Trini Paki Brings Back All the Old Specials (Plus Their Own Version of the “Kati Roll”)
The Trini Paki Cart (on 43rd & 6th Ave.) has become the present that keeps on giving. By now you’ve read about how excited I was to discover all the things they serve in addition to their Pakistani chicken over rice plate, with Trinidadian pepper sauce. There were the doubles and poulori (which are served every day), the special biriyani on Thursdays, and the pigeon peas pulau on Wednesdays. But wait… there’s more! And while some of these things might be old news to longtime fans of the cart, now that business has picked up a bit getting some of these special things has become less of a crap shoot.
Homemade mango and strawberry lassi are available every day for $3. This yogurt based drink is cool and refreshing, making it perfect for the weather we’ve been having lately. Interesting tidbit: you aren’t allowed to sell a drink from a cart in New York City unless it has a label on it. So, you are allowed to sell homemade drinks… they just have to have a printed label.
I remember the first time I ever saw the menu for this cart I thought how hilarious it was that they served “chicken chow mein”. I never asked about it, and always assumed that it was one of those things that was on the menu but never served. Well, they’ve got it twice a week now on Mondays and Fridays. Lo mein is probably the better word for this crazy noodle dish, which is Chinese by way of Pakistan Trinidad. Great flavors, although not surprisingly the noodles get mushy from sitting in the heated pan all day. (Still good though!)
Finally (and possibly most exciting once you see what they do with it) is their poori- a flat South Asian bread that could just as easily be called roti. You can get it on the side, or order it stuffed with the chicken they serve over rice in their standard chicken over rice plate. That’s right. A street meat chicken burrito! Much larger than a kati roll, it’s more like a Frankie roll without the egg cooked into the bread. The thing is a complete mess, due in no small part to the white sauce and pepper sauce (how could I not), but for $4 it’s a complete steal- and provides a fun alternative to the standard chicken over rice plate. Though you might want to ask for a fork… and a lot of napkins.
As much as I’d like to say you’re guaranteed to get any of these items on the days they are promised, the Trini Paki Cart is literally a mom and pop (and sons, hence the “Boys” part of the name) operation. But they do their best. In theory, this should be the schedule for you to find what you’re looking for.
Every Day Items – Chicken over rice, doubles, polourie, samosas, poori, and lassis
Monday – Chicken Chow Mein
Tuesday – Chicken Biriyani
Wednesday – Chicken and Pigeon Peas Pelau
Thursday – Mutton Biriyani and Dahi Bala
Friday – Chicken Chow Mein
Of course, this is all subject to change!
Related:
The Hidden Delicious Mysteries of the Trini-Paki Boys Cart
Trini Paki Boys’ New Chicken & Pigeon Peas Pelau
Frankies and Kati Rolls Are Not the Same Thing
Posted by Zach Brooks at 11:45 am, August 12th, 2009 under Trini Paki Boys Cart.
16 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
First of all – the chicken chowmein is not “Chinese by way of Pakistan”. It is Chinese by way of Trinidad. Trinidad, Guyana and a lot of the West Indies are influenced by multiple cultures. Yes people of Chinese descent live in Trinidad and Guyana which is why Chowmein is a popular dish these places. Also the poori they serve is no way South Asian – it is west indian. The poori itself is filled with ground split peas and is called dhal poori (which is why it’s messy). You won’t find this in South Asia.