Journey to Singh's

The next stop on our journey Tasting Queens was Singh's Roti Shop & Bar, representing Trinidadian cuisine. The restaurant was very spacious. Patrons weren't rubbing elbows as they ate. The bar was its own space, nicely situated within the restaurant without overpowering the room.

  

After perusing their wide selection, the staff ever so graciously offered to assist us in making our choices for the evening. We had our food in mere minutes. Service was quick and the presentation was definitely appealing. For our appetizers we had the traditional Doubles and an Aloo Pie (potato pie) served with a Mango and Cucumber Chutney (everything sauce). Both were very well done. The wraps weren't tough and rubbery as they can sometimes be when things don't go as planned. The channa (Chick Peas) and potato were also cooked to perfection. Both were mild but satisfying and took on a very different persona once the everything sauce was added to the mix. The sauce was a perfect blend of ingredients that made it seem like we had four appetizers instead of two. Off to a great start.

For our entrees we were served a West Indian Chinese dish and a curry dish. The West Indian Chinese dish consisted of West Indian Chinese Lo Mein, Chinese Style Fried Chicken, Vegetable Fried Rice and Pepper Chicken with Broccoli. From this dish, we first sampled the Lo Mein with the Pepper Chicken and they were great. The Lo Mein was cooked to perfection and the chicken was very flavorful while being on the spicy side. The Chinese style Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice were just okay. They weren't as flavorful as the Lo Mein and Pepper Chicken. Everything worked well together though, especially when sampled with the everything sauce.

The curry dish was the Curry Trio (potato, channa and chicken). All three were well cooked, especially the potato. It didn't fall apart as we sampled, nor was it undercooked. Although we enjoyed the textures, we were a bit disappointed as that potent curry flavor didn't shine through the way we expected it to. We had actually braced ourselves as we were expecting to be blown into curry land, but that wasn't the case. The curry in this dish was quite mild.

All that said, Singh's Roti Shop & Bar is definitely worth a visit. Even though a few of the entree items left us wanting a bit more excitement, overall the food was filling and everything blended well, especially with the everything sauce. It really tastes great with everything. Singh's has a great dining atmosphere with the staff to match. Even though the establishment does not have waiters, we appreciated being tended to and asked how everything was during our meal once the counter staff had some down time. We also appreciate that the staff was very knowledgeable about the platters. Singh Roti Shop & Bar gets a solid B+. It won't take much to get them an A+. They just need a bit more punch of flavor to some their entree items. We'll definitely be back. Check 'em out: http://www.singhsrotishopnyc.com/