Famena's Famous Roti/Curry

I like stories. Seen as a necessity for a pediatrics resident, I was drawn to short stories, picture books and Disney (or rather, Pixar) movies as child. One of the movies that holds a special place for me is Cool Runnings, the Disney film based on the Jamaican bobsled team that competed in the Calgary Olympics. I still recall my favourite scene: our intrepid bobsledders were training in Jamaica, and to "acclimatize" them to the weather in Canada John Candy's character throws the four into ice cream trucks. Subsequently we see them in various stages of frozen as Sanka breaks off a lock of his frozen hair. Hilarious. I was reminded of the movie as I located Famena's Famous Roti & Curry on Urbanspoon. Touting a Caribbean menu of the best roti and curry, I quickly snatched my coat and mozy-ed on down.

Famena's is located in an odd spot. Found on Gary Street beside a parkade, the restaurant was an 80s bar that was retrofitted to its current state. Run by a husband and wife combination, the restaurant itself is nothing to marvel out, but the food was dynamite.

The menu is tiny. Focusing on its namesake, Famena's focuses on making an umpteen number of Roti & Curry dishes. Rounding out the roti are a couple of appetizers and a few salads. The sparse menu showcases what they do best: their roti.

Thinking its probably not fun enough to just order a Roti, I opted to start with a Jamaican Patty. I still remember being introduced to them in Edmonton, these curry flavoured pastries are a staple in Jamaica and surrounding Caribbean countries.

While most places use ground beef, I appreciated Famena in using slow cooked shredded beef. The beef was wonderfully tender and had a nice curry flavour. Housing it is a flaky wrap that was nice and crispy on the outside but gooey and soft on the inside. They are a bit on the pricey side but is a good treat to start any meal.

For my Roti I opted for the Jerk Chicken Roti. Being able to sit at the bar allowed me to view just how each of these are created. Famena starts with sauteeing vegetables in a curry base, mixes it in with a roasted jerk chicken breast and folds it all together in a thin roti shell. Served on the side with a split pea soup, this hearty portion should please even the hungriest of diners.

I have to commend them on a fabulous roti. I was a little disheartened to see Costco frozen vegetables as the base, but the flavour infused in them by the curry base makes up for it. Furthermore, the chicken was incredibly tender and had a nice spicy jerk flavour.

Overall Famena's fulfilled my need for yummy Jamaican cuisine. Perhaps I had missed the boat in Edmonton, but it is amazing to see such diversity of culture and ethnicity in Winnipeg. After dining here I stand by their namesake: these guys make a mean roti.