PORT OF SPAIN — IT IS not a science, this.
Searching for the best roti in a country like Trinidad and Tobago seems an ultimately futile quest; everyone has his or her preferred place, just as there are multitudes of “go-to” doubles stands and corn soup carts.
So it took some digging, some clandestine chats and quite a lot of whispering.
For those who know roti, though, the signs all seemed to point to one place: Don’s.
AT FIRST GLANCE, Don’s Roti Shop seems a nondescript bar-and-snack shop on on Morne Coco Road in Trinidad’s Petit Valley.
As you approach, however, things get more interesting.
First, there’s the adjacent bar, which serves what is inarguably the coldest beer in the entire Caribbean (a Stag, naturally).
Above: the home of the coldest beer in the Caribbean
And the simple ordering counter offers a wide array of roti: chicken, liver, goat, channa, mango … simply daring repeat visits to the place.
The verdict? Doughy, flaky, spicy, with a perfectly golden brown wrap and robust but controlled flavour. And it passes the most important test: eating it feels like consuming an entire day’s worth of food.
This is serous roti for serious lovers of Trinidadian food.
Looking for some truly unbiased advice, we asked a regular.
Is this the best roti in Trinidad?
“So they say.”
They seem to be right.
— CJ
What’s your favourite roti in Trinidad? Tell us in the comments section.