If you wake up early enough in Malaysia you can check out the street vendors setting up their roti stalls where they proceed to deftly stretch balls of soft white dough into the most beautifully layered roti. To get this experience closer to home, a visit to Uncle Man’s on K Rd does the trick! Here the roti-making bench is in full view and I’m soon in a trance watching the chef as he pats, slaps, twirls and flings the dough into an impossibly thin membrane before twisting and patting it back into a flat coiled thing of beauty, ready for the grill. Made fresh to order and I swear it’s as good as any I’ve eaten in Malaysia (and I’ve eaten many there!) it takes me instantly back there which is what any authentic dish from elsewhere ought to do. The spun layers of dough have just the right amount of oily, flaky, soft and crispiness - perfect for dunking in a spicy gravy or chicken curry. I travel for food as good as this and I love that Auckland has the real deal so close to home.