Roti Chenai Cafe

Our restaurant’s history goes back to over twenty years when our founder Richard Rajasekar opened his first restaurant in New Zealand. Having spent two years in Malaysia learning to perfect the art of the local cuisine, Richard arrived in New Zealand hoping to introduce Malaysian and South Indian cuisine to the local crowd.

When he opened the first restaurant at 120 Victoria Street, Richard had the entire hotel remodeled to house a large grill and an overhead convector which would allow him to produce more than 500 roti breads each day. Richard started as the only chef with just one helper and two waiting staff. The menu was limited to simple rotis, curries, and noodle dishes. The $5 Roti Chenai lunch deals were introduced, and this quickly became very popular among the locals. Richard’s mother arrived in New Zealand later that year and added her own personal magic to the dishes, making them more exotic and the menu more irresistible. Soon, Richard’s Café Roti Chenai became famous and his crispy Dosai pancakes sold like hotcakes. The restaurant received excellent ratings for their food, was featured in the “Lonely Planet,” and won several awards.

Café Roti Chenai New Zealand grew and customers poured in from all around the city. Soon, Richard realized he had to expand and opened a new branch in Australia at the Emporium, one of Brisbane’s most popular food destinations. Richard is proud and glad that he could introduce Malaysian and South Indian cuisine to New Zealand and Australia.
Come, treat your tastebuds with our soft rotis, delicious butter chicken and spicy fish curry, and experience the joys of Asian cuisine that Café Roti Chenai has to offer.