To the untrained eye, an order of goat roti ($6.50) at Slice of Spice (3755 Southmore, 713-523-0500) looks like an economy-size square burrito. But restrain that Tex-Mex tendency to pick it up and take a bite, because this aromatic entrée from Trinidad doesn’t behave like a handheld. Once you’ve cut into it with knife and fork and the light yellow curry juice starts oozing into a puddle on the plate, it has the feel of a potpie. Chickpeas and curried potatoes tumble out with every bite, along with generous chunks of tender goat meat. (Beware: You must pick out the bones yourself.) The fresh-made wrapper (technically called a roti skin) tastes more like a buttery piecrust than the tortilla it resembles, and it just gets better as the mild curry sauce drenches the last gooey bites.
This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2002.