Excellence that goes much more beyond roti and doubles
Toronto has a thriving Trinidadian food scene, so it’s hard to pick favourites. Leela’s Roti & Doubles should be in the top 3, given its breadth and quality of its offerings. There are few places where one can reliably get specialties such as saheena or bake and shark.
The original location is in Mississauga, close to Square One. They’ve opened up a second branch in Scarborough in 2020. Being a foodie, of course I visited the flagship location for this review.
The food
Let’s start with the doubles. This is my second-most favourite doubles in the city (after Island Foods). Doubles are a sandwich made up of two pieces of round, deep-fried flatbread called bara. The filling is curried chickpeas.
Leela’s bara were chewy and salted well, though a little greasy compared to Island Foods. But the curry was more complex. There was a tropical zing to their chilli sauces. I’m pleased that it was actually spicy hot and they didn’t used some bottled hot sauce. Chickpeas were al dente. I wouldn’t have minded more of it. 8.5/10.
A rare sight, at least in local Trinidadian restaurants here, is aloo pie. Surprise, it’s not really a pie and is from the same family as doubles. It’s a fried piece of dough with a curried mashed potato filling. Sort of an Indian doughnut.
Leela’s aloo pie was hefty. It could be a light meal on its own. The dough was the same as that for doubles. Potatoes were mildly spiced. Good thing I asked for their homemade hot sauce as it was needed to cut through the rich dumpling. 8/10.
Continuing on the theme of deep-fried foods is bake and shark. This sandwich contains deep-fried chunks of shark but I’m not sure where the “bake” comes from. It’s supposed to refer to the deep-fried, pita-like dough that the meal is stuffed in. For the environmentally-conscious, note that shark is endangered. It can be substituted with other kinds of fish.
Bake and shark is a street snack, so I was shocked by the enormous sandwich at Leela’s. It was sufficient for one to two meals. The dough was noticeably lighter than the one for doubles. It was also thicker to better hold in the stuffing.
The breading on the fish was seasoned well, though it had become moist from takeout and sitting around in sauces. The sandwich had a refreshing salad mix of cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, thyme, and lemon. I should have said “yes” to the hot sauce that they offered. It would have added another dimension. 8/10.
Their other namesake, rotis, hits the mark too. Trinidadian rotis have become part of the food fabric in Toronto and inspired the birth of the Toronto East Indian roti. They’re essentially meat or vegetable curries wrapped in flatbread. Perfect for eating on the go. The flatbread of choice is dhalpuri roti: two thin sheets of dough with ground chickpeas separating them. It’s uniquely Trinidadian.
My curry chicken roti was heavy and wrapped tightly. It was filled with meat and potatoes, all cooked tender. The curry was mildly spiced. For spice lovers, the potent hot sauce (packed on the side) comes to the rescue. The only negative was the copious amount of turmeric powder in the curry that stains everything yellow. All in all, one of the better rotis in Toronto. 8.5/10.
Pro tip: they have weekday specials where you can eat for less than $10.
The place
Leela’s Roti & Doubles has a family fast-food atmosphere. Lots of takeout and pre-orders. The interior looks bright and recently renovated.
The counter area displays a few of their homemade snacks and imported Trinidadian foodstuffs like tamarind balls.
Verdict
Accomplished cooking, cheap prices, and comprehensive range of Trinidadian foods. 8.5/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Leela’s Roti and Doubles
- Rating
- 8.5/10
- Recommended dishes
- Doubles
Bake and shark
Curry bone-in chicken roti (mini) - Prices
- Doubles: $2.82 ($2.50 excluding tax)
Aloo pie: $3.12 ($2.75 excluding tax)
Bake and shark: $11.28 ($9.99 excluding tax)
Curry bone-in chicken roti (mini): $10.18 ($9.00 excluding tax) - Address
- 900 Rathburn Road West, Mississauga
- Hours
- Tuesday to Friday 1000h – 1900h
Saturday 0900h – 1900h
Sunday 0900h – 1700h - Date of visit
- August 2021, September 2021