After months of planning, I’ve officially arrived in my 87th country, Trinidad and Tobago! The food and culture here are so diverse and I can’t wait to dive into it all over the next week and a half. Let’s eat some Trinidad Chinese food in the capital, Port of Spain!
Trinidad and Tobago is a country in the Caribbean Sea, just a stone’s throw from northern Venezuela, the country my parents are from. Trinidad and Tobago cuisine is a wonderful and diverse fusion of African, South Asian, Creole, Afghan, Chinese, Amerindian, Arab, Spanish, and Portuguese cuisines, which makes it super unique unto itself!
My adventure began on the island of Trinidad, in the country’s capital, Port of Spain. My new friends Quincy and David and I would be starting off at Wing Hua, a Trinidad Chinese restaurant and bar in the city.
The restaurant had a small dining area that was closed due to COVID, as well as a bar at the end where you order. Quincy told me the food would be spicy, so I was excited! Their menu was massive, and we ordered six items.
One of the guys there was a fan of mine and gave me some curry goat for free! Then, I headed back into the kitchen to watch them prepare some lo mein noodles with half of a chopped Chinese-style chicken on top.
Next, they prepared some pepper shrimp, beef in black bean sauce and vegetables, chunky vegetables, Hong Kong-style pork, Singapore noodles, fried chicken, Chinese-style roasted chicken, and more. I tried a carrot and some pork. It was very spicy!
At our table, we started with fried wontons, chunky vegetables, Hong Kong-style pork, and beef in black bean sauce. First, I tried the wontons with chili sauce. It was spicy but full of flavor! Everything looked so hearty, meaty, and protein-rich!
Then, I moved on to the Singapore noodles, Hong Kong-style pork, pepper shrimp, and chunky vegetables. The noodles were like thin glass noodles with a bit of spice, meat, and vegetables. I loved that Trinidad Chinese food is essentially Chinese food made with Trinidadian spices!
The tender beef was also fantastic. I loved the black bean sauce, and the Hong Kong-style pork had some nice heat to it. The pepper shrimp also had a nice amount of spice on them. I also really enjoyed the chunky vegetables.
Next were steamed shrimp wontons, which were very different from the fried ones. They were soft and doughy, and came down in a pungent sauce. The spice in the sauce had a delayed reaction! I loved the glazy ram-style chicken, crispy pork fat, crispy chicken spring roll, and the fluffy and sweet char siu bao.
Finally, I went with the matcha boba tea. The little tapioca balls in it were fantastic. It was like a mocha frappuccino with whipped cream.
The beef in black bean sauce was my favorite, with the steamed wontons a close second. But honestly, everything was fantastic. My first Trinidad Chinese food experience was a huge success! Have you ever had Trini Chinese food?
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