Indigenous restaurant Salmon n' Bannock set to open new YVR location next week

The Vancouver International Airport just got a little tastier.

Vancouver's only Indigenous restaurant, Salmon n' Bannock, is set to open its second location at the airport, serving authentic Indigenous cuisine.

Some items the restaurant will be offering travelers include: candied salmon, slow-braised bison, chili and Bella Coola iced tea.

"It is such a cool feeling to be part of this. It's a long time in the making. I'm just beside myself. I'm getting teared up," said restaurant owner Inez Cook.

Cook is also a member of Northern B.C.'s Nuxalk Nation and a Sixties Scoop survivor.

"I'm coming full circle: celebrating my heritage after I was taken away. I didn't grow up with my heritage, my culture, my language, my family," she said, adding that she's learned more about her roots through the restaurant.

"Vancouver is a very foodie city. You can go for Afghan food, and go for Ethiopian. You can go for Japanese. You can go for Korean. And we're the only Indigenous restaurant in Vancouver," she said.

"We all have our stories. And the stories come on our plates, too."

She worked as a flight attendant for 33 years and retired in September, but her dream was to open up her own restaurant, especially when there are so few of them in Canada.

"Indigenous people, we're doctors, we're lawyers, we're your neighbours. We've always been right here. And it's so important to have representation everywhere," Cook said.

Tamara Vrooman, the president and CEO of YVR, said she's excited for the opening of the restaurant.

"We're really proud of this. Not only because it recognizes the best in Indigenous culture, but also we are the first airport in Canada to feature a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned and operated restaurant featuring Indigenous local cuisine," she said.

She added that Salmon n' Bannock is the tenth new restaurant the airport has opened this year.

The restaurant is located in international departures, and opens Dec. 19.