Most places claim to have the best roti in the country and that debate has been ongoing for years. But at Roti Cafe in Santa Cruz, they can lay claim to the most unique roti on offer.
You see, they don’t stop at chicken or goat or even shrimp. They have gone way beyond those. So in addition to the usual, they also make lobster, conch, fish, lamb, turkey, oxtail, lambi and more.
"As time goes by you discover new things, if you could curry goat, lamb, you try oxtail, anything," said the Roti Cafe owner Sharon Sarjudeen.
She said she and her family moved to T&T from Guyana in 1985 and settled in Santa Cruz and since 1999, they have been running the Roti Cafe.
Giving some history about the establishment, Sarjudeen noted that her mom actually didn’t even know how to make roti before, "all we knew was buss-up-shot not dhalpourie...and she prayed about it."
She explained that when she attempted it, the product was welcomed by the customers from the word go.
"From week one we started booming," she said.
As time went by, she wanted to try something new and began to experiment.
Sarjudeen said one day she spoke to a lobster seller who gave her a good price and suggested that she tried currying it. It was a challenge which she accepted.
Since then, lobster roti has remained on the menu. It’s not the fastest seller because of the $75 cost, but it sure is talked about.
She added that although there are other roti establishments in and around the area, her customer base remained solid.
"People leave everywhere and come for our roti," Sarjudeen said.
She admitted, however, that keeping up a high standard is hard work and this is why she and her family put in the hours.
"You have to be in your business to maintain that."
What's the real secret to their success? "I concentrate on service, customer service and maintaining quality. I ensure every roti is made with love. If I can’t eat it, I’m not selling it."
Well, it seemed that they put in a lot of love because on a visit to the business place there was a constant stream of customers to purchase their roti of choice.
Sarjudeen said her cafe "still is the heart of Santa Cruz."
