Danforth Roti Shop  – 2844 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C 1M1
Country: Trinidad and Tobago        
Must-try dish: Aloo pie 
Seating: It’s a takeout place. 
The high: You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but always double up. 
The low: It’s a shame they don’t have seating because it’s constantly busy, and it would be nice to have a more drawn out meal with an experience. 

There was nothing better in recent months than being reunited with the recipes of Trinidad and Tobago. It was our first time at the Danforth Roti Shop, and we were immediately impressed about how many customers this small but mighty takeout place can handle at once. What was even more impressive was the one woman show running it all between taking orders and getting the food ready. 

This is strictly a takeout place but that didn’t seem to deter any of the hoards of diners coming in for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon. With a name like Danforth Roti House, it’s obvious that a roti or two would be on our order. 

There was no way that we were going to miss out on the Curry Goat Roti –  a thin chickpea flour wrap filled with saucy chunks of goat and spices. If you love the gaminess of goat, then this is for you, otherwise a safer and perhaps tastier option for the masses is the Jerk Chicken Roti. This may seem generic, but it’s one of the best rotis of this kind that we’ve tried in Toronto. The gravy to meat ratio was on point with a focus on flavour instead of spice. A roti is the perfect grab and go meal, which likely contributed to some of the success and business of the restaurant. This being said, there are several more dishes that are equally as delicious on the menu. 

Doubles are unique to the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago and could easily be the most loved item to eat in the country. Although they identify as a breakfast food, you can find them on the street at any time of the day and they’re particularly useful for a hangover or drunk food. These pockets are made with a curried chickpeas then fried. The traditional method stops here, but you can find some of that fillings inside if you’re looking to shake things up. As we love to say, a double a day keeps the doctor away. 

A new treat was the Aloo Pie, which came as a recommendation and was the favourite dish of the meal. With simplicity in mind, these seasoned mashed potatoes are wrapped in pastry and then fried. Can you ever really go wrong with this? Certainly not. It’s a great snack to take away as it stays together easily and despite not having sauce, still packs a punch with taste. 

We didn’t want to stop here so we got Rice and Peas to accompany the rest of the dishes. This is a generous portion but worth it as it neutralizes the seasoning in the rest of the dishes. You can use the gravies or hot sauce to doctor it up if you want any additional flavours. In a similar way, the Dahl Puri does the exact same thing when combined with the rest of the order. It’s a simple addition that helps to clean up the sauces from the rest of the dishes without having much flavour itself. You need the best of both worlds with this food. 

The cuisine from Trinidad and Tobago is special because it takes on characteristics from around the world with spices from the East, influences from the Caribbean, and local ingredients. It’s hard to find a person who doesn’t love this food, especially when there isn’t a great deal of spice used. The Danforth Roti House is conservative on its use of spice, instead relying on flavour which makes it more accessible for a Canadian palate. Next time you need takeout, order from here! 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)