Restaurants
Pam's Roti
Near the corner of Bloor and Dovercourt, Pam's Roti can easily be overlooked. A closet-sized space nestled between Hurricane's bar and Nazareth Ethiopian restaurant, Pam's evokes a family gathering space vibe even though seats in the place are hard to come by.
But despite its tiny stature, what shouldn't be missed are Pam's excellent rotis. And don't just take my word for it. Proudly displayed east and west of the kitchen are clippings from the Globe and Mail and SunTV declaring the roti here as some of Toronto's best.
On the menu are four meat options - chicken ($7), shrimp, goat and pork (all $8.50) that can either be served as a roti or with a side of rice. For veggie-lovers, the thing to order is the combination of three vegetables of your choice ($7.50). Combinations can be created with okra, squash, eggplant, potato, channa, spinach and more. Each vegetable can also be ordered straight up for prices as cheap as 5 bucks.
Pam's recommendation (and hyped by the Globe as well) is the squash, spinach and channa combo so that's what I decide to have. Wrapped in a Caribbean style-shell stuffed with dhal puri, the vegetable medley inside is dense, evenly distributed and substantial enough to make a meal. Spice-wise, a medium here is pretty tame so those who like their rotis with a bit of a kick should definitely upgrade to the next level.
It's worth repeating that the filling here wasn't too heavy on any of the ingredients. So many other roti joints would get this wrong with too much emphasis on the channa or squash. But not here. Pam's roti is the real deal.
Photo from Richelle Forsey
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Also - Nazareth is amazing.
I like Pam's but I don't get the prices. $5.50 for potato roti. $6.50 for spinach. extra ingredients are $1. so a potato roti w/ spinach is $6.50, and a spinach with potato is $7.50?
and if i just order the spinach, is it 100% spinach? seems like it should cost _more_ than a spinach and potato roti, since spinach is more expensive, no?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYYfPS3S438
She said she'll be open September 23rd at the latest!!
Dry and flavorless and took 30 mins.
First and last time.