Tabanka A Trini Kitchen Restaurant — Restaurant in North Lauderdale

There are few places that make you feel like you're in another country. There are fewer that make you feel like you've been transported in time. And even fewer that can do both. Welcome to Tabanka - a Trini Kitchen, a place that does both amazingly well. Tabanca in Trini slang, means a deep feeling of longing, loss, and sadness, usually associated with the end of relationships, but as the Mighty Trini taught us, it can also apply to food. And Tabanka looks to fill that void in the hearts of many Trinis, by taking them on a nostalgic trip down memory lane to a simpler time. This experience is by no means reserved for people from Trinidad and Tobago, as the food, the service, and the ambiance are sure to appeal to people from all cultures and backgrounds. We went for breakfast, shortly after they opened on Sunday, which was extremely lucky for us because they filled up like a bake and shark at Maracas, which they also have on the menu. We ordered doubles (fried dough filled with curried garbanzo beans) and alloo pies (dough pies filled with seasoned potato and curried channa aka garbanzo beans). We also ordered roti to go as well for later. The doubles area was set up like a vendor you would see on the side of the road in Trinidad. And the food was hot, delicious, and well made. The ambiance reminded you a of small corner shop, with all the snacks, crunchy, sweet, sour, salty, and tart in so many different ways, which were prevalent everywhere growing up. The barra (fried dough for the doubles) was light and fluffy and the channa was well seasoned. They have flavorful and hot pepper sauce that you can add separately. The roti was light, not greasy, and filled with split peas. The bhaji (spinach) was smooth and flavorful, with hints of coconut milk. And the pumpkin was cooked to perfection. The place is decorated with corrugated aluminum, commonly used for roofing in Trinidad, making rainy nights heavenly for sleeping. The lighting is reminiscent of pitch oil torches. So while not romantic, it definitely changes the mood. And the stereo plays Soca, Calypso, Chutney, and the like, creating a festive atmosphere. I can't go in to a full cultural breakdown of Trinidad's history and culinary greatness and uniqueness as compared with the rest of the Caribbean and the world, but maybe one day we will meet up at Tabanka, and I can explain it all. Tabanka took me back to being home in so many ways. I truly appreciate having this as an option now. Whatever you're in the mood for or if you're feeling a little adventurous and want to step outside your comfort zone, you should check out Tabanka for some great Trinidadian cuisine and old school vibes. You can...

Had some friends come in town and wanted to take me to a local Trinidadian spot for some home style food. When we got there music was over powering and it was very dark. It is set up like a cabin with a lot of wooden fixtures but kept dark apparently for the atmosphere but was too dark to see food well. We sat at a table but we were told we had to go in the line. As soon as we got up we lost our table but we were able to secure another one. The lady behind the counter spoke really rushed when we were trying to pick our items. She had a very unfriendly demeanor which made us uncomfortable so we just picked something quickly. I did ask for pholourie, one of my favorite Trinidad treats, but she said they don’t sell that there. She told us she would make our orders and to wait there in the line. After about 5 minutes the line started to pile up and another lady asked what we were waiting for. We said the First Lady told us to stand here. They spoke to each other and the First Lady said we can go sit and she will bring our food. We didn’t wait long, she came out maybe 5 minutes later and brought our food. As she was walking away I asked for utensils and napkins. She said we had to go and get them ourselves. We realized that we didn’t order any drinks and it was not offered. But we were so rattled from the ordering experience we just ate our food dry. I ordered roti with curry chicken, pumpkin and spinach. The spinach was way too sweet and in fact sweeter than the pumpkin. The pumpkin was just okay. The roti skin however was soft and well made. The curry chicken was also very good. It’s a shame that I live nearby and this could have been a new go to spot for me but I don’t think I will return. This unfortunately feeds into the stereotype that Caribbean restaurants give the worse...

The Best Roti made! We’re in Ft. Lauderdale every July for a karate tournament. We make our yearly pilgrimage to Tabanca on de way home. Buss up shut, dhalpuri, doubles, curry aloo, chicken, and goat….so good…..wid an ice coal cokes! Jus like home!

In most roti shops….the service is well…almost like they are doing you a favor…..not here…..the people are so kind and patient….i didn’t get the name of the nice lady running the register today, but she checked on us a few times to make sure everything was good (she took our order last year…when we took some Latin friends and she took the time to explain the different types of roti to them….i tried too, but she said ‘relax you’re a guest’ :).

Today as our food started to come, a young man from behind the counter asked if it was OK to give my kids a ‘lollie’ lol, I said sure :)

I know most people complain about the price of a roti……but the labor and time that goes into making it…..and making it good…..the pricing is fair and it’s well worth every penny @ Tabanca. And the portions are healthy, lots of meat, aloo and pumpkin (2 people can get full from 1 order).

The ambiance, love it. Galvanized roof decor, even a jep nest or 2 just to remind you of home…..and you’ll see ‘Tabanca’ Easter eggs all over if you look for them. Great music too. Tabanca definitely put a spell in mih! Can wait to go back...