Houston Vegetarian Eats #2: D'Caribbean Curry Spot

So the Caribbean not a continent like Africa but they are both a group of countries that get misunderstood as one country.  I didn't get a great understanding of the diversity until I lived in two Caribbean Islands (Grenada & Curacao). Although I wasn't a 100% ignorant before my time living in the Islands, I was ignorant to some aspect of the culture, for example, I used to even think there was one Caribbean accent which is something to the Jamaica accent. It is crazy to think that now because the differences are so obvious.

The Caribbean is made up of different Island nations and each country is a melting pot of different cultures influenced by colonisation, immigration, and indigenous. Trinidad & Tobago is a really great example of the diversity a Caribbean nation has to offer. Trinidad & Tobago population is made up of the slaves brought to the Island from various parts of Africa, indentured servants from India, the indigenous Amerindian and the immigration of Europeans and Arabs and Others. 

But this is not a history lesson, this is a wanna be a blog about food with questionable grammar. The food aspect that is intriguing for a vegetarian with food from Trinidad is the Indian influence the Island nation has. Indo-Trinidadians make up the country's largest ethnic group. They were brought from India as indentured workers to work in the sugar plantations.  The Indian community is divided into roughly half and half, those who maintained their original religion (mostly Hinduism) and those who converted or have no religious affiliation. Hinduism is a religion although doesn't require vegetarianism many Hindus avoid eating meat because of their belief that it minimises hurting other life forms. Being that most Indians in Trinidad still maintain Hinduism and that they are the largest ethnic group in the country so it is obvious to calculate or predict that this is a country you would find a lot of vegetarian dishes in their cuisine.

Honestly what triggered me to want to go check out a Trinidadian aka Trini restaurant is a youtube video. I was watching a video (Eater- Dining on a Dime) where the host went to go try something called doubles in a Trini restaurant and I thought to myself those doubles thing looked amazing. I immediately started googling Trini restaurants around me. There are loads of Caribbean restaurants in Houston but most of them are usually a hog posh of different mostly Jamaican food, I wanted to find a place that is specifically Trini. After some googling and reading through their website, I decided to choose

  D'Caribbean Curry Spot

8201 Broadway St #105

Pearland, TX 77581 

I really liked the restaurant website, I liked how they made a section for vegetarian food. I felt it made it seem like a place that would be welcoming instead of it being something of an inconvenience.  I was very excited to try these two things I saw in the food show which was the doubles and saheena. So here I go: 

Although before hand I had already gone through the restaurant menu like I was studying for a test,  I still reviewed the menu again when I got there just to refresh my game plan. I am still working on a budget so I can't completely lead with my stomach.  This restaurant is the type where you are not waited on, you look through the menu and order at the counter. 

Time to order: Operating the counter is the owner of the restaurant Moh. I have to say this man is incredibly welcoming and warm. Even when I first entered the restaurant, they were a few customers about two in there and the interaction I could hear and see was like family. There was already this warm loving energy in the place and when it was my turn to go order I was greeted with the same enthusiasm.


One thing I did take from my time living in Grenada is my love of Ting. Whenever I get the chance I have to have a taste but it is something that is overpriced here.



Although I planned to order a double ($2.75). Moh gave the doubles for free, because of me being a blogger and stuff (I wish), I am still in loserville blogger level. He gave the double as a welcome gift it seems like it is something he gives to first-time visitors. Just something else that made this restaurant feel more warm and inviting.

Doubles is a common street food in Trinidad and Tobago. Although I got half of it, it is usually a sandwich made with two baras (flat fried bread) and filled in the middle with curry channa (curried chickpeas). 

Right now going through pictures of the double, I just want it in my mouth again. It was delicious, I mean its fried bread I don't what else you can expect other than utter goodness. The curry channa was delicious on top of it as well. It came with a mango sauce. It seems sauce is also an important part of Trini food as most Caribbean food. So you can customise this whatever you like with whatever sauce. I am not really a sauce girl not because I don't like them just because I can't make a decision of which one and also I am lazy. But I did try it with the mango sauce and it added a sweet kick to the doubles but it wasn't really needed because the doubles were delicious on its own.

My initial idea was to order a bunch of appetisers and try them because they looked delicious and have my bff who came with me order a vegetarian entree so we can share. Being the stubborn omnivore he is, he refused cause he wanted meat. So change of plans, I decided to order the entre not many options there, more vegetarian options as an appetiser, either you can have a vegetable chow mein or a roti with two sides. But what I got from the restaurant is that there is a lot of room for customization. He told me how the food is usually made with a lot of veggies but because since in America they keep in simple. I think if you call beforehand and talk with him, maybe you want more veggies or something else that is not on the menu I believe he can work with you.  So I ordered a roti wrap with curry chick peas and curry potatoes ($10)





This is a $10 meal that will leave you super full. It was delicious and I was slowly slipping into a carb coma because that roti is quite large. But before I fell into my coma, I had to try the Saheena, the other Trini goodie I saw on the youtube show and that I did.



Saheena to sum it up is a spinach fritter. Moh did ask me if I wanted some chickpeas on top and I was like nah but later I did put some of the chickpeas I had on top with some jerk sauce and I created a jewel.


I don't know how appetising the pictures look. Definitely, the food was not super duper photogenic but don't let the world we live in of Instagram fool you into thinking a food has to look super attractive to taste amazing.

At the end, I ate everything and that day I couldn't even eat dinner because I was super full from the lunch I ate. There was no room. If you are in Houston I highly recommend this restaurant, the food is good, the vibe is good and you get to support a family business that has been thriving for 10 years keep it going for many more years.

I am looking forward to going there again.

Round Up:

Will I ever go to this restaurant again?

Absolutely  

Would you recommend this restaurant?

Yes

Out of 5 stars, how would you rate this restaurant? 

5 out of 5 

- The END- 

Outtakes