19 hours ago
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GML Contributor
The aroma of wood smoke drifts along the SS Erin Road at Duncan Village, San Fernando, drawing the attention of motorists and passers-by.
Nearby, a line of hungry customers waits patiently, many with one thing on their minds — a plate of curry duck cooked the old-fashioned way.
At the centre of it all is 59-year-old Sankar Dwarpaul, the man behind Firewood Flavours, a roti shop that has carved out a niche by doing something increasingly rare in modern Trinidad and Tobago — cooking with firewood.
Sankar believes he can safely claim to operate the only wood-fired roti shop in the country.
For him, however, the business is about much more than being different.
It is about bringing back a taste and cooking tradition that many Trinidadians remember from their childhood.
“It’s a taste you can’t get nowhere else,” Sankar said. “It’s an original taste.”
And customers appear to agree.
The smoky aroma from the firewood cooking wafts through the surrounding area, while the sight of food being prepared over the open fire has become part of the attraction.
Sankar said he has always had a passion for cooking, dating back to his childhood in Woodland, South Trinidad, where he continues to live with his wife, Patricia. The couple has three daughters.
Cooking was something he had planned to pursue more seriously after retirement.
But two years ago, an unexpected opportunity changed those plans.
A longtime friend offered him a location from which to operate, and Sankar decided to take the leap.
“I jumped at the opportunity,” he said.
He initially opened only on Fridays and Saturdays, but customers quickly began asking why they could not get his food on Sundays.
That changed around Christmas last year, when Sankar decided to test the waters.
The response, he said, was overwhelming.
What began as a modest part-time venture has grown into a popular culinary destination attracting customers from across Trinidad and Tobago — and even visitors from abroad.
Sankar said people from Florida and New York have visited Firewood Flavours, with some customers even making the restaurant one of their first stops after arriving in Trinidad.
The popularity has also been fuelled by social media, which has helped spread the word about his distinctive style of cooking.
Sankar said business has grown to about three times what it was before people began posting about the establishment online.
But the food remains the main attraction.
Curry duck is king, with Sankar saying it is among the dishes customers request most frequently.
He also prepares curry chicken, fish when available and other traditional dishes, including his own blend of curry spices.
“I’ll make my own mix with the curry that I buy,” he explained, combining different types of curry to create his preferred flavour.
He also makes his own fresh pepper sauce every day.
But perhaps the most important ingredient is the firewood.
Sankar said the cooking method gives the food a distinctive smoky flavour and creates a nostalgic experience for customers who remember when wood fires were commonly used to prepare meals.
“It’s like it’s cooked by the river,” he said, describing the experience.
In many ways, Firewood Flavours is Sankar’s attempt to bring that experience to customers — allowing them to “bring the river lime to you”.
The cooking operation itself is built around fire-resistant blocks, including fireclay materials, which Sankar uses to withstand the intense heat.
Even the name of the business reflects his cooking philosophy.
Sankar originally considered the name “Fireside Flavours”, but discovered that the name was already being used. He settled on Firewood Flavours, a name that he believes better represents what makes his food distinctive.
The unusual cooking method has
also become part of the attraction.
Customers can watch Sankar and his team preparing the food, giving them an opportunity to see the traditional cooking process rather than simply receiving a finished meal.
That interaction, however, has created its own challenge.
The long lines at the Duncan Village location have become almost as famous as the food.
Sankar said he has responded by adding more people to the serving team to help move customers through more quickly.
Still, the demand has sometimes exceeded expectations.
When he first started, Sankar said he never imagined the business would become as popular as it is today.
“I knew it would be unique and I guess the result would be good enough,” he said. “But I didn’t expect it to be that big.”
Sankar plans to relocate Firewood Flavours to a larger site at Palmyra Junction, where he hopes to provide customers with better access and more parking.
The move is expected to take place by the end of the year.
He also wants to maintain one of the features that customers have come to enjoy — being able to watch the cooking process.
Sankar said he intends to preserve that same open, hands-on atmosphere at the new location.
The expansion comes as the business moves closer to becoming a full-time venture following his retirement. For Sankar, taking the plunge into entrepreneurship before retirement was a risk, but one he believes has paid off.
The journey began with a simple opportunity and a love for cooking.
Today, that decision has transformed a part-time passion into a growing business, with customers travelling long distances for a taste of his wood-fired food.
And at the heart of it remains an old-fashioned cooking method that is becoming increasingly uncommon.
In an era of fast food and modern kitchens, Sankar is betting on something much older — firewood, patience and the unmistakable taste of food cooked the way it used to be.
For the customers lining up outside Firewood Flavours, it seems the taste of yesterday is very much alive.
English (US) ·