Terroir Kitchen takes seat on Naramata Bench
Terroir is a term commonly associated with the characteristic flavors of wine as a result of the soil, topography and climate in which it’s grown. Digging deeper, the sensory tenets of terroir can also refer to cheese, coffee and the soil in which our food is grown. It is this connection to the distinct Naramata soil, and of deriving ingredients close to the source and close to the ground, that inspired the refresh at Terroir Kitchen, formerly known as The Bistro at Serendipity Winery.
Chef Tristan Bunkowski partnered with his general manager Joey Dicaire – who both worked here for the past few seasons – pooling their resources to give the outdoor patio space a fresh modern face. That means tasteful new flatware and plateware, and placemats and t-shirts emboldened with their logo of a carrot, depicted au natural. And it’s a picturesque setting, looking out onto the greening vines – and terroir – of the winery.
Bunkowski began his trajectory into the culinary world as a dishwasher at 13 years of age, which led to a culinary apprenticeship program during high school years through Vancouver Community College. This enabled him to graduate early and get a head start on his path to becoming a chef. Now at age 29 – still young in chef years – Bunkowski has cooked around Vancouver and globally, most notably at Michelin-starred restaurants in Bangkok learning Thai-meets-Indian cooking, honing techniques and thought-provoking gastronomy. An important lesson learned was there’s always a way to elevate cuisine, even the simplest ingredients, and using them to tell a story, whether culturally or personally. The profound experience supercharged the way he looked at restaurant service and food in general, a term he refers to as “enlightened hospitality”. That means also learning how to interact with guests to engage and enhance their experience. (Many chefs never leave their kitchen station to see the other important aspect of running a restaurant.) And most importantly, Bunkowski was taught to treat staff with kindness and compassion, to be firm but fair, an approach that goes a long way in mentorship and management. I discovered we’re both fans of the books Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara (on the remarkable power of giving people more than they expect) and Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, who explains in-depth the term ‘enlightened hospitality’. “We want to educate our guests on the importance of supporting our local farmers and vendors here in the Okanagan,” says Bunkowski, “as well as show people that you can have unreasonable hospitality front and back [of house] without going to a Michelin-starred restaurant. We want to show people that we offer not only exceptional food but exceptional hospitality.” They’re lofty goals but ones that are attainable.
During the winter months, Bunkowski oversees the menus at the elite and remote Last Frontier Heliskiing resort. His responsibilities encompass creating four tasting menus each night and family-style dinners three nights week, with themes such as Italian, Turkish or Pan-Asian. That’s tough work that keeps you on your toes.
Back at Terroir Kitchen, find a globally-inspired menu of plates to share with ingredients drawn from local Plot Twist Farms, Upper Bench Cheese, Klippers Organics and Farm House Natural Cheeses.
A signature dish here is the multi-faceted coffee-roasted carrots – Bunkowski’s tribute to the surrounding mountains. Sweet organic carrots are roasted in a five-spice powder, low and slow over coffee beans (sourced from either Wayne & Freda, or Soe Café). Cut on the diagonal, they’re presented over an ajo blanco cashew sauce with a cilantro-based zhoug (similar to a chimichurri), with pickled shallots.
Another dish that is selling well since their reopening two weeks ago is Bo Ssam, a pork dish of Korean origin, with nods, I’m thinking, to chef David Chang of Momofuku fame. Slow-roasted pulled pork comes with a series of side dishes (banchan): lettuce bibs to wrap the tender meat with condiments such as a green onion sauce, house-fermented kimchi, sticky rice and ssamjang sauce, an essential fermented bean and chili paste that provides depth and umami. Other sharing plates of note are the sea-cuterie board, and the ricotta gnocchi served with wild and cultivated mushrooms topped with a farm egg. Although the menu is fairly small – only 10 items to choose from – it’s a remarkable feat given that the kitchen space is only 100 square feet, consisting of a few induction burners, a deep fryer, rice cooker, small oven and reach-down fridge. In other words, room for one only!
For the undecided, diners can opt for the Chef’s Table, a series of plates custom-cooked for the table that gives that tiny kitchen – and the chef – a workout.
The drinks list, overseen by Joey Dicaire, is a tidy offering of batch cocktails, and some shaken-andstirred classics such as a refreshing Pimm’s Cup. All the dishes were test-driven with Serendipity wines, served here by the glass or bottle. Come June 1, Terroir Kitchen will launch a brunch menu where croque madame, shakshuka, Dutch baby and other treats will shake out those cobwebs from the night before. It’s a welcoming space to be sated, to taste the terroir while experiencing shades of enlightened hospitality.