Island Foods (Don Mills Rd.) — Restaurant in Toronto

Went for lunch and was thoroughly unimpressed. Coming from both a Trinidadian and Guyanese background I can say the food did not tick any of the 'taste' boxes. The roti was likely reheated, the doubles were (edit) also reheated, the jerk chicken was bland, the rice and peas were made with next to no salt, the cabbage had an extremely weird after taste and the curry shrimp tasted like mud. Please, try exactly what I ordered and tell me I am wrong!

I will give it to the staff though. They were quite attentive and did their best to make the experience authentic.

EDIT (Response to owner): I took the liberty of removing the "microwaved" comment as I may have been misinformed, but the roti and doubles were reheated. They were not fresh as I am accustomed to. Maybe the few establishments that I do frequent take the time to prepare the roti skin and bara fresh to order whereas I am almost certain this establishment does not!

My "personal" preference for salt, shrimp that does not taste like the bottom of a pond and cabbage that does not have an aftertaste was also shared with the other patron I attended with. We went to your establishment through reference and thought we would support a local food provider, but we are not impressed with the fair.

Google has been kind enough to allow people to express their "personal" reviews in public for others to use as a guide to see if they are willing to try an item, service, food, etc... I hope your establishment does not think that I am trying to smear your business while hiding behind a computer screen. My name is public and I would be more than happy to have let you known that the food was not up-to-par if someone was standing at the cash register when we were leaving. Sadly we could not stay and I was not able to give you my in-person review. Needless to say I would have still written this review as it is my right living in a free and open society.

This is not the first time I have been critical of an establishment and I hope that you can take the time to reflect, try to serve your customers better, be more attentive and cater to authentic personalities.

Sadly, there are not a lot of other businesses in this area that provide Caribbean food. One day there might be and you will need to up your food game! Until that time focus on providing the best fair possible and don't waste time with hypercritical and opinionated customers as myself - YOUR FOOD SHOULD DO THE TALKING, NOT...

Most arrogant worst service. Only 3 people working there. Young lady in the front is very polite and friendly. However, the female "Chef" also stands in the front and didn't even Crack a smile or say hello. Appeared extremely arrogant and was watching the young girl like a hawk. I seriously had second thoughts about making a u turn out of there after seeing the chef's demeanor and expression. I didn't feel that they valued or respected my business. I thought the food would be worth it, however as you can tell by the photos, the curry was a watery soup with no thick gravey at all The taste is exactly how it looks, bland and watery. The doubles as you notice has barely if any masala and is also bland. The thin fluffy roti as Trini's are known for, this is a big disappointment and is nothing like it. These ones are thick and RAW, take a look at the edges! People that claim this is the best west indian restaurant in the city, obviously don't know what authentic Caribbean food tastes like. Based on the responses from the owner from other reviews, I know they will be defensive when reading this. Perhaps this is part of the poor customer service, the defensive attitude and not being able to take constructive criticism. Everyone knows the customer is always right, and they say that for a reason. Perhaps it would be helpful to be open to customer's feedback. After all, they are the ones that make or...

I am a first-generation Canadian, with both my parents hailing from Trinidad. Growing up as West Indian as can be in Toronto, it's important to understand my credentials before I share this review. I consider myself a Roti Connoisseur, having sampled many in my life in Canada and in Trinidad, even contributed to making roti skins for municipal events for years.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have Island Foods in my neighbourhood because it's the closest you can get to authentic Trini roti using Canadian ingredients. The dalpuri has the right amount peas—not too little, not too much—and the dough's softness and density are just perfect. The roti skin is firm enough to hold their well-seasoned meats and veggies, but soft enough that you don't really need teeth to eat it!! It's pure perfection.

Now, let's talk about the people. Especially in 2023, with companies cutting back on portion size and quality, Island Foods has remained committed to serving the most delicious Trini roti in the GTA, all with kindness, grace, and care. You don't have to worry about asking for extra gravy-- they'll do it with a smile. We Trini people are some of the happiest and kindest people on Earth!

So, go ahead and enjoy, and don't forget to order ahead for your special occasions because...