not as good as the original

Kati Roll and Platters

56 Easton Ave.

(732)-253-0507

Banking on the reputation and success of the mouth watering chicken and rice platters on 53rd and 6th St. and the Kati Roll Company in the West Village, Kati Roll and Platters is a semi-good imitation for those of us that can't always afford to make the trip up to the city. With the relatively high population of Asian college students in New Brunswick, and the desperate need for a good hole in the wall Indian restaurant after the failure of Thinisu, I eagerly awaited the completion of this place over the summer.

What to eat?

Skip the Chicken and Rice platter with all the greasy white sauce and opt for the more fragrant and colorful Chicken Biryani. The Chilli Chicken is a fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine, reminding those that have been lucky enough to try it, of Manchurian Chicken. But beware of their liberal use of starch to thicken the sauce, and more importantly: the long dried red chilli peppers that are hiding in the soy sauce, cause they pack quite the kick. While the curry chicken is not completely bland, it's too reminiscent of something your Indian mother/your friend's Indian mother has cooked for you, and done better. While the typical Chicken Tikka Roll and Lamb Achari rolls are pretty good, paying $10 for some plain paratha that wraps a little bit of spiced meat provides for a really unsatisfying meal and a weak reproduction of the original in the city. For a REALLY good Kati Roll go to the Hot Breads on 1665 Stelton Rd in Piscataway.

What to know before you go here:

While the purpose of a hole in the wall restaurant is that they can get you your food quickly, try to call ahead for pick up, unless you like waiting in a cramped room with drunk college students at 1 am. And don't kid yourself that you are eating better by going ethnic. This food is no better than the western fat sandwich, and equally decadent in calories. But it never hurts to try anything once and a platter or a kati roll is perfect after a long night of drinking cause we all know food tastes better when you're trying to sober up. While the menus are not explicit as to what you get in your platter, every order of mine has varied. Sometimes I get pita and a side salad and sometimes I don't. Sometimes they charge me for hot sauce, sometimes they don't.

What they could do better:

Cheaper prices or more food. Faster service. More helpful kids working the register. If they can afford to sell Lamb Kati rolls, they need to venture out and have Lamb and Rice platters. And this might be going out on a limb here, but FALAFELS. No place in New Brunswick, including Sahara, Kairo Cafe and other pseudo Mediterranean restaurants know how to make an authentic, perfectly golden and crunchy falafel. Take a cue from Mamoun's by the NYU campus: the success from selling delicious falafels for under $3 led them to buy a bigger restaurant without compromising taste and price at all.