Roti on Fulton

Ali's Trinidad Roti Shop hides in the chaotic rush of Fulton Street, between Bedford and Nostrand Avenues.

The Trinidadian restaurant usually has a line out the door, where you wait for no more than ten minutes to make your order and leave with your food.

Plastered across the walls are newspaper cut-outs and signs from publications throughout New York City, boasting delicious curries, unbelievable prices, and the best roti in the city.

There are 2 small tables and chairs with torn cushions next to them. The kitchen and counter are blocked by bullet proof glass with two open windows: One for ordering food and one for picking it up.

Scrawled on a paper plate taped to the wall is a note, "25 cents for extra sauce."

How does a hole-in-the-wall restaurant such as this one attract throngs of hungry people and widespread acclaim? The answer is simple: The food is that good.

I highly recommend the doubles here. At only $1.25 they are somewhere between a big snack and a small meal, definitely not very large but packed full of ingredients and surprisingly filling. The tamarind sauce on the double adds a sweet tang to the mashed chickpeas and curry style spicing. The bara is thick and fluffy, with a slight onion flavor.

The aloo pie is only $1.25, and also very good. The bara is the same as the double, but the inside is made of potato. I found the potato center to be slightly dry and not as fresh as some of the other items there, but the overall taste is a delicious, a lighter and milder version of the double.

I tried the chicken curry roti -- one of my personal favorites -- and was completely blown away.

For starters, the roti is gigantic. It could be a meal for two, except that it is so tasty, you want it all for yourself. The chicken is cooked perfectly, and the curry is almost creamy. It adds a strong flavor without being too spicy or overpowering the chicken (be careful of chicken bones!).

The roti wrap is by far the best part, making every roti at Ali's worth the money (ranging from $3.50 to $8). It is a thin layer of perfectly fried bread, neither greasy nor dry, with a flaky, curry spiced inside.

I also tried the potato roti and the soya roti, both great vegetarian options. The potato roti, the cheapest of the roti, at only $3.50, is the least flavorful, but still delicious, filled with smooth, mashed potato. It is a ridiculously cheap way to eat, as one of these will last you two meals.

The soya roti is spicy and strong. I am picky about soy products, but the soy was firm and rich in flavor without being too chewy. I highly recommend this dish to anyone avoiding meat.

The dinner options, in my opinion, are not as good as the roti, because you dont get the wrap. I  tried a goat dinner, which came with rice and peas and raw cabbage salad. The rice was slightly oily, but had plenty of vegetables to top. The cabbage freshened the otherwise heavy meal.

The goat was unbelievable, cooked to perfection and falling off the bone. It was lightly spiced, which added to the dark, almost smoky flavor of the tender meat.

So while I don't recommend living entirely off of Ali's menu, I did consider it.

I definitely plan on becoming a regular, waiting in line with every one else who can't resist the temptation.