We have eaten at so many restaurants in the past that the menus are starting to feel redundant, and are therefore always looking for new dining experiences to try. Keriwa Cafe, which serves cuisine inspired by North American Aboriginal ingredients, seemed to fit the bill.
Right from the start, the decor reflected the restaurant's Aboriginal roots, including the large metal feather sculpture hanging from the ceiling, birch-bark themed painting and colourful patterns and designs on the walls, stairs and banquet benches.
The menu changes regularly to highlight seasonal ingredients available locally and regionally which are inspired by Aboriginal cuisine. We shared a starter of smoked whitefish served with kelp, radishes and a cucumber sauce. For main course, we each picked a bison dish. Rich had a bison burger with bacon and greens surrounded by a bannock (Inuit flat bread) with duck-fat potato patties sitting on a rose aioli sauce. My meal consisted of a tender piece of bison short rib served with grilled eggplant, wild rice and a rye berry sauce. The vegetable sides of asparagus with radish and hard-boiled egg in a mustard dressing, and fiddleheads stir-fried with bacon, leek and garlic were delicious and served in interesting wood bowls.
Other unique sounding items on the menu included stinging nettle soup w sheep sorrel, crème fraîche, cucumber, radish and "dirt?", stewed peanuts with garlic scape, swiss chard, yogurt and tomato, smoked hen with arugula, elderberry and fiddlehead.
The prices ranged from $10 for the vegetable sides, to around $10-18 for starters, of which the bison burger was considered, up to $26 for the most expensive main, which was my bison rib. We did not bother with dessert since it was typical standard fare.
This was an interesting meal representing a different style of ethnic cooking that was tasty and satisfying without significantly straining the pocketbook.
Keriwa Cafe
1690 Queen St West
