Cover The Spitalfields outlet of Roti King, the fourth outlet of the chain, contributing to the 5000 roti canai made a day across the brand, and growing (Image: @rotikinguk)
The Spitalfields outlet of Roti King, the fourth outlet of the chain, contributing to the 5000 roti canai made a day across the brand, and growing (Image: @rotikinguk)
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From dough to dynasty, we speak with Malaysian chef Sugen Gopal on his roaring success—all starting from the humble roti canai
Chef Sugen Gopal of the wildly successful Malaysian restaurant chains in London—Roti King and Gopal’s Corner—didn’t find success overnight. Instead, his journey tells a tale of trial and error, kindness, and mainly, perseverance.
Roti King and Gopal’s Corner have become iconic brands for Malaysian food in London, as well as reliable recommendations for homesick Malaysians or an introduction to authentic Malaysian food that doesn’t require a flight ticket.
With over eight outlets and growing across his brands, the Malaysian staple of roti canai and kari, along with other Malaysian classics such as char kway teow, nasi lemak, and mee goreng mamak have become a staple for many in the city—a frequented spot amongst Londoners for a flavourful yet reasonably priced meal. Touted by Time Out, The Guardian, Eater, and many other publications as one of the best places for roti canai in London, or even the country, it truly has become a gem for those in pursuit of a comforting Malaysian meal that is hard to come by, and adequately satiates the pitch perfect juxtaposition of a flaky yet dense, crisp yet soft roti.
Read more: The best Malaysian restaurants in London
(Image: @rotikinguk)
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Although the journey for Roti King began in 2014, his affinity with food began much earlier. Growing up in Ipoh, food was always a cornerstone for the Gopal family. His parents ran a small roadside shop in Buntong, Ipoh, that grew into a brick and mortar shoplot that found success with the locals. Gopal found his life slowly began to revolve around the restaurant, called Gopal’s Corner, and he would find himself as the extra set of hands around the kitchen and in front of house when he wasn’t in school, or during school holidays.
“There’s many lessons I learned from my parents. My mum was in the kitchen most of the time, and she will join the front of house after she’s done the cooking and start serving, and my dad is more to marketing. He knows where to get the stuff, where to get the right quality things, and how to sell the thing.” Gopal recounts.
The stall of Thean Chun in Ipoh, selling Ipoh Hor Fun, a classic favourite of locals (Image: @rotikinguk)
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The lessons he’s learned from his parents and their business carried him through the entirety of his career, and is still ringing true today. Gopal recalls the most popular dish on his parents’ menu being a fish head curry, where his father would go out to the markets to buy the seafood, and his mother would make them into a curry that guests frequently ate with roti canai.
Although his cooking style has been largely influenced by his mother, the person who taught him how to make roti canai was his uncle. Starting off with a wet dish towel, Gopal practiced throwing roti, and at 14 was able to run a service in his parents restaurant alone. The rest was history.
Explore more: Lee Choon Boon of Jeff’s Cellar on his 5 favourite Ipoh street food spots
Chef Sugen Gopal making roti canai (Image: @rotikinguk)
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With ambitions of always living abroad, Gopal moved to London in 2004, and through the kindness and generosity of a fellow trader, and £80 in his pocket, he was able to open up a small kiosk in Oriental City, located in Colindale, North London.
“Running a business alone is challenging,” Gopal says. “You are doing the marketing, the purchasing, the washing, you have to open and close, and sometimes you can’t even afford the delivery fees.” The inherited thriftiness of his parents, and his perseverance carried him for years. Through his stalls in Colindale and residencies in Charing Cross, he was able to open up a spot in Chinatown with a popular lunch menu, but with another hurdle—this time in the form of a gambling landlord and unpaid rent, his shop was shut, leading him back to square one.
When the opportunity came to open Roti King in Euston in 2014, a name coined by one of his customers, the lessons he learned from his parents and all the previous iterations of Roti King amalgamated into this very moment. The remnants of the previous tenant—a Chinese restaurant— remained etched in the new identity of Roti King, blooming through its decor and menu. It took on popularity quickly, word travelling by mouth and greasy hands, whispers of a new Malaysian restaurant to try.
During a time in which Malaysian restaurants in London were few and far in between, Gopal was steadfast in his commitment to be uncompromising in his flavour, “I didn’t want to adapt my flavour, I wanted to represent Malaysian flavours as it is.”
The first Roti King in its iconic Euston branch (Image: @rotikinguk)
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The big break came in the form of Marina O’Loughlin, a food critic with The Guardian at the time, who deemed it “simply bloody gorgeous.” The next day, a long line formed in the middle of Doric Way, and it has done so ever since.
Churning out over 5,000 rotis a day across his other Roti King outlets in Battersea, Spitalfields, Waterloo, Euston still remains to be the most popular spot. With no secret to success but hard work, Gopal shares a tip that he lives true by: “Have a good supply chain, a good team, and treat your people well.” He has since opened up Gopal’s Corner, an homage to his parents, serving up favourites such as banana leaf rice.
A source of pride for many Malaysians, chef Sugen Gopal made his way from Ipoh and carved his way into the big league of the London food scene, gaining recognition globally, and doing it without compromise to his culture and flavour. With a new cookbook launch looming at the end of the month, and two new outlets opening—one in Brighton and the other in Edinburgh marking his first international outlet—we can only wait to see what is in store for the empire, which is coming closer than you think.
Keandra's expertise lies within writing deep dives into the culture and anthropology of food, sometimes with a philosophical twist. With a background in London's F&B consultancy scene, she's excited to be back in Kuala Lumpur to champion the local dining scene.
Reach her at keandra.hing@tatlerasia.com, @keandruh
