Indian Bread Co. Vs. Kati Roll Company, Inc.

Kati Rolls are Indian mini-burritos, or the hungry pub-crawler’s holy grail, depending on how you look at it. They’re fast, “cheap,” portable, and greasily filling, unleashing a spiciness on your tastebuds that penetrates even the most drinky numbness. Since I live near two contenders (literally around the corner from each other), I decided that the only way to settle which would satisfy my kati jones would be a head-to-head battle. I purchased one aloo (potato) masala from each joint, ate them immediately, and judged them as follows:

Price: Indian Bread Co. ($3.50) Kati Roll Company ($4.00)

Size: Roughly the same

Sit-Down Atmosphere: Indian Bread Co. wins hands-down for spaciousness (nine tables!) and its wall-length bar ideal for the solitary diner. Kati Roll Company by contrast (three or four tables, maybe), feels somewhat claustrophobia-inducing.

Portability: Kati Roll was the winner here–the rolls were easy to unwrap and travelled well in insulated bags. Indian Bread Co.’s roll was bundled in several confounding layers of aluminum foil.

Points off: Indian Bread Co. had a random open trap door to the left of the register that had me worried I’d somehow theatrically trip and disappear forever. At Kati Roll, the counterperson placed my dollar change on TOP of another diner’s food. Even though they were partially wrapped in wax paper, this poor man’s exposed kati roll tips were in imminent danger of touching my filthy money. Be ready to grab your food as soon as it’s called.

Tastiness: While the rolls at Kati Roll seemed slightly greasier, the paratha had a pleasing flakey crispness on the outside and the potato filling was milder and more delicately spiced. The sweetness and crunch of red onions added a nice contrast. Indian Bread Co. was the spicier of the two, but the filling was a uniform mush and offered less complexity.

Winner: Kati Roll. But at Indian Bread Co. I did have a decent chicken naanini (naan filled with tandoor chicken, lettuce, slathered with peppery mayo and toasted on a press – $6.50). I’d probably check out more of their menu – after all, it’s just too much fun to say “naanini.”

Indian Bread Co. 194 Bleecker Street, Sun-Thu noon-midnight, Fri-Sat noon-5am
Kati Roll 99 MacDougal Street, Sun-Thu 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-5am