Located in the popular backpacker neighborhood of Banglamphu, this is a popular Muslim-Thai restaurant.
It is an unassuming shop, with an upstairs, air-conditioned seating area. They have a variety of roti mataba (stuffed roti) and you can choose between a chicken, beef, fish and herbs, and others.
The roti is just as roti should be, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and packed with flavor from the fillings. The mix of herbs in each of the different fillings is different, so you should order a few types to experience the different flavor profiles. Each roti is cut into several pieces, and great for sharing.
It’s best to eat it right away, when it’s hot, or else it will lose its crispy texture, or even worse, your eating companions will eat all of them first.
There’s also a variety of curry and rice plates to choose from, of which the chicken dishes are popular. The chicken with yellow rice/biriyani (Khao Mok Gai) is a classic, and the tandoori chicken, despite not being a traditional Thai dish, is my go-to.
Choose from a variety of Thai beverages to provide a coolness and balance to your meal or finish it off with one of the many dessert rotis.
Bottom-line: Affordable, casual, lots of choices, and can go for a meal, or just a bite.
Karim Roti Mataba is in a good location, near the Chao Phraya River, across the street from the park surrounding the white-walled fort (Pom Phra Sumen).
It’s pretty convenient to get there as it is only a short tuk-tuk ride from the Grand Palace and walking distance from the Phra Athit Pier.
There is another location in Nonthaburi at The Mall Ngamwongwan Food Court