As a matter of principle, the Food File doesn't write up places within the first few weeks of their opening. Instead we prefer to wait until the kitchen has settled in properly and recovered from the inevitable strain of dealing with the local media and the surge of customers that inevitably follow.
If we are making the brand-new Roti an exception, that's because there are two compelling reasons. The first is that the man responsible for this stylish, casual diner in Roppongi is Ian Tozer, a chef with a proven track record in putting interesting restaurants on the Tokyo map. The second reason is simply that we like it.
During his time here, the peripatetic Tozer has been a major force in (among other things) the groundbreaking Farm Grill in Shinbashi; the original West Park Cafe in Yoyogi; and TY Harbor Brewery, down on the waterfront in nether Shinagawa. In many ways, Roti reflects aspects of all of the above. Ask Tozer, though, and he'll probably tell you it's not so much a synthesis as a summation. Finally he gets to bring all the strands together and do it entirely his way.
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