Open M-Th: 11AM-9PM; F: 11AM-10PM; Sa: 8:30AM-10PM; close Su
(609) 586-0088 Website Google Maps
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“I know my Roti,” announced my friend Charlotte, “and this place is really good!” If you know Charlotte, you know to take any such pronouncement seriously, so I made a point of visiting as soon as I could. I don’t pretend to be a Roti expert, but I know good food, and Hot on D Spot Roti Shop creates a superb meal for a reasonable price.
What’s a Roti? In Indian food it’s a name for unleavened flat breads prepared on a griddle.
But this usage of Roti comes from Trinidad: the cuisine of residents of South Asian descent. It refers to the bread, yes, but also the curried meal that comes with it (and often stuffed inside like a giant burrito). If you get the burrito style, which I heartily recommend, you’ll be getting what’s known as a Dhalpuri Roti which includes a mixture of yellow split peas (dal) cooked al dente then ground into a fine powder. This is pushed into the Roti dough, which is then rolled into ultra-thin layers, distributing the dal between the layers. The bread is then lightly grilled. As prepared by HoDSRS, the roti comes out with a supple texture. It’s also a surprisingly tough carrier for the fillings: I kept expecting the Roti to break apart and leak, but it never did.
Vegetarian roti are only $5.99 with your choice of Potato, Pumpkin, Spinach, and Channa filling. Meat-filled roti are $6.99-9.50, depending on the filling, which includes chicken, beef, shrimp, goat, or duck. The hot sauce is spicy and flavorful but not overpowering.
Roy, the owner, is a gracious gentleman who’s easy to talk to: it makes sense when you learn he’s a retired bartender who used to work at Princeton’s Nassau Club. He was born in the same village as perhaps the most famous Indo-Trinidadian, the Nobel Prize winning author, VS Naipaul.
Hot on D Spot is located in a little strip mall behind the Hamilton Municipal Building. It’s a 10 minute drive from downtown Trenton, a drive worth taking.
The Hot Spot is great, no doubt about it: Still hoping for some other responses on the other 2 eateries in this strip (Haitian and Soul) that I mentioned in a previous post. Just want to see what others may think.
Thanks, Matt. I’ll check it out.
Just to fix a couple of typos, and/or unclear sentences from my OP.
1. “-but my friends who rave about it”-eat it by the spoonful. Too hot for me.
2. Nottingham Avenue (it’s in theBromley neighborhood, if I’m not mistaken). As you face the “Spot”, there’s a place to it’s left, I think it’s next to the mini-mart. I don’t know it’s name-but, whenever I’m in that strip, I buy something to eat here (and at “the Spot” too).
3. For $8, you can get red beans, rice, and either chicken or pork (Chiccarone), with plantanos-fried or sweet-and salad. I’ve never finished an entire plater at 1 sitting.
4. They (the Haitian place) also have something they call “Dirty Rice”-this is not the dirty rice I ate and loved in New Orleans and throughout south eastern Louisiana.
5. On the other end of the strip, there’s another place that (I believe) just says “Soul Food”. I imagine it has a name-I just haven’t discovered it. So far, I’ve only seen fried fish there-and, since I usually have too much to eat already from “the Spot” and the Haitian place, I don’t think I’ve gotten/eaten anything from this place. . Anyone got any intel on this place? If so, I’d love to hear it.
Roti is great. FWIW, I get the Habanera on the side-but my friends who rave about it. That being said, I want to recomend/discuss a couple of other places in this strip on Nottingham (Bromley neighborhood, if I’m not mistaken). As you face the Spot, there’s a place to it’s left, I think it’s next to the mini-mart. I don’t know it’s name-but, whenever I’m in that strip, I buy something to eat here (and at the Spot).
Anyway, I could never really make out the languages being spoken, so I finally asked. Turns out, it’s a Haitian place, which may explain why the red beans and rice are so good. I’m a New Orleans boy, so I’m particular. Their RB & R are great. Not really NO La Style (less liquid, no sausage or pig’s feet that I can see), but really good. For $8, get red beans, rice, and either chicken or pork (Chiccarone), with plantanos-fried or sweet-and salad. They also have vegetables to go with the RB & R, if you don’t want chicken or pork.
They also have something called “Dirty Rice”-this is not the dirty rice I loved in New Orleans and south eastern Louisiana. Down there, dirty rice is “dirty” because the whit rice is mixed and deasoned with cooked and chopped livers, gizzards, kidneys, chitlins, stuff like that. This place uses dark rice (hence “dirty”) but none of the organ meat that is central to NOLA dirty rice.
BTW, In New Orleans, Popeye’s serves dirty rice-up here, they (Popeye’s) have something called “Cajun Rice”, which isn’t bad, but it’s not “Dirty Rice” , at least as I know it.
On the other end of the strip, there’s another place that (I believe) just says “Soul Food”. So far, I’ve only seen fried fish there-usually have too much to eat already from the Spot and the Haitian place. Anyone got any intel on this place?
Thanks,
MC-Hamilton
I visited Hot on D Spot yesterday for the first time. Talked to Roy and took some food with me. I second the opinion. Great Food for Trini’s and Lovers of Caribbean Food.
If you are West Indian, it is sinful not to have been to ‘d Spot. They catered my son’s christening last year and we had about 60-75 Trini’s over. To a man, they all said that had to be the best roti they’ve had from a shop in the US. And my family traveled from Boston, NYC, and Florida for the party.
Where in the world have I been? I’m so happy that a Trini spot opened up in the Trenton area. The only other areas somewhat nearby that have Trinidadian cuisine are located in Northern New Jersey, Brooklyn and Queens. Trini food virgins must try the Doubles, Aloo Pie, Bake & Shark/Saltfish, and of course the many options for a good Roti! Much success to Hot On D Spot Roti Shop!
This place is awesome! I wish I had known it was here sooner, been working nearby for over a year.