| Author |
Message |
    
Joe
Citizen
Username: Gonets
Post Number: 767
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 10:48 pm: |     |
Just had my weekly Curried Chicken Roti at Caribbean Cuisine. Man that's good! Amandacat and her hubby will back me up on it. Very authentic Trinidadian faire. Given that my wife is a Trini, I know of what I speak. Trinidadian food blends Indian, Spanish and Chinese styles into some seriously yummy dishes--loads to choose from.
Great food. Great portions. Great prices. Lousy location or they'd be millionaires. To get there from Maplewood take Valley St. towards South Orange and turn right onto 1st Ave (which is the last right before South Orange Ave) it's on the right side of the street.
Vidya and Mario put together some tasty concoctions. If you've never tried Trinidadian food--look over the menu and ask them anything. They're very patient in explaining and will usually give you a sample, but maybe they do that to me just to shut me up. If you haven't tried it, you're missing something special. New item that I'm looking forward to trying is "Conch!" Next time though. Right now I'm too stuffed from the Roti and the stewed oxtail with redbeans and rice. Give it a shot. |
Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 351
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 11:11 pm: | |
Yeah, the Curried Chicken Roti was my favorite for a long tme, bt now I'm on a Stewed Chicken kick - especially the chicken stewed with red beans!!! But really, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu - it's delicious!
Caribbean Cuisine is tied with Heart & Soul as my favorite restaurant! |
DeborahG
Citizen
Username: Deborahg
Post Number: 1310
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 8:12 am: | |
stewed oxtail...sounds disgusting...tastes so delicious.... |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 5912
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 8:37 am: | |
I was there last night and picked up a shrimp roti and the chicken wings. And the hot sauce. Everything was excellent! |
ML
Supporter
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 2402
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 8:53 am: | |
Favorite dishes (so far):
Curry goat roti
Callaloo soup
Fish soup
Pumpkin |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2402
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 8:58 am: | |
Oooh, we never tried the shrimp roti, only the vegetable. Which hot sauce did you get Dave? The pale green one put hair on my chest!
I also really like the shrimp wontons when I want something crispy. Very light and not greasy.
Tonight is pizza night for my girls; but maybe we can swing by and pick up for ourselves. Mmmm... |
Joe
Citizen
Username: Gonets
Post Number: 769
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 8:59 am: | |
Callaloo aint a soup!!!
Just kidding ML it's an inside joke I have with Vidya.
I love the Callaloo too--just like my dear mother-in-law makes. |
ML
Supporter
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 2405
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 9:02 am: | |
They call it "soup" on the menu...
But you've got a point. The callaloo and fish soup are way too filled with vegetables and fish to be called soup. More like a hearty stew. |
Beans
Citizen
Username: Nalini
Post Number: 80
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 11:36 am: | |
I can't get enough of that place. Every dish that I've tried there was delicious. It's really the only place I like in Maplewood/South Orange area except of course for Heart and Soul.... |
joso
Citizen
Username: Joso
Post Number: 281
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 5:39 pm: | |
Jerk Chicken was not good, but Chicken Roti, pumpkin. aloo pies, and spinach are fantastic |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 5939
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2005 - 2:20 am: | |
shh,
The hot sauce was orange. I'm curious about the green stuff now. |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2408
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2005 - 3:57 pm: | |
Oooh. I had the green hot sauce only once. It's not a deep green, almost a light wasabi green. Lemme tell you, Mr. Shh & I like it hot, pound the table, eye tearing hot, but this was "ohmigod I need rice and water and more rice and water and my tongue tingled for hours" hot.
I do like their orange hot sauce too. Has nice flavor besides the heat. |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 192
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2005 - 7:53 pm: | |
I couldn't agree with you more Beans. Heart and Soul and Carribean cusine are my two favorite places in the area. |
Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 358
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2005 - 5:22 pm: | |
We went to CC last night and the place was dead, and the owners were not happy with business lately. They said they get more people from Maplewood than from South Orange. So come on you folks from the sister city - support your local restaurants. Seriously, I would be so incredibly sad to see this place go. Dave, can we do a Carribean Cuisine week? |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 5966
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 12:07 am: | |
Well, we offered. And they politely said, "no thank you." |
Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 361
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 9:45 pm: | |
REALLY???? Why on earth would they turn down an offer like that??? |
Meandtheboys
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 673
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 6:45 pm: | |
Had my first ever Roti for lunch today. Went with the shrimp. I liked it quite a bit, although I certainly wouldn't catagorize it as a light, low carb meal! My question is, what the heck is in a Roti. Aside from the shrimp, I identified potatoes and chick peas. There's also something orange and some sort of grainy/mealy substance. Had a taste of the orange hot sauce, and it was definately HOT. I like hot sauce, and just a touch of this was enough for me. If the green is hotter, I think I'll stay away! |
Joe
Citizen
Username: Gonets
Post Number: 774
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 10:16 pm: | |
My wife tells me that the grainy stuff is grinded up chick peas. Glad you tried it. There's a lot on their menu. Their soups and stews are really good too. I bet your boys would like their chicken dumpling soup. I think they'll be serving it on Saturday nights. Haven't even thought of trying the green sauce. Maybe one of these days. |
howardf
Citizen
Username: Howardf
Post Number: 309
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 11:08 pm: | |
I hear the jerk schnauzer is excellent. |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2415
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 7:11 am: | |
I believe the orange is pumpkin, but I suppose it could be a sweet potato too. The veggie one has chick peas, spinach, the pumpkin and what I now know to be ground up chick peas. As far as I know, roti is just a doughy skin, the caribbean version of a tortilla.
They are so big, it's at least two meals, so I don't think it's so bad for you, and it's got lots of veggies and protein. |
Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 371
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 4:10 pm: | |
Yes, the Roti is just the "wrap" or the skin. I have no idea how they do it, but within the layers of the dough is finely ground chickpeas. You can go in an just buy some of the roti skins, bring them home and put in whatever you want.
Yes, the orange stuff is pumpkin. And I agree, with all the veggies that are in there, I kind of think of it as a healthy alternative. |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 202
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 22, 2005 - 4:11 pm: | |
FWIW: The orange and green sauces may taste different but they both are heated by the same pepper (habanero) so they should be ROUGHLY the same heat. I personally believe that once you reach that high on the Scoville index that it's not worth arguing about which is hotter -- they'll both drive you insane with pain (in a good way of course).
I could be wrong but I think the powdery chickpea layer that is between the the thin layers of bread is a delicious and mild curry flavor. But I could be wrong. |
Blaster
Citizen
Username: Blaster
Post Number: 25
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 22, 2005 - 9:15 pm: | |
The pepper in the green sauce is more likely a scotch bonnet pepper. |
Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 383
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 22, 2005 - 11:48 pm: | |
A scotch bonnet is a type of habanero. Both are Capsicum chinense but some are red and some are green. The red are slightly sweeter.
|
mjh
Supporter
Username: Mjh
Post Number: 108
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 8:28 am: | |
Dinner for five (variety of appetizers, roti and a couple of rice dishes) was fresh, hot and absolutely GREAT.........I'm can't wait for lunch so I can have some leftovers.
Oh, I hope they make it. What a delightful change of pace and a way to provide a casual, huge and delicious dinner for 5 for under $50. Can't beat it......I was proud to serve it.
|
Beans
Citizen
Username: Nalini
Post Number: 89
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 - 11:33 am: | |
I've been reading this post with great laughter. To clarify, the stuff in the "Roti" is yellow lentil (indian word is Dhal) that has been ground up to form a paste. It's boiled to soften and then grind in a mill. It's mixed with salt, pepper, onions, and seasoning. It's a time consuming process. The "roti" itself, is made like dough and then it's filled with the dhal mixture. You have to roll it until it becomes paper thin, then cook in an oiled pan. Now I am craving roti & shrimp... |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 230
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 - 2:00 pm: | |
Thanks for the clarification Beans. I was close: Lentils instead of chickpea (both are beans) and seasoning MIGHT include curry flavors...right? |
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