Indigenous Archives - West Coast Food

Indigenous Cuisine June 3, 2024

Indigenous-Owned Restaurants in Metro Vancouver

June is Indigenous History Month, with June 21st marking National Indigenous Peoples Day, so we invite you to celebrate the occasion with these local Indigenous food spots. Each of these Indigenous-owned restaurants, eateries, and small-batch producers offers the opportunity to savour local ingredients and flavours as they’re woven into traditional and contemporary recipes. When you visit these culinary gems this month (and year-round), you’re not only supporting small businesses but also the culture of Metro Vancouver’s first people—an important step as we collectively move towards reconciliation. Once you’ve sampled the delicious menus of each, you can continue your foodie tour outside of Vancouver with more culinary delights in Whistler, Squamish, Shushwap and beyond. Visit Indigenous Tourism BC to discover other Lower Mainland gems you might be missing. You can use this guide to spruce up your travel plans with some added wellness opportunities, and outdoor adventure ideas. Salmon n’ Bannock…

Indigenous Cuisine June 13, 2019

How Salmon n’ Bannock makes their Triple Smoked Sage Salmon Burger Irresistible

Images and words by Matt Law In Vancouver it’s easy to find restaurants serving delicious food from around the world. Italian, Japanese, Indian – sometimes there are so many to choose from that it’s hard to make a choice at all. However, if you’re after a truly traditional West Coast meal with international acclaim then Salmon n’ Bannock should be at the top of your list. Since 2010 Salmon n’ Bannock has been one of Vancouver’s only Indigenous-owned and operated restaurants. The menu is crafted around fresh local ingredients, and everything is made from scratch. The appetizer list includes treats like BBQ salmon mousse (served with bannock, of course), house smoked braised duck wings, and a sampler plate of free-range game meats. Their mains include a bison pot roast, red snapper, and “garden balls” – vegan baked vegetable fritters on a bed of bannock dumplings. One of the favourite items…

Indigenous Cuisine October 12, 2018

Dig into Vancouver’s only Indigenous Brunch at Skwachàys Lodge

BigHeart Bannock serves brunch from 10 am to 2 pm on weekends, where Lodge guests and non-guests can dig into dishes like baked or fried bannock with a choice of house-made jam (featuring flavours like sage-smoked woodland berry and sweetgrass strawberry), baked bannock French toast, bison sausage hash, or a wild boar sausage patty with elderberry barbecue aioli, among other offerings.

Festivals & Events June 16, 2017

What to Eat at National Aboriginal Day at Trout Lake in Vancouver

By Jaclyn Jularbal Wednesday, June 21st marks the 21st Annual Celebration of National Aboriginal Day. Each year, thousands of people head to Vancouver’s Trout Lake Park for a fun-filled day of both traditional and contemporary Indigenous activities, entertainment, and food. And what would a community gathering be without a mouth-watering, stomach-filling feast? With food trucks, caterers, and bannock makers on site – come hungry and get ready to journey into the tastiest National Aboriginal Day festival of all time. Great gatherings start with great food, and this year the PR Bannock Factory will join the festivities as the featured caterers serving a community favourite: Chef Paul Natrall’s bannock tacos. For the first time ever, the National Aboriginal Day at Trout Lake site map includes a food truck village open all day from 12pm to 10pm. Park visitors can enjoy plenty of street eats both savory and sweet, full of pizza,…

Chef Stories March 7, 2017

Curing Salmon on Vancouver’s North Shore with Squamish Nation’s Chef Paul Natrall

By Jaclyn Jularbal Right in the heart of Squamish Nation on Vancouver’s North Shore, lies the PR Bannock Factory – a catering business and food trailer owned and operated by Chef Paul Natrall. Paul began his cooking career a decade ago as a teen involved with the Cook Street Café, a six month program for youth on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. His love for preparing meals led him to enroll and graduate from the Aboriginal Culinary Arts program at Vancouver Community College, where Paul launched his career specializing in traditional Indigenous cuisines. The dream to start his own business came into fruition after finding success as part of Team Canada’s Culinary Team in the 2012 World Culinary Olympics. Though he’s been working professionally for just a decade his journey to owning his own business has been much longer. Paul’s love for cooking started when he was just a boy. “I’ve been…

Indigenous Cuisine January 31, 2017

Head to the Farmer’s Markets for Candied Salmon from a Squamish Nation Chef

By Jaclyn Jularbal When you talk about west coast cuisine, the first thing that comes to mind is usually salmon – baked, smoked, candied, and cured. So many species of salmon have flourished around BC and for centuries Indigenous communities across the province have been dishing them up deliciously. Chef Paul Natrall of Squamish Nation has been specializing in Indigenous cuisines for over 5 years. After his graduation from the Aboriginal Culinary Arts program at Vancouver Community College, he takes a special interest in creating the most unique flavours of salmon candy. His catering business, the PR Bannock Factory, serves up delicious bags by the pound at local farmers markets and on order all-year round. Salmon candy gets its flavouring from the salt and brown sugar used to flavour it. Left overnight the wet fish texture changes and becomes ready for its next steps towards becoming the almost syrup-like candied…