Caribbean cuisine at its best
Burlington’s D Hot Shoppe offers delicious food made with love and it shows
One of the most exciting types of cuisine in my opinion is Caribbean cuisine. If you find a good restaurant like D Hot Shoppe in Burlington, you will know that Caribbean food is not only full of many flavours but the food also tells a story.
Caribbean food is made with love, dedication, and lots of seasoning and spices. Like in many cultures, the way people cook depended on what was available and introduced to them throughout history as well as influences from other countries. For Caribbean cooking influences come from countries such as Spain, France, China, and India to just name a few. The combination of ingredients truly makes Caribbean food unique.
Gabriel and Simone Lou-Hing, owners of D Hot Shoppe, opened the restaurant in October 2005 and we asked them why they chose to open in Burlington. Simone told us “as we frequented the city a lot when we moved to Canada we realized there were no Caribbean businesses in the city.” They picked a city that needed a Caribbean restaurant and clearly, the community really loves having them and their delicious food in Burlington.
Both Gabriel and Simone have a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, which is part of the reason why D Hot Shoppe has been so successful for the last 17 years. “Gabriel has been in the restaurant industry for over 20 years and I have been in the hospitality industry for over 20 years as well. We both originate from the beautiful island of Trinidad, and we moved here to start our wonderful family and show Canada what amazing food Trinidad has to offer,” said Simone.
If you never had Caribbean food before, do not worry, I will break it
down for you, so you know exactly what to order for the best meal.
Roti Roti is a soft wrap that originated from San Fernando, Trinidad. It is said to have been created by Sackina Karamath of the Hummingbird Roti Shop in the mid-1940s. Wrapped inside the soft roti, you will usually find curried stewed meats. It is wrapped tightly enough that if you need to take it on the go, you can easily eat it like a sandwich. At D Hot Shoppe, you can get roti filled with various fillings such as chicken, cuttlefish, shrimp, and pumpkin. Simone told us what the most popular dish at the restaurant is, “our expansive roti menu is our most popular. The curry and jerk roti and the goat roti in particular. Our roti are also boneless which makes it even more awesome!”
Jerk Chicken If you have not tried jerk chicken before, you have to give D Hot Shoppe’s jerk chicken a try. This dish native to Jamaica is generally made with a paste from a variety of seasonings and spices, which is then slathered over the chicken and marinated for hours to give you the juiciest and most flavourful chicken dish. At D Hot Shoppe, you can also select how spicy you like the dish, anywhere from mild to 5 alarm spicy.
Doubles A very popular street food in Trinidad, think of it as a curried chickpea sandwich but instead of regular bread, flatbreads are used. Usually, it is filled with spicy chutneys and tamarind paste as well. This is a great on-the-go snack.
Phalourie A delicious fried dough ball made out of spiced, split peas and served with chutney. These are strangely addictive and you really cannot just eat one.
There are many other items on the menu but trust me, if you start off with these four items, you will not be disappointed.
If you are looking to try something new, D Hot Shoppe has weekly specials available. On Tuesdays-Jerk wings, Wednesdays-oxtail, Thursdays-stewed chicken, and Saturdays-aloo pies (these are like fried dumplings, almost like a calzone that is filled with potatoes, spices, and other vegetable).
Simone and Gabriel are so proud of their restaurant and delicious food. They shared, “all our food items are jam-packed with homemade seasonings and spices influenced by East Indian and African flavours. We also make homemade pepper sauce that sells out super quickly.” D Hot Shoppe also offers an expansive catering menu that you can view on their website: www.dhotshoppe.com. Their menu prices range from $1 to $36 and they are open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. — 6 p.m. Find them 4155 Fairview St., Unit 12.
JOYCE LEUNG IS A FOOD WRITER AND BLOGGER WHO LIVES IN HAMILTON. FIND HER TEACHING ASIAN COOKING CLASSES AROUND THE CITY WHEN SHE IS NOT DINING OUT AND TRYING ALL THE DELICIOUS RESTAURANTS OF HAMILTON. JOYCE WILL NOT WRITE ABOUT ANY ORGANIZATIONS SHE HAS A SEPARATE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH. YOU CAN REACH HER AT JOYCE@JOYCEOFCOOKING.COM