The Roti Royalty of Queens | Sandwich City | NYT Cooking

Why It Matters

Trinciti demonstrates how authentic Caribbean cuisine can thrive in a competitive urban market, highlighting the economic potential of diaspora‑driven food concepts and their role in cultural preservation.

Key Takeaways

• Trinciti serves up to 1,000 doubles daily in Queens.
• Family recipes blend Trinidad’s multicultural flavors into roti dishes.
• Precise timing and hot griddle crucial for perfect flaky roti.
• Owner Amit took over after father’s death, maintaining legacy.
• Diverse menu includes oxtail stew, bake‑and‑shark, and specialty sauces.

Summary

The NYT Cooking video spotlights Trinciti Roti Shop, a family‑run Caribbean eatery in Queens that has become a go‑to destination for Trinidadian staples such as doubles, roti, and bake‑and‑shark.

Owner Amit Maheepat, who grew up in the kitchen, reports selling roughly 1,000 doubles and 5,000 roti‑type items each day. The operation runs from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m., juggling eleven woks, multiple curries, and a suite of homemade sauces, all prepared on the same day to preserve freshness.

Amit credits his mother’s generation‑old recipes and the meticulous timing of a hot griddle—often described as ‘the perfect temperature to melt in the mouth’—for the shop’s reputation. Signature sauces blend tamarind, pepper, banana, and masala, while the oxtail stew takes an hour to simmer, underscoring the labor‑intensive craft.

The shop’s success illustrates how immigrant entrepreneurs translate cultural heritage into scalable street‑food models, reinforcing community ties while meeting high‑volume demand. As New York’s food landscape diversifies, Trinciti’s formula offers a blueprint for preserving authenticity amid rapid growth.

Original Description

On any given day, loyal customers pack this no-frills shop in the South Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens for Trinidadian specialities. Opened in 2005, Trinciti Roti Shop is known for doubles, roti wraps, sandwiches, curries, oxtail and more.

The current owner, Amit Maheepat, 36, took over after his father passed away in 2019. He runs the shop with his mother, who oversees the cooking and helps in the kitchen. Many of the recipes came from her mom.

Trinciti Roti Shop was included in our list of the 100 best restaurants in New York City in 2025. See the full list here: https://nyti.ms/4ct7Ii7

------------------------------------------

Download the Cooking app for daily dinner picks, helpful tools, and even more videos: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nyt-cooking/id911422904

VISIT NYT COOKING: https://cooking.nytimes.com/

SUBSCRIBE to NYT COOKING: https://nyti.ms/3FfKmfb

A paid subscription gets you full access to our recipes, daily inspiration and a digital Recipe Box.

YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/2MrEFxh

INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2DqJMuD

FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2MrTjEC

PINTEREST: http://bit.ly/2W44xng

About NYT Cooking:

All the food that’s fit to eat (yes, it’s an official New York Times production).