Sherman's Food Adventures: Rehanah's Roti & Trinidadian

Rehanah's Roti & Trinidadian

Port Moody, one of the last places I've yet to blog about. There hasn't been a particular reason that has prevented me from doing so. Hey, I used to live in Coquitlam and I would often dine here. Now, with a quaint little place such as Port Moody, you'd expect to find places like Pajo's at Rocky Point or Saint Street Grill right on the main strip. It would not be an obvious choice if you were looking for an authentic Caribbean roti. Yah, that's what I thought when I first spotted Rehanah's Roti nestled among other restaurants. It's a small place; but you can't miss it with it's red awning and unique name. Even though it was late in the afternoon, there were people waiting for their orders. Appearing to be a one-woman operation, there was a slight wait. At first, I was asked if I was from Trinadad. Interesting question; however, I do have Asian friends who have come from there. She was curious how I knew about the place. Well, partly because I pass by it often and that Frank from Calypso had mentioned it too.

I originally wanted to try the Goat Roti; but I chose a more conservative choice in the Chicken Roti. I could've had it spicy or medium. I went for medium since the last time I chose spicy (House of Dosas), it was as hot going in as it was going out (TMI!). When I went to grab the takeout bag, I was surprised how heavy it was. This thing has got some substance to it! If you are familiar with the Malaysian or Thai roti, it's rather flaky. The one here is much thinner and chewier. For this application, it is absolutely the perfect texture and consistency. It helps hold the massive amount of chicken and potatoes in while you eat it. And about that filling, for being a "medium", it was pretty darn spicy. Not crazy spicy; yet there was a real kick from the curry. I can only imagine how hot the spicy is! The chicken was tender while the potatoes were creamy soft. I was only planning to eat half; but I ended up eating the whole darn thing. I shouldn't have done that since I was just about to go play hockey.

So I make a return visit in hopes of trying out the Goat Roti to no avail. They're sold out! Undeterred, I went for the Shrimp Roti not expecting much. I bit into it expecting shrimp and what I got were tonnes of perfectly cooked crunchy prawns! Combined with the same delicious curry and soft potatoes, this was a nice treat. Again, I was only planning to eat half and finished the whole darn thing!

The Good:
- Really large and full of stuff
- It's spicy (if you like spicy that is)
- Roti has a nice chewy texture

The Bad:
- Not cheap
- Not close for most people (close enough for me to revisit!)

Rehanah's Roti on Urbanspoon

14 comments:

shokutsu said...

I walked past this place just recently. Had customers inside and appeared interesting. Guess I have to go back...

Sherman Chan said...

I highly recommend that you do!

Laura said...

I had their roti's years ago and should go back. They were delicious...good to hear that nothing has changed!

trisha said...

i checked out their menu on urbanspoon and i'm curious. phillowrie balls? don't know what those are but i want some! i'm working in poco a lot so i'll have to try that and some shrimp roti.

Sherman Chan said...

trisha, I have not clue what phillowrie balls are... Please try one and tell me about them. LOL...

Chris said...

You passed on the goat Sherman! Looks like a hardy meal; I've never had the joy of roti like this.

Sherman Chan said...

I'm going for goat next time!

Dave said...

Do you know how the Jamaican patties are here? I've been meaning to go, but it's not that close haha

Sherman Chan said...

Dave, I haven't tried the patties here. I guess I really should. They look a bit small though; but then again, I haven't tried them, so stay tuned...

holly said...

Yes, the phillowrie balls looked interesting on the menu, but i didn't try them. I went for the shrimp and goat roti plus a side of mango sauce instead.

The shrimp was nice and crunchy and the goat, well it was gamey. Since I've realized I haven't developed an appreciation for gamey meat, I think I'll stick to the shrimp or chicken next time. The medium hot was not spicy enough for me but I wanted to be cautious. The potatoes were so nice and soft that they melted in your mouth. The mango sauce provided a nice balance to the curry.

The roti was as good as any home made ones I've been lucky enough to eat, a soft and chewy texture which is slightly denser than a crepe. Maybe I'll try some of those phillowrie balls next time.

Sherman Chan said...

Holly, I personally love their roti, the texture is perfect. Yah, I haven't tried the goat. I stuck with the shrimp and they are sure good.

Anonymous said...

we go to Rehanah's every chance we get. Being from Trinidad originally, I can attest that this roti is as good as the best roti you can find in Trinidad - and I haven't found anything else even close in BC. The curry goat roti is a favourite in Trinidad. At Rehanah's it's mixed w/ potato - AND it's all my Northern-BC-born hubby will get except for when he gets the goat w/ shrimp for a change - bcz he loves it so much. Whether we lived in Abby or Van West, we have always looked for excuses to go to Rehanah's. I haven't tried pholouri balls from Rehanah's but I loved them in Trinidad. They are more of an appy - fun, not necessarily satisfying as a meal.

foodie said...

I spoke with some woman with a heavy carribean accent at Rehanah's Rotis over the phone today to follow-up on a message I'd left her last Saturday, as I hadn't heard back from her or anyone else from there yet (5 whole days later...). I had simply asked on the message I'd left why Rehanah's was closed at 4 pm on Saturdays, because I'd never even seen her restaurant before, residing in Surrey, BC and I've always been a huge roti fan, coming from Winnipeg, which has 2 or 3 great roti restaurants. Well, she answered the phone on the second time I tried calling her this afternoon after she'd hung up on me on my first try and she was unbelievably defensive at the fact that I'd even inquired about her hours!?? Shouldn't any restaurateur be delighted that a prospective customer is wondering about when their establishment is open?? She babbled on: "I do lots o' catterin too, mon!" So, good for you!" I told her. "So why couldn't you just tell me that in the first place and get back to me?" I told her. She said she had tried to return my call this past Monday but that someone had hung up on her - such nonsense! I'm the only one who answers this cell and I would remember if I'd hung up on anyone. Why would I have hung up on her?? After her extremely snarky, inconsiderate and completely unprofessional attitude, I have no intention of EVER patronizing her restaurant, nor will I ever refer anyone I know to ever as well. She went on about having customers patronize her restaurant from "all over the continent," so why was I making such a "big deal" out of having to come "all the way from Surrey..?" She said "It only takes 20 minutes to get from here at Rehanahs to Surrey..!" Well...I think most would agree it'd be possible to get from Newton in Surrey out to Port Moody in 20 mins flat maybe only at 3 in the morning when there were no other cars on the road and doing 100 kms/hr!!?? Talk about being overly optimistic on that comment. She defintiely needs to get out of Port Moody a bit more to see just how far these other neighboring cities are from her shop! She gets as many good reviews about her rotis here on-line, only because good rotis are far-and-few-between here in the Lower Mainland of BC, so she almost has a total monopoly and believe me, I've had some of the most awesome rotis at Tropikis Caribbean Restaurant on Ellice Ave. and at Bindy's at The Forks Market - both in Winnipeg, MB. Anyways, I'm plastering this all over any sites I can find. The days where a "shopkeep" can treat a potential customer this way and for it to not have rippling repercussions are long over...

Sherman Chan said...

@foodie Sorry that you had such a bad experience... But... remember, we're in the GVRD. We can only compare to what we have here. Of course there is better elsewhere. But we're not in elsewhere.

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