Trinidad & Tobago: Lobster Roti & Ceviche Lime with my friend Wesley (Dec 2022)

Greetings Subscribers & Viewers:
I have been combing through my content files and there is a backlog I am clearing out. This one included. I was in Trinidad back in December 2022 for business - more than 3 years since my last visit (largely due to COVID restrictions). Without a doubt, hanging out (“liming”) with my good friend Wesley Gibbings is always on the agenda with any visit back the country of my birth. And that, invariably, will have a food focus.
Filmed entirely on my iPhone, I decided to craft a little story of the food behind our lime. Out first stop was The Roti Café in Cantaro/La Pastora area in the Santa Cruz Valley where I grew up (my childhood home makes an appearance early in the video) for their famous and unique lobster roti. While pricey, for an occasional treat or just to sample it is well worth it and a fantastic once-off dining experience. Of course, be prepared for a request (like my sister and Wesley’s wife) to pick up an extra one.
Roadside oysters have been available for decades in Trinidad, and the sauce they are served with is delicious and addictive. In the last decade or so, the streetside seafood offerings have grown and now ceviche is now readily available. Trinidad has a knack for taking dishes from other parts of the world and making it its own. And ceviche is no exception. Introduced to the country via Peruvian chefs, the country already had an appetite vinegary/sour “souse” (where souse is a clear broth of pickled pig trotters that is flavored with onion, garlic, lime, hot peppers, cucumbers, and other spices; but has evolved to include other meats and seafood), the dish is now readily available where street seafood is available. However, Branch & Sons was one of the original purveyors of this dish, and with the quality of their ingredients remain among the best on the island.
While there are many renown food capitals around the world, I’d encourage any foodie to head to Trinidad and Tobago and explore its unique, diverse cuisine and one of the original locations for modern fusion cuisine. And better yet, have a true Trini food lime.
Do you have a favourite roti? Mine is veggie with bodi (string beans), pumpkin and bhaji (spinach). What’s yours? Let me know in the comments below. #tastetheworld. ✌🏽🥂
Thanks again for watching! We appreciate the views and feedback. It is motivating to keep putting out these vids. I hope you enjoy, please give it a like, occasionally participate in a discussion or leave a comment. And I do hope you subscribe and join me on this fun little journey.
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Helpful references:
Scientific term for chadon beni/culantro: Eryngium foetidum - Wikipedia entry, en.wikipedia.o...
This Bago Girl, “What is Chadon Beni?” (June 2023): www.thisbagogi...
#VisitTnT #trinidadandtobago #trinidadfood #LobsterRoti #TrinidadianRoti #DhalpuriRoti #TrinidadStreetFood #Ceviche #TrinidadCeviche #Lambie #Souse #ChadonBeni

[@pf3727]

🌟 Nice

[@GenevieveWaller-pk3xg]

When I travel and say 'slight' pepper, the person ask ' you from Trinidad? Everyone says little medium or alot or plenty pepper, only a Trini say 'Slight'. Looks good the roti and mixed seafood. I like it.

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks. It’s true! I always wonder what the equivalent is in other cultures?! But Trinis assume that their food is already seasoned, so they are mostly asking for a little something spicy to add to the flavour. Good roti, albeit expensive but worth the experience as the lobster is copious. The seafood stop was excellent and only as you can experience in Trinidad!

[@Natasjja24]

Am a tourist so i have said " mild " hot sauce ..

[@mariodecastro-up8st]

Wonderful video

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks! Much appreciated!

[@user-iz4mq4td2u]

22 US dollars for that its insane

[@brianscommunitytable]

Won’t deny it’s pricey. I feel I addressed that in the video. Even when I go for grilled lobster in central it’s still about $20 US. And when they do have for roti here, it consistently sells out. It’s a treat. And you can see the price of the other items there, so you can see how reasonable everything else is.

[@user-iz4mq4td2u]

@@brianscommunitytable not pricey it's ridiculously considering you live on a island

[@user-iz4mq4td2u]

@@Natasjja24 I dd

[@jeanelaine]

Wow i got to take out a mortgage to afford dat! Lol

[@deomaharaj404]

The ingreadiants should be in aTEMP CONTROL UNIT.not safe to eat just sitting in the heat.

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks for the comment. The seafood is. They keep it properly refrigerated. And in the years I have eaten here (exclusively Chaguanas), I have never had a health problem or concern. The quality of their ingredients is top notch.

[@tomthalon8956]

Too much talking and too little shots of the food. Close-ups to the beard face taking a bite don't count.

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks for the comment. This is great feedback. I am still learning and working out processes, and will take this critique forward in my process of learning and improving.