40094 Mon Oct 03 17:31:29 -0700 2005 9 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 191469 I visited 3 Malaysian restaurants in the South Bay to test the quality of the roti. Here are the results of my research: - Panang Garden, in Milpitas: Best roti of the 3. It is listed as "roti canai" on the menu. The roti has just the right thickness: it is sufficiently thick to avoid "crumbling", while having the necessary "al dente" snap to it. It's also larger in size than the other rotis. I have sampled this roti about 8 times, and it's consistently good. the roti itself has a good flavor - it can stand on its own without the sauce, but the sauce is also good. Highly Recommended. - Banana Leaf, in Milpitas: http://www.bananaleaf-usa.com/ When this place opened a few years ago, the roti was superb: Just the right thickness, and of an ample size. However, the roti has recently become rather skimpy: Now it's very thin, and tends to disintegrate in you hands when you pick it up, so that you are left eating a pile of flakes. The roti here is also of a smaller size than what you get at Panang Garden, although the roti itself has a good flavor. The sauce is also good. I've sampled it a total of maybe 10 times. Marginally Recommended. - Baba Neo, in Mountain View: http://www.babaneo.com/ (They have a coupon at http://www.babaneo.com/pdf/promotionalcoupon_web3.pdf ) The main problem is that the roti itself is rather bland. The sauce that comes with it is good, but there needs to be an underlying roti bread taste, which is missing. They have roti prata in either thin or thick form factor. The thin roti prata is a bit too "stiff," as if the dough has not risen enough. The thick roti prata is exactly the same as Indian Paratha - however, it's also a bit too "compacted," and not as good as the paratha that you get at Saravana Bhavan. I have only visited once. Not recommended. -Scott Mon Oct 03 17:31:29 -0700 2005 0 ScottDude 1 191566 Splendid! Haven't been to Penang Garden yet --- what else do you recommend ordering to go with the roti canai? Mon Oct 03 23:28:02 -0700 2005 191469 0 Melanie Wong 2 191573 Roti Canai is the Malaysian version/spelling of this popular breakfast dish. The Singaporean version is called Roti Prata. I grew up with the Malaysian version and I have to confess that I have not done a major study of the Singaporean version. I seem to recall that I was not very impressed the few times that I had roti prata in Singapore, perhaps because they were not freshly made. I typically have roti (plain with curry sauce on the side) as an appetizer, followed by char kueh teow or nasi lemak, and if there's room, Hainanese Chicken Rice. I actually prefer the thin flaky style more so than the thicker version. Banyan Garden in Union City does it the same way, wonder if they have the same roti master? Mon Oct 03 23:49:37 -0700 2005 191566 0 dolcetto 3 191575 Hi, thanks for the info. Let me rephrase my question --- what other dishes are good at Penang Garden and worth ordering? Someone told me that most of these places that are springing up are using frozen roti. So, there are bound to be similarities if the same manufacturer is chosen. Mon Oct 03 23:53:50 -0700 2005 191573 0 Melanie Wong 4 191590 Also good at Panang Garden: - The Singapore rice noodles are perfectly al dente, with curry flavor that is just spicy enough, and several shrimp. - The chicken satay is very good - nicely BBQed with a spicy rub, and tender inside. it's also big enough to be a main dish. - I liked the coffee short ribs - the coffee is in the BBQ sauce. - But, the rendang sauce is not as good as the rendang sauce at Banana Leaf. - I liked the curry spare ribs, (but curry is very much a personal preference thing). - The char kueh teow noodles were OK, not great. Tue Oct 04 01:26:55 -0700 2005 191575 0 ScottDude 4 191609 That is the reason that I like the roti canai at Banana Island in Daly City, where you can see the chefs flipping the dough on the griddle. The end result is light and flaky, and much better than when compared to some of the other places I've tried. You may also like the roti murtabak, which is made with the same dough but filled with lamb or chicken. I'd always been partial to roti canai in Malaysia vs. Singapore, until I found a place in Singapore that makes them fresh and has 15 different types of prata on the menu- anything from garlic to cheese to chocolate. Amazingly good. Tue Oct 04 04:13:01 -0700 2005 191575 0 jbgreen 1 191692 I went to Straights Cafe in Palo Alto for lunch http://www.straitsrestaurants.com . The roti is thick style, very much like paratha. The exterior of the roti is well browned and tasty, but the interior consists of a blob of barely cooked dough, which I had to scrape off. The sauce is also "weak" - it's not up to par with the other places. Not recommended. Tue Oct 04 17:22:33 -0700 2005 191469 0 ScottDude 1 191909 A tried the roti prata at Spice Island in Mountain View, and it's nearly identical to the roti Canai at Panang Garden. Spice Island has both thick and thin versions, and I tried the thin form factor. The sauce at Spice Island is not quite as good as at Panang Garden, but good enough to be highly Recommended. Wed Oct 05 22:48:34 -0700 2005 191469 0 ScottDude 2 191972 Very cool, keep 'em coming! You might want to turn your finely honed roti tastebuds toward Prima Taste in San Jose and Red Kwali in Newark when you get a chance. Thu Oct 06 12:01:50 -0700 2005 191909 0 Melanie Wong 1 192225 I sampled the thick roti at Spice Island in Mountain View. It was quite exceptional, so I went back a few times to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and it's consistently good. The thick roti is very much like the high-quality paratha you get at Saravana Bhavan, but it's also made with whole wheat and is very well browned on the outside. Highly recommended. It's $2.95. Sadly, the remaining food at Spice Island is a disappointment: The Singapore rice noodles, Malaysian spare ribs, King Pork Buff, and char kueh teow noodles are all poorly done. If someone finds anything else good at Spice Island, let me know. Sun Oct 09 22:56:19 -0700 2005 191469 0 ScottDude