Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

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Clyde Alleyne
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Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Clyde Alleyne »

If you are visiting Tobago and want to sample some great street food, I strongly recommend the food that is sold from a van called "Hot on 'D' Spot" which is parked Mondays - Saturdays in an empty lot at the corner of Mount Marie Road and Milford Road in Scarborough, directly across from the sea on the approach to downtown Scarborough from the Milford Road approach, and across the street from the "Bar Code" Sports Bar.

They make and sell indo-Trinbagonian items like Doubles, Pholourie, Alloo Pies, and Saheena and serve them with a variety of fillings like curried channa (chickpeas to non-locals), sweet mango or pommecytere chutneys and preserves like kuchela. I was born and raised in Trinidad and know my doubles, pholourie, saheena, and alloo pies, and I will say that I can't recall having anything tastier than the ones that are sold from that van! Unfortunately for you late risers, they are usually sold out by 10-11 am, so if you want to sample some really good East Indian type street food you have to get there early.

Hints: if you don't know what Doubles, Pholourie, Alloo Pies, Saheena and Kuchela are, you can try looking them up in Wikipedia. If you don't think you can handle "heat" as in hot pepper, say you want xxx "with everything, no pepper". That means you want all the sauces and chutneys, except the pepper sauce. If you are adventurous, say " everything, slight pepper". If you are feeling suicidal, say "everything, heavy pepper".

Just look for the cars parked on the road in front of the van on a morning and the hungry crowd surrounding the van. Good eating!
Clyde
Phil Walker

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Phil Walker »

Hi Clyde

Just thought I'd ask this question instead of starting a new thread-

Re- Bar Code in Scarborogh- do you know if they show any Premier League football matches. Thing is I'm a mad Man City fan and I think two of their games are on Sky TV. Just wondering if they will be on here, or any other bars on the island :)

Thanks........
Gary

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Gary »

Hmmm I would very much like to try some of that "street food" trouble is they always run out far too early for us not that we are late risers far from it in fact, thing is we are normally looking for food around 3 pm and last time we were over there that was a problem in itself with most places either run out or shut.

Is there anyone out there that could tell us where we could find the same kind of good quality food later in the day ?

Cheer's, Gary :)
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by David Watkins »

Phil,most English and European premier league games are shown live on one of the sat channels.Even in Castara they watch them in D Lime.
Dvaid :D 8)
Clyde Alleyne
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Clyde Alleyne »

Gary, the kind of food sold by "hot on D spot" is normally eaten as breakfast or a mid-morning snack - rarely for lunch as they are usually all sold out by lunchtime. On a slow day, they might still be around at 12 but for sure I have never passed that location at 3PM and seen the van still parked there. The vendors are up very early in the morning preparing the various fillings, batters, and baras (the fried soft bread used for the doubles) so they are anxious to sell out and go home to catch up on their sleep. Even the roti shop that I know (R&N at Milford road/Gaskin Bay road corner in Canaan)tends to be open only at lunchtimes and is normally closed before 3PM.

Phil, I'm sorry, but I don't follow English football in Tobago, so wouldn't have a clue about the best places to see the matches :( You didn't say where you were located, but if its shown on one of the cable channels as David indicated, then this means that pretty much anywhere there is a TV with a cable connection you should be able to see the match (although it might mean asking the barkeep to change the channel setting!).
Clyde
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Tony G »

David

Where is D Lime? Don't remember that from being in Castara last year. Or is it the place on Bay Road (right-hand side if facing the sea) which didn't seem to be open that often and when it was there weren't any customers?

Tony (Soon Come)
Gary

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Gary »

Thanks for that Clyde, seem's like we will have to skip breakfast if we are to try the doubles we have heard so much about, hope they really are that good :) Cheer's Gary.
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Clyde Alleyne »

Gary, I promise you that it would definitely be worth the effort. I know that they sell Doubles, Alloo Pie, Saheena, and Phulourie. They won't always have everything available but it would be worth trying whatever they did have. Just remember to be cautious with the pepper - there are three options; "plenty pepper", "slight pepper", or "no pepper". If in doubt opt for "no pepper". Non-Trinbagonian tummies often can't handle very spicy stuff for breakfast.

It just occurred to me that if you really can't get to Scarborough early enough, on Friday and Saturday nights, a lady sets up a stall outside the Pennysavers Supermarket on Milford road, from which she sells Chicken Foot Souse, Pig Foot Souse, Pone, and Black Pudding. She's usually there between 5 and 7pm. Have fun finding out what those foods are! There may be other locations where street foods are sold, but I can only speak about the vendors that I have personally purchased from.
Clyde
Phil Walker

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Phil Walker »

Thanks for that guys. Looks like I'm in luck then 8)

I'm sure the bar-keep will be happy to watch a City game :wink:

Out of interest David, where is D-lime?
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by David Watkins »

D Lime opened in August last year and is in Castara on First Bay Rd opposite the medical centre.It is the first bulding on the right and is operated/owned by Marvin Lewis.
David :D 8)
Gary

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Gary »

Clyde Alleyne wrote:Gary, I promise you that it would definitely be worth the effort. I know that they sell Doubles, Alloo Pie, Saheena, and Phulourie. They won't always have everything available but it would be worth trying whatever they did have. Just remember to be cautious with the pepper - there are three options; "plenty pepper", "slight pepper", or "no pepper". If in doubt opt for "no pepper". Non-Trinbagonian tummies often can't handle very spicy stuff for breakfast.

It just occurred to me that if you really can't get to Scarborough early enough, on Friday and Saturday nights, a lady sets up a stall outside the Pennysavers Supermarket on Milford road, from which she sells Chicken Foot Souse, Pig Foot Souse, Pone, and Black Pudding. She's usually there between 5 and 7pm. Have fun finding out what those foods are! There may be other locations where street foods are sold, but I can only speak about the vendors that I have personally purchased from.
Clyde
Ok make the effort we will & I like the sound of the pepper options too ! :D As for the stall outside Pennysavers . . . . . . I can guess what the foot souse is & we are lovers of black pudding but Pone :?:
I'm going to have to Google that one !

Thank's for the advice Clyde :wink:
C.Phillips

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by C.Phillips »

Do you know what time Hot on 'D' Spot sets up shop so I can run out early in the morning and wait? lol.. I'm a HARDCORE Pholourie fan. Do you know what sauces they offer with the Pholourie(like mango, tamarind, etc etc..), and do I have to tell them if I want pepper or not for that?

Jeez, I can't wait for summer to come already :lol:
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Clyde Alleyne »

Dear C., I really couldn't say what time they set up in the mornings, as I never got there before 9AM myself, and I never thought to ask them what time they start in the morning, but I would expect that they should be there from 7 - 7:30 as they would cater to the people buying doubles for breakfast before heading off to work. As you said that you were a Phoulourie fan, just remember that the most popular breakfast specialties are Doubles and Alloo Pies. I get the impression that the Phoulouries and Saheena are sold when the early Doubles rush slows down. But it won't hurt to ask for whatever you want and see if they can fulfil your request.

Regarding the chutneys, the times I went, they had mango and I think tamarind, but I guess they will use whatever fruit is in season, with mango, tamarind, and pommecythere being the most commonly used fruit. Mango, tamarind and pommecythere chutneys tend to be sugar-based and sweeter, but they may also have kuchela, which has a hotter flavor. And you do need to specify your pepper preference! A typical order might go like this "two doubles, with everything, slight pepper" - the "everything" tells them that you want all the condiments/chutneys, and the "slight pepper" is self-explanatory. If you don't specify "everything", they might assume that you just want the normal curried channa filling, together with the pepper, but no chutneys. When in doubt, don't be afraid to ask! Happy eating :D
Clyde
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by David Watkins »

Gary,pone is a sort of unleavened bread made with corn(maize)It is often called cornpone as pone can also be made with other ingredients(like sweet potato).The European equivalent would be fried polenta.
David
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Clyde Alleyne »

The Trinbagonian version of Pone is made with Cassava!
Clyde
Gary

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Gary »

David Watkins wrote:Gary,pone is a sort of unleavened bread made with corn(maize)It is often called cornpone as pone can also be made with other ingredients(like sweet potato).The European equivalent would be fried polenta.
David
David, Sounds great but then I read this :
Clyde Alleyne wrote:The Trinbagonian version of Pone is made with Cassava!
Clyde
And that has put me right off . . . . . "Yuk" . . . . We did try some Cassava last time we were there and let's just say it wasn't to our taste :(

Still there's lot's there we did enjoy & the Flying fish & Squid were very high on the list :D

Not long to go now & looking forward to it :wink:
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Clyde Alleyne »

Gary, you might not have tried cassava in a way that you enjoyed. Its a very versatile root vegetable, most often served peeled and boiled as a starch accompaniment in a meal, and is even made into cassava flour for use in breads and bakes. Here's a sample recipe for cassava pone. Read it, and then you can judge whether it sounds like something yuck..

Cassava Pone
2 cups grated cassava (yuca)
1 cup grated coconut, fresh or dried, unsweetened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Transfer to a greased 8 inch square baking dish in a 350 degree F over until brown and firm to the touch. Cut into small squares and serve.

Clyde
Gary

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Gary »

Clyde Alleyne wrote:Gary, you might not have tried cassava in a way that you enjoyed. Its a very versatile root vegetable, most often served peeled and boiled as a starch accompaniment in a meal, and is even made into cassava flour for use in breads and bakes. Here's a sample recipe for cassava pone. Read it, and then you can judge whether it sounds like something yuck..
Clyde, your right that does sound like what we had & it was . . . . . . . . . Yuk-a !

However the recipe you gave does sound an awfull lot more appetising so I will give it a fair go.

Cheer's Gary.
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Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Clyde Alleyne »

Gary, I'll look forward to your food review in due course! =P~
Clyde
Gary

Re: Great Indo-Trinbagonian Street Food in Scarborough

Post by Gary »

No problem Clyde :) There's a few places on our list now & the clock is ticking to take-off 8-[ 1 month 17 days and counting !
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