53 Crwys Road, Cardiff. 029 2037 6222 / www.katiwok.co.uk
Specialising in affordable, pan-Asian street food to take away or eat in, Kati Wok is a bright, lively and friendly restaurant-diner with a plentiful menu offering kati rolls, noodles and a range of homemade Asian-inspired sides.
If you live in the Cathays area of Cardiff you’ll probably already have noticed Kati Wok simply from walking or driving past. Its lively interior design is certainly eye-catching, with its unique lime green and pink seating matching colourful collaged walls which depict a broad spectrum of Asian pop culture.
Dining at Kati Wok is a relaxed affair with food simply boxed or wrapped and delivered on trays to your table. Kati rolls (£3.99) are at the core of the menu, and with diners simply needing to peel away a paper wrapper to reveal the filled wrap, they’re a sociable, relaxed and fun way to dine. A staple of street food cuisine in Kolkata, the kati roll utilises an Indian flatbread to contain all manner of fillings. We opted for a Nepali paneer and spinach kati alongside an Afgan chicken kati with a side of fried dumplings and a Malaysian chicken noodle dish to share. Both kati’s were stuffed full of flavour and filling, whilst a variety of hot, medium and mild sauces were on offer to add to our taste. The side of fried dumplings stood out as the overall winning dish of the evening; their crisp outer layer concealing a flavoursome chicken dumpling with a punchy but light flavour.
The Malaysian chicken noodles we shared were by no means remarkable and offered nothing new or obviously Malaysian, however, the dish was large in size, great value (£4.99), and the perfect takeaway grub for a hungry appetite. GARETH LUDKIN