BACCHUS ROTI
Cuisine: Barbados and Guyana
(1376 Queen Street West, Parkdale, M6K 1L7; 416.532.8191)
This Bajan/Guyanese roti spot in Parkdale is revered for quality paratha and perfectly spiced curries. Although Bacchus is known for takeout, it’s also an inviting place to sit and savour. Just ask Anthony Bourdain, who stopped by the restaurant during his Toronto stop for The Layover. If you do stay, there’s beer on tap at the bar, and a window for people watching while you’re enjoying a roti filled with jerk chicken and pumpkin, sipping on a bottle of Kola Champagne. Hospitality is in abundance for those who dine in, as your glass of water never runs empty, and your roti arrives on a real plate, with real stainless steel silverware. No white Styrofoam containers here.
Bacchus encourages you to mix and match roti fillings, both traditional and unconventional,. Homemade curry chicken, goat and beef are tender, while homestyle veggies – from channa to spinach – are hearty. The veggie samosas are also delicious, and their creamy coleslaw is a perfect pairing to any rice dish. Also on the menu is Barbados-style street food like the “Bajan Handshake” — five chicken fingers tossed in smokey BBQ sauce, and served with skinny sweet potato fries and honey mustard sauce. To end, try the flaky pastry peanut butter star, and cap it off with a five-dollar rum and coke.