E and I are going on a short trip to the Caribbean this week. To celebrate, we explore a sandwich native to where we’re headed: ROTI, yo!

Roti are both bread and sandwich. In India or Southeast Asia, roti describes the wheat flour, sometimes  spongy dough that is served along side curries or stews. In the West Indies or islands such as Trinidad, roti sandwiches are packed with chicken or vegetables and served up like McDonald’s does burgers.  Both are what I will be snacking on for the next week or so.

Over the weekend, in between packing my bikini and board shorts, I did some roti research at Miss Lily’s on Houston Street in New York’s Greenwich Village.  I freaking love this place, not only for the food, but for the colorful island-inspired atmosphere. Miss Lily’s has two locations, the other is in the East Village, and both are colorful, lively restaurants with rastafarian-inspired decor, beautiful staffers and reggae and dancehall music playing while you wait. They even have their own radio station, Radio Lily.

I ordered two roti, a jerk chicken version, pictured above, and a a veggie one packed with sweet potatoes, chickpeas and peppers. My takeout lunch needed to be eaten with a fork and knife, but the roti bread was thin and flaky, the veggies and meat packed a tummy warming spicy curry flavor.  Neither of the sandwiches lasted the day.I’m still full from my Caribbean sandwich reconnaissance mission, but am super stoked to head to the islands. Miss Lily’s is delicious, but everything tastes better when eaten with bare toes in the sand.

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