s local food markets and events.

The tenacity and purpose to make food that connected to Sandesh’s mother’s and grandmother’s kitchen in old-style ritual paid off in melodies of magical recipes, and a feeling of home again for him and his daughters. And it is these enchanting tastes of the tandoor chicken, lamb and paneer naan wraps that draw crowds’ week after week and month after month, and to wherever their pitch up their open fire kitchen.

The Roti and Chai phenomena has grown so intensely that customers stand in half a kilometer lines, waiting for up to an hour to get their wraps. It is an amazing unusual sight.

With the business’ growth and popularity, came the dream and vision to open the first Roti and Chai Indian Street Food Eatery in Durban. Regular fans can now get their “naan” fix six days a week, and new fans can discover the “heaven in a wrap”.

My Favourites

And what are my favourites so far? All of what is on the menu. It was pure delight for me to indulge all the wraps with no guilt. It was a foodie pleasure of textures, scents, vibrancy and pungent tastes…divinely my “heaven in a wrap”.

Roti and Chai is a must-to-be experienced Tandoor Kitchen, a not-to-be missed journey of tradition, spices, and masterpieces of food that keep the palate salivating and craving for more.

Taste for yourself. Experience the magic and mystery of the extraordinary Roti and Chai – feel like family…feel the food…feel your heart…feel at home…