Shanti’s Rum and Roti

"Update: Bridgetown Roti has suspended their weekly pop-up while building their first permanent space in East Hollywood (ETA Summer 2024). Expect dishes like flaky patties stuffed with oxtail, red pepper goat curry roti, and deep-fried codfish cakes topped with a squiggle of garlic aioli. Until then, you can check their Instagram for updates. From breakfast sandwiches dropped via bucket to Balinese nasi jinggo, LA’s incredible wave of pop-ups just keeps rolling. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, we understand. While we certainly endorse firing up a trusty Excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the details, it’s also good to keep a simple, clean priority list with you at all times. We’ll even help you get started: Put Bridgetown Roti near the top. Operating out of Crafted Kitchen in the Arts District (a commissary used by many different pop-ups right now), Bridgetown Roti is run by Chef Rashida Holmes, and specializes in Caribbean street food highlighting her Bajan heritage. The ever-changing menu is tight, consisting generally of four varieties of flaky patties, plus fish cakes and roti wraps - the latter of which tends to sell out within hours. The menu goes live midweek, so keep an eye on their Instagram, as pick-ups are scheduled over weekends. The food of Barbados has diverse influences - including Indian, African, Creole, Irish, Portuguese, and British - making it some of the most unique and boldly flavored cuisine in the Western Hemisphere. And Bridgetown Roti doesn’t shy away from that fact whatsoever. Whether it’s a turmeric-laced patty stuffed with callaloo greens and crab meat, curry chicken roti wraps, or their pineapple-habanero house dipping sauce, this is the kind of spicy, savory food that makes you lean back in your chair, close your eyes, and mentally lock-in how good your body feels at this very moment. And if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we need as many of those moments as possible. Bridgetown Roti is here to help. Food Rundown photo credit: Jakob Layman Oxtail And Peppers Patty Full disclosure: We can’t make up our minds as to which patty is our favorite, so instead, we’ll say this - plan to get all four, then get really excited to eat the oxtail and peppers one. The oxtail itself is rich, with an almost silken texture, and the spicy green pepper sofrito cuts through it perfectly. photo credit: Jakob Layman Roti Wrap Bridgetown Roti is all about the patties, but its most popular item might just be the roti wrap. Filled with tender chicken thighs, crispy potatoes, turmeric spiced cabbage, and scallions, this can absolutely be its own meal. We say that not only because it’s big, but because once you take a bite of it, you’ll realize you’re not sharing it with anyone. photo credit: Jakob Layman Curried Yam And Mango Patty This might be the best vegan dish in the city right now. At the very least, it’s one of the most flavorful. The balance of the starchy, curried yam with the sweetness of the mango and coconut hits just right, and if you think one is enough, let us tell you - it’s not. The Sauces It’s not often that homemade sauces deserve a separate shoutout, but Bridgetown Roti has proven to be an exception. For as tremendous as the patties are, it’s the sauces that take each one of them to a completely new level. Pineapple habanero, fresno mango, and lime pepper - these are the kind of dipping sauces that make you realize every other dipping sauce is phoning it in. Order as many as you can, you’ll want some for this meal and all the other ones you have this week." - Brant Cox