Can’t Resist the Roti

Ghandi’s Cuisine
554 Queen Street West
416-504-8155
Rotis for two with tax, tip and drinks: $25

It’s been at least six months, maybe a year, since I’ve come up with a good excuse to treat myself to a roti at Ghandi’s Cuisine. So when I was heading to the west end to buy a couple of concert tickets at Rotate This, how could I not go? I mean really? How? Exactly.

If you’ve been there recently you’ll notice they’ve spruced up the joint a little – a new coat of paint, some new tables, a newly printed menu hanging over the counter. Fancy. Well, not quite. It’s still pretty dive-y. Let’s face it; you’re not there for the ambiance. Get your roti and carry on with your day (i.e. leave the place, eat at home, find a bench, anything). There are very few seats inside and they’re often full. But this time of year, it gets pretty hot in a joint like that. I feel for the staff working all day in that tiny kitchen.

So what else is there to expect from Ghandi? The same girl behind the counter in the same hairnet (well, I’m sure she changes the hairnet up from time to time), a line up, a wait of at least ten minutes (often more), and a stick-to-your-ribs take out meal (probably even two meals) complete with plastic knife and fork (which you should immediately give back since plastic utensils are pretty much useless for this meal).

Ghandi’s offers up about 15 or so veggie and non-veggie roti choices ($6.95-$12.95) and the star of the menu is definitely the Butter Chicken Roti ($11.49). It might seem a bit on the pricey side, but these rotis are big – I’ve enjoyed more than one re-heated Butter Chicken Roti! On the less expensive end of the scale, rotis like potato and chana are a filling and cheap eat.

On this visit I opted for a vegetarian delight – the Saag Paneer Roti ($8.95). I’ve never found Saag Paneer to be the most appetizing looking thing and I find it even less attractive wrapped up in a roti. But when I opened up my little take-out treasure chest (or the aluminum tray it comes in, whatever you feel like calling it), the aromatic smell and soft wrap was very appetizing and I couldn’t wait to cut into it. In fact, the smell wafting out of the plastic take-out bag on my way home nearly killed me. In fairness I was very hungry, but it smelled terrific.

The smell of curry really evokes a lot of good food memories for me (my mother cooked a lot of curry dishes when I was young, and still does!), so when I sat down with my roti on Friday night, I really soaked it all in. It’s nice to slow down after a long, rushed week with something good to eat. It really set the pace for the rest of the weekend. Sigh.