Salmon n' Bannock: The hype
Vancouver is home to a whole host of restaurants serving different cuisines, but only one brick-and-mortar Indigenous restaurant — and it’s a must-visit on any trip to Rain City. From the beautiful, free-to-view totem poles in Stanley Park to the Indigenous art at galleries and shops around Vancity, there are plenty of ways to engage with the Indigenous cultures of the region, but sitting down to taste authentic Indigenous flavours made with pride is a wholly different and special experience.
Set in a relaxed, dining room with bright red walls adorned with Indigenous art, Salmon n' Bannock is a cozy, intimate restaurant serving modern dishes made with local traditional ingredients.
Indigenous Tourism BC + Point Blank Photo
Inez Cook, owner of Salmon n' Bannock in Vancouver
Indigenous Tourism BC + Point Blank Photo
Salmon n' Bannock: The team
The restaurant’s co-founder and now sole owner, Inez Cook is a proud member of the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola B.C., and the author of the children’s book, Sixties Scoop. While Cook isn’t a chef herself, she has a team of friendly front-of-house and kitchen staff who represent many different First Nations, including Anishinaabe, Big Trout Lake, Heiltsuk, Hesquiaht, Inuit-Nunaat, Lil'wat, Long Plain, Lytton, Metis, Muskoday, Nuxalk, Nuu-Chah-nulth, Secwepemc, Seton Lake, Stellat'en, Squamish, Tse-shaht, Ts'msyen and Wet'suwet'en. On the menu, you’ll also find different cultures represented.
Salmon n' Bannock: The menu
Start any meal at Salmon n' Bannock with the restaurant’s namesake signature bread, either served with butter and jam or as crackers topped with barbecue salmon and cream cheese. All of the seafood and fish on the menu are wild-caught off the coast of B.C., while the game meats are organic and free-range. Ingredients come from Indigenous producers whenever possible, and if not, are still sourced as locally as they can be, with everything coming from Turtle Island.
Every last piece of our perfectly sweet and savoury candied salmon appetizer disappears in the blink of an eye. On the menu, innovative dishes like Indigenized Risotto and Indigenous Bruschetta appear alongside game sausages and three-sisters-stuffed pepper. Sockeye salmon served on a bed of Ojibway wild rice with brown butter sauce tastes fresh, earthy and nourishing — the perfect remedy after a long day of sightseeing.
Pair your meal with one of their creative cocktails or mocktails, crafted with house-made ingredients, or a stellar glass of wine from Nk’Mip Cellars, the first Indigenous-owned winery in North America.
Dinner and drinks for two: around $140 before tax and tip.
