Ace Roti - Calling All Curry Lovers!
Ace Roti Shop is one of the fastest growing local lunch spots on St. Croix! Owned and operated by husband and wife (Anil and Arriana), the Roti Shop is named after their 2 year old son Ace.
Roti is a traditional Indian griddlecooked flatbread served with potato and chick peas (aka garbanzo or channa) as well as your choice of meat. Ace Roti Shop serves these two types of rotis:
Dhalpuri roti is made with a stuffing of ground yellow split peas, cumin (geera), garlic, and pepper. The split peas are boiled until they are al dente and then ground in a mill. The cumin is toasted until black and also ground. The stuffing is pushed into the roti dough, and sealed. When rolled flat, the filling is distributed within the roti.
Paratha roti is made with butter and is more of a traditional roti which is commonly served at Indian weddings and ceremonies. When this type of roti is almost finished cooking, it is then beaten causing it to break apart giving it its nickname "buss-up-shut" which translates to "burst-up-shirt" as it appears as a torn white t-shirt.
At Ace Roti Shop these rotis are served with potato, chicken bone-in, chicken boneless, beef, goat, shrimp or fish curry. For appetizers one can choose phulourie or doubles. Phulorie is dough balls stuffed with ground split peas and saffron while Doubles is curried chickpeas sandwiched between two split pea-based flat breads. Both are served with sweet tamarind chutney.
Ace Roti Shop also has local, homemade drinks. Sorrel drink is made from the red sepals of the Roselle plant (Hibiscus sapdariffa). This drink is usually consumed as part of Christmas tradition. Sorrel drink is high in vitamins and antioxidants as well as Flavonoids. Flavanoids which not only gives sorrel its deep red color but are now being recognized as a powerful antioxidant which scavenges the body of free radicals that can cause deadly diseases. Mauby drink is made from the bark of the small Mauby tree (Colubrina elliptica) native to the Caribbean. Caribbean people generally believe it is a good "cooling" or useful for calming a tense person. Mauby has been linked to reduction in ones blood pressure as well as cholesterol. Peanut Punch is a milk based beverage that is a local favorite. It is made with peanuts, condensed milk and fresh spices.
Lunch at Ace Roti Shop runs you $6 - $11. Come try us out! Call: 719-ROTI (7684)
