Wild Salmon Restaurant

Wow, I had no idea this gem of a restaurant even existed. It’s part of the First Nations program in the Culinary Arts Department at Vancouver Community College, so is tucked away inside the slightly hideous fluorescent-​lit campus. But the restaurant is a little oasis of calm, with a clean First Nations aesthetic, from the tasteful art to the soft music and lots of natural light. And the food was amazing: I went last week for lunch, and had the smoked bison brisket, which practically melted in my mouth and was packed with incredibly rich flavour; it was served with super yummy sage bannock (I LOVE bannock) and sort of crispy light root vegetables. My friend had a perfectly moist, fresh halibut on a bed of parsnip parsley. The flavours were intense, and the presentation was beautiful. Our service was great as well; our server was a bit shy, but other than that I wouldn’t have known this was a training opportunity for hospitality folks. The restaurant is only open each August, at the end of the training year, and is an undiscovered treasure, so go now while they’re still open for the season!