Just polished off another delicious round of bbq chicken rolls last night at Allah-Din and thought I’d share with everyone else.
Two brothers from Pakistan (owner’s name is Rizwan–handsome young chap who wears a bandana on his head) started this food stand in the RaoHe Night Market near Sung Shan Train Station some time ago. They expanded it to a sit-down restaurant about six months ago. They serve a variety of Indian and Pakistani food, including some excellent curries.
My favorites are the aforementioned chicken rolls. They also sell beef and lamb rolls. They come in a tortilla-like roll with spices and fresh lettuce, onion, and tomato. Sell for NT$80 each. Two is enough to satisfy a big fellow like me. I just love cheap, delicious food like that.
To find them, just go to the Rao He Night market and walk about to the middle. You’ll see their sign. They are right by a foot massage place. Actual address is No. 101 Rao He Street.
Sounds like Athulla’s Sri Lankan curry roti stall at Bitan, except his are just $40 each. People have been known to take the MRT down there specifically for his rotis. As Alicia Rickards said in her column recently, she bought a roti, ate it on her way across the footbridge, finished it before she got to the other side, turned around and went straight back for another. They’re really really nice.
How do they make the “tortillas” Tomas? Do they cook them dry on an upturned wok? Just curious – that’s how Athulla does his.
Upturned wok. Sounds like the same deal. The first time I ate one of their “burritos”, I walked to the end of the night market, turned around and walked back to buy another one. Damn but they are good.
I don’t think they are overpriced, given the size of the burrito. One is enough for a good lunch for most people.
Never said they were, Tomas – probably no more expensive than Athulla’s, as you need a couple of his to really hit the spot. As you say, though, sounds like a very similar deal, except that Athulla is such a gregarious bloke, he nearly always has a bunch of people hanging around his stall drinking beer and shooting the breeze.
The stand the Sandman mentioned sounds great. I’d like to go there. Last stop on the MRT, down to the night market, and you can’t miss the stand, right?
I’d also like to try out the stand in the RaoHe night market. But I rarely make it over to the part of the city.
And, just to offer one more option, the night market near YanPing Road(west part of Taipei) has a stand offering these “roti roll-ups.” I don’t know if the rotis are made on an overturned wok, and I don’t know how much each “wrap” costs (sorry forgot). But they are pretty good and masala chai is also sold.
Does anyone remember the wraps that used to be sold in the Shi Da night market area (on Long Quan Jie) back in the late 90’s?
That’s right. Go out the back entrance of the station (where the bus rank is situated) and just walk straight along the road. Athulla is just past the steps that lead up to the footbridge. He’s closed on Mondays.
I frequently get those chicken rotis from the friendly couple who sell them at this night market (does anyone know the name of this night market? It is actually my favorite). They are really tasty and great made fresh and yes the rotis are made on an overturned wok. They also offer a meal with rice but I always stick with the roti. I feel they are a bit overpriced at NT$95 as they are really not enough for a meal by themselves. I usually get them as an appetizer along with some other dish from the night market. However, it is worth it I feel to have a different taste available other than all Chinese food and if you get an extra roti at NT$30 it might fill you up if you are not that hungry. Their family also runs a very good Indian restaurant nearby on Yan Ping road I think. It was mentioned somewhere in the Indian Restaurant thread.
I have read about the Pakistani guys that Tomas wrote about before somewhere on this board and actually stopped there one night a few weeks ago looking for them but could not find them. Maybe by then they had set up their restaurant and I was looking for a street vendor in the night market. Thanks for posting them again with their address Tomas, I’ll look for them again. They sound great and would love to try them but like fee, I hardly ever get over there. Same thing for Sandman
He’s usually there until about 10:30-11:00, depending on how the weather is (better weather means he’ll sell out more quickly), although he’s often around till much later if there’s a good craic going, and there often is.
I am not particularly a big fan of night markets, and Rao He isn’t the most convenient place for me to get to, but damn, these those chicken rolls are worth the trip.
I usually also get a foot massage and pick up a few shirts when I’m there. There is a lady selling “Boss” brand shirts for NT$290 that fit my muscular frame quite nicely. Okay, they also slim down my gut.
If you go to Allah-din, you won’t regret it. I’m salivating thinking about the food, and I was just there last night.
All the more reason to jump on that greenline MRT and take that 15-minute ride to Bitan. There isn’t really a nightmarket – just a short row of foodstalls and a couple of those 5&dime-type places. Also a number of nice coffeeshops along the waterfront where Austrian beers can be had.