Tucked into the gentle slopes of rolling vineyards, you could easily miss Terroir Kitchen while driving along Naramata Road. It sits just before the main turn to Robinson Ave with a small sign pointing the way.

But trust us when we say it is well worth a visit…

This open-air dining space comes with a small stone-faced kitchen, exposed wood beams, dark iron features, and always a selection of fresh wildflowers on every table. In the distance the leafy grapevines sway with that quintessential Okanagan Valley breeze as songbirds steadily provide the soundtrack to your meal.

And yet the most incredible aspect of this restaurant is its dedication to vegetable-forward cuisine.

Terroir Kitchen (TK) truly embodies farm-to-table. These days, many establishments carry that term as a catch-all for expressing their dedication to local produce—but TK goes above and beyond. Almost your entire plate will come from a farmer down the Bench or across the water in Summerland, and if the products he needs can’t be sourced from a local spot, he’ll use local businesses like Valoroso Foods in Kelowna to import it.

His most famous dish is coffee-roasted carrots laid on a bed of cashew ajo blanco, topped with zhoug (a Turkish/Yemen style of Chimichurri), crispy and pickled shallots, and then topped off with fresh dill. You’d never think the reason you return would be carrots, but that’s a common reason among his regulars.

“We always try to give abundance. If that’s abundance in high-quality ingredients or abundance in the plates, that’s super important to us,” explains owner and Executive Chef Tristan Bunkowski. “We try to use a simple ingredient but elevate it and try to show it to our guests in a new form.”

It’s why their tagline is: Local. Inspired. Dining.

Another philosophy he follows is nose-to-tail cuts of either fish or meat. It’s important to Chef Bunkowski that no part of an animal is wasted when prepared for his guests, and more often than not, they leave having loved something they otherwise wouldn’t have tried. 

“Value is important to us in every dish we create and the price point we choose.”

Chef Bunkowski’s culinary background includes Michelin-star training—but that hasn’t led him towards an overly-exclusive vision to his clientele. “Terroir Kitchen is trying to bridge the gap between contemporary fine dining and bistro accessible dining,” he says. “We always try to bridge the gap between Michelin star experience.”

While he worked in Thailand under Garmina Arora and Gaggan Andand, he also worked closely with trained sommeliers and honed his skill on wine-paired dining. The name of his restaurant pays homage to that and the term being embedded in wine culture. “I think that term for a long time never got used within food until recently,” Chef Bunkowski says. “It really drove home because of our cuisine being vegetable driven and locally driven.”

The team at TK is small but close knit. It’s a well-known issue across the Okanagan among small, seasonal businesses that it is hard to find staffing due to the specific months they’re open. But Chef Bunkowski is lucky to have Sous Chef Robert Sidley as well as his own partner, Taylor, with him.

“My operation wouldn’t run without Taylor,” admits Chef Bunkowski. “She’s there almost as many hours as I am and she works a second job on top of it. Nothing in my career at Terroir or before would be possible without Taylor.”

The space itself is absolutely stunning. Since it’s located at Serendipity Winery, TK always has a selection of delicious wines available to pair perfectly with the menu. Following his locally-sourced philosophy, you can also order craft beers and craft ciders from breweries down the Bench, as well as a selection of housemade cocktails that feature fresh garnishes and other ingredients.

It all goes back to that farm-to-table, fresh is best mentality.

Chef Bunkowski explains, “The biggest reason I’m here is because of our abundance of produce, abundance of amazing farmers, abundance of liquor producers, chefs, AirBnbs, and other Naramata businesses. We get an abundance of support and I think that’s a beautiful thing. In bigger cities you lose that because it’s so condensed and so big, so it’s hard to get that level of love that we get here in the Okanagan. It’s a very special place.”

We are truly blessed within a Valley that has access to such incredible produce throughout the year. TK’s menu reflects this, rotating often to feature what the farmers have in stock and often changing dishes faster than you’d expect. That’s because Chef Bunkowski builds the menu based on what is ready and ripe.

“My left arm has an Okanagan-based tattoo sleeve that shows the amazing produce, fruits, and vegetables that we have here,” he explains, showcasing that love and appreciation for high-quality, hyper-local ingredients.

One thing Chef Bunkowski is proud of is the support and connections he’s built in this area. “I want everyone in the Okanagan to succeed because it means I succeed.”

But it isn’t without its challenges, particularly in regards to gaining the recognition this area deserves. “We don’t get enough support in the Okanagan,” he says. “Not enough publications give enough love. It’s depressing the lack of love we get. So far we’ll never see a restaurant hit the top 100 list in Canada from the Okanagan, which is mildly infuriating because we have such talent.”

And it is a shame that bigger cities manage to get the fanfare and publicity because our region is extraordinary in the level of talent, entrepreneurship, and dedication to their craft.

“Other than you guys,” says Chef Bunkowski, “there’s no one that highlights the ownership and the hospitality in the Okanagan.”

Thankfully, we are more than happy to fill that gap, especially when we get to spotlight such incredible businesses like TK and the people behind them.

Terroir Kitchen is as beautiful as it is surprising—tucked away amidst rolling vineyards, sequestered in a stone-faced contemporary farmhouse, and hidden from the main road. But trust us when we tell you that their vegetable-forward, farm-to-table menu contains some of the most flavourful, fresh cuisine in the Valley.

Do yourself a favour and book your table now. We’ll be seated next to you, toasting to the level of excellence found at TK and dining on delectable local cuisine.

Xx,
Your Okanagan Curators

We gave Chef Tristan Bunkowski 60 seconds to answer the following questions.

My favourite project/focus within my company is:
TK Pasteria

My favourite dish right now is:
Cooking our cone cabbage dish.

My favourite way to rest and reset is:
Spending time at the lake with Taylor and Leo, my golden retriever. Ideally at my favourite hidden spot in Naramata.

Three things that helped me get to where I/we am/are today is:
The support of my family, friends, peers, Taylor most of all.

Book(s) or Podcast(s) I would highly recommend is:
Chef’s PSA podcast. Chef’s table podcast. And any cookbook by Alice Water.

Share three to five Okanagan businesses that are doing amazing things:
Elma. Kin & Folk. Bistro Lapin Perdu.