While driving up to Terroir Kitchen, the new restaurant at Serendipity Winery, I was almost overwhelmed by the serene setting tucked into Naramata’s rolling hills. There was an anticipation in the air, a palpable excitement as Chef and Owner Tristan Bunkowski and General Manager Joey Dicaire anxiously await the restaurant’s opening on May 10th.

The 44-seat, alfresco-only restaurant is set on the stage of a vineyard amphitheatre. The tables sit beneath an open-concept post-and-beam patio attached to a Tuscan-style tasting room. On the other side, sits the tiniest stoned walled kitchen you’ve ever seen. But once you get to know him, the less than 100 square foot kitchen, suits Bunkowski.

Bunkowski has worked as a chef throughout the lower mainland, in Thailand under Michelin Star Chefs, Garima Arora at Gaa, and Gaggan Anand at Gaggan Anand, and in the Okanagan Valley.

But, it’s not just his food that will make Terroir Kitchen special. Every detail from the earth-toned placemats, and plateware to the glassware and menu covers, has been thought through. Their commitment to the terroir and Okanagan bounty is steadfast, and the duo has plans to provide a service that is warm and intimate.

Open for brunch (starting June 1st), lunch, and dinner, Terroir’s menu offers guests farm-to-table share-plates that borrow influence from Bunkowski’s experience cooking fresh, vegetable-forward dishes. For brunch, think Puff Pastry with smoked salmon, salmon roe, Bench Blanc cream cheese, cucumbers, dill, capers, champagne vinaigrette, and an organic green salad; or Shakshuka with North African spices, fire-roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, feta, poached eggs, and grilled focaccia. For dinner, dishes such as Coffee Roasted Carrots with zhoug, cashew ajo blanco, and pickled and crispy onions; or Ricotta Gnocchi with locally cultivated and wild mushrooms, poached egg, parmesan cream, and truffle oil are just some of the items that you will find when in-season.

Beverages will first and foremost include a selection of Serendipity’s wines—be sure to ask Joey for the one that pairs perfectly with your order. Additionally, classic cocktails such as Margaritas, Paper Planes, Pimms Cups, and Aperol Spritz— will be offered, along with a large beer and cider list that pays homage to the Valley’s producers.

We had the opportunity to sit down with the team behind Terroir Kitchen and ask them a few questions.

What aspects of kitchen culture do you want to change with Terroir?

One team, one dream— a good collaboration between the front and back of the house. Giving staff ownership of their area in the restaurant, less micromanaging and more empowerment, enabling them to be creative and find their own ways to enhance each guest's experience.

We also want to be 100% transparent with our staff and give them what they need to be successful. We want to mentor them to give guests memories, not just a good meal and good service, but memories they won’t forget.

Name every restaurant you’ve worked at.

Tristan: Washington Avenue Grill, then a few restaurants on the beach in White Rock shucking oysters—which is where I learned to talk to people. Save on Meats, mentoring barrier employees; Cactus Club, Flying Pig, catering.

Then I worked at Gaggan Anand and Gaa in Bangkok, the Selkirk Mountaineer Experience, Last Frontier Heliskiing, and served as Executive Chef at The Bistro at Serendipity for the past three years.

How did travelling and tasting other cuisines impact your style as a chef?

Tristan: It’s taught me global flavours and international techniques and skills. It also helped me build a portfolio of recipes and dishes. It has expanded my horizon as a chef— I’m always in pursuit of travelling more, learning more, and cooking new recipes and ideas. 

Name a restaurant (anywhere in the world) you're dying to try.

Tristan: Noma, but that’s closed now. I wrote down The Alchemist, in Denmark in my notes. I’m on the waitlist.

Joey: It’s not a specific restaurant, but a good Donair shop. Sadly there’s not one of significance near us. Tristan and I make our own at our summer barbecues at the lake... yakitori chicken and lamb skewers, fresh grilled bread, hummus, spicy Turkish zhoug, sumac yogurt, pickled vegetables...

The hospitality industry in BC has been faced with a lot of challenges recently. COVID and inflation, to name a couple. Can you speak to this?

Tristan: This sounds awful but we were lucky at Serendipity during Covid with outdoor dining. The owner Judy was very careful to follow protocol and took it very seriously. We were packed.

As for inflation, it is crazy and has really affected us. The Gnocchi here four years ago was $18 and now it’s $28. In the winter at the Heliski Lodge, we just don’t buy melon anymore… haha. Fruit is double the price in the off-season.

We’re so lucky with our summer bounty here in the Okanagan.

What is your favourite cuisine to cook/eat? 

Tristan: I love eating local cuisine and using local ingredients. Wherever I am located, vacation included, I try to create dishes that use the local produce or products available.

At home, we mostly eat simple meals, especially in the summer when the restaurant is busy. We eat a lot of fresh fruits, grilled vegetables, and salads with proteins. Karla from Plot Twist Farms on the Naramata bench’s farm stand is the best one-stop shop for great produce.

I also love supporting all the local chefs on the Naramata Bench and throughout the Okanagan. I'd be lying if I said we don't eat out 95% of the time on our days off. If not at a restaurant, I'm golfing and enjoying a hot dog with kraut, onions, and Dijon with my fellow chef friends.

Who have been your most influential mentors?

Tristan: My friends—Ben, Darren, Ahmet, and Jacob. The community of chefs here is cool. Once, in the middle of service, I ran out of polenta, and I ripped to see Jacob (when he was at the Naramata Inn), and he gave me a bucket. All he asked was that I brought him a full bucket back sometime down the road.

Also, Chef Derek Gray. He’s been helping me with Terroir Kitchen. He’s already giving me shit about being a sole proprietorship…. Next year I’ll incorporate Derek.

Joey: My brother— he’s been in the industry forever and we spend so much time together talking about it. My first job in hospitality was with him.

What are your three favourite locally grown ingredients? 

Tristan: Tomatoes, cucumbers, and peaches. 

Early or late summer produce?

Tristan: Late. I don’t know how anyone could say early. 

What is your go-to spot in the Okanagan for a nice meal? What about a burger and beer?

Tristan: The Kitchen at Da Silva Winery. Chef Abul is amazing. For burgers, definitely homemade.

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Terroir Kitchen will be open 6 days a week from Wednesday through Monday, for lunch from 11 am to 4 pm, and dinner from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Brunch will be served from Saturday through Monday from 10 am to 2 pm starting June 1st. Follow Terroir Kitchen on Instagram @terroirkitchen to learn more.