{"id":3339,"date":"2025-06-11T00:04:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T07:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/?p=3339"},"modified":"2025-06-11T17:14:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:14:18","slug":"local-chefs-shawn-cheer-sweetgrass-at-nkmip-cellars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/?p=3339","title":{"rendered":"Local Chefs Shawn Cheer, Sweetgrass at Nk\u2019Mip Cellars"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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When you\u00a0meet\u00a0Executive Chef Shawn Cheer, there\u2019s no denying his warmth and charm. And it\u2019s apparent in his approach to food\u00a0in the newly inspired\u00a0Sweetgrass\u00a0at\u00a0Nk\u2019Mip\u00a0Cellars\u00a0restaurant, where the region\u2019s Indigenous culture\u00a0is\u00a0not only embraced, it\u00a0shines.<\/p>

Every dish tells a story, is a journey through the region\u2019s ancestral heritage and is aimed at showing respect for the land and its bounty.<\/p>

Though Cheer\u00a0himself\u00a0doesn\u2019t hail from British Columbia or even Canada, he is all too familiar with the\u00a0significance\u00a0of its Indigenous traditions and practices. That\u2019s because as a native Fijian, he was immersed\u00a0in his mother\u2019s\u00a0iTaukei\u00a0culture and knows\u00a0the importance of preserving and celebrating one\u2019s ancestral roots.<\/p>

\u201cThe culture is so similar,\u201d Cheer says. \u201cFor example, we do fry bread here. Back in Fiji, we call it\u00a0babakau, but it\u2019s pretty much the same.\u00a0Like the Indigenous people of Canada, we make the best use of and\u00a0honour\u00a0what is available to us.\u201d<\/p>

The restaurant is named for\u00a0a\u00a0sacred\u00a0herb\u00a0that\u00a0symbolizes healing, peace and spirituality\u00a0and sweetgrass is used to brine the turkey for one of the signature dishes. Other traditional foods such as\u00a0haskap\u00a0and Saskatoon berries, rabbit, bison, wild rice, corn and duck are featured on the menu.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Guide to Dining Out in the Okanagan asked Chef Cheer to share his thoughts on the menu, his food philosophy, restaurant trends and\u00a0 what\u00a0 diners can look forward to at\u00a0 Sweetgrass.<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Q: <\/b>What kind of experience can customers expect when they dine at the restaurant?<\/p>

Cheer:<\/b> Customers\u00a0can expect an experience that\u2019s warm, grounded and full of\u00a0flavour. Our menu blends Indigenous traditions\u00a0with locally sourced ingredients from the Okanagan. Every dish is a story, rooted in cultural knowledge, presented with a\u00a0current trend of food to make it\u00a0approachable.\u00a0<\/p>

Our Three Sisters\u00a0Bowl for example is inspired by the traditional Indigenous concept of corn, beans and squash. This\u00a0represents\u00a0the core of the Three Sisters planting method, which has sustained Indigenous communities across North America for centuries. This\u00a0is paired with wild rice,\u00a0squash\u00a0creamer,\u00a0house-made pickles\u00a0and local greens and\u00a0vegetables for that freshness.\u00a0<\/p>

Q: <\/b>What will diners get that they can’t get anywhere else?<\/p>

Cheer: <\/b>A unique fusion of\u00a0Indigenous\u00a0and modern\u00a0cuisine.\u00a0 Using ingredients that are often wild and\u00a0gamey\u00a0or seasonally grown in the region. Whether it\u2019s a rabbit pie\u00a0or crispy\u00a0duck wings glazed\u00a0with\u00a0wild herb hot\u00a0honey\u00a0or just a turkey\u00a0and\u00a0brie sandwich with\u00a0haskap\u00a0berry compote. This,\u00a0I would say,\u00a0is different.<\/p>

Q: <\/b>What are your signature dishes?<\/p>

Cheer: <\/b>Duck wings\u00a0–\u00a0crispy wings glazed in our\u00a0wild\u00a0herb hot\u00a0honey;\u00a0Bison meatballs – Saskatoon berry glaze, feta\u00a0with taro\u00a0crisps\u00a0and\u00a0fry bread;\u00a0Mussels\u00a0– prawns, Italian sausage, chardonnay dill cream sauce\u00a0and\u00a0crispy capers;\u00a0Sweetgrass\u00a0custard –\u00a0haskap\u00a0berry compote and short bread crust.<\/p>

Q: <\/b>What advantages and challenges are there to working in the culinary field in the Okanagan?<\/p>

Cheer: <\/b>The\u00a0Okanagan is incredibly rich in local produce, wild ingredients and a strong network of growers, which is a huge advantage,\u00a0especially for a restaurant\u00a0with\u00a0Indigenous fusion cuisine. There\u2019s a genuine appreciation here for seasonal, sustainable food and the culinary community is supportive.<\/p>

The challenges I have are sourcing certain Indigenous ingredients or wild meats, it consistently can be difficult due to availability\u00a0or\u00a0regulations. Staffing is another ongoing issue,\u00a0every year brings turnover, with people changing career paths or struggling to find housing in the region. Accommodation remains a\u00a0problem\u00a0for attracting and retaining talent.<\/p>

Q: <\/b>How would you describe the restaurant\u2019s food philosophy and style?<\/p>

Cheer: <\/b>Our philosophy is built on respect, heritage and ingredients. We honour Indigenous food traditions while\u00a0trying to blend it into our modern-day cuisine. The food\u00a0can be\u00a0bold\u00a0and\u00a0rustic but\u00a0we try to\u00a0balance\u00a0it. Like I said our plates have a story or cultural meaning while trying to add seasonal ingredients.<\/p>

Q: <\/b>What part does social media play for the restaurant?<\/p>

Cheer: <\/b>I want people to understand and know the meaning behind our dishes\u00a0and\u00a0our menu. Social media is\u00a0so\u00a0important as this is the way to get it out there, hoping to make people interested in coming down and trying what we have to offer.<\/p>

Q: <\/b>What food or industry trends are you seeing emerge?<\/p>

Cheer: <\/b>There\u2019s a meaningful rise in demand\u00a0for locally sourced fresh ingredients, more so than ever Canadian products. People like to know where your meat or seafood is sourced from. How it’s cooked\u00a0and\u00a0what type of oil is used. Power food is also the other trend that\u2019s emerging.\u00a0<\/p>

Q: <\/b>How has the culinary industry changed in the past five years?<\/p>

Cheer:<\/b>\u00a0I think more customers are growing open to exploring new cuisines and\u00a0flavours\u00a0and embracing more adventurous eating habits.<\/p>

Q:<\/b> What role does sustainability play in the restaurant\u2019s approach to food?<\/p>

Cheer: <\/b>Sustainability is\u00a0everything we do. We minimize food waste and focus on ethical sourcing. Many of our ingredients are wild, seasonal, or locally grown\u00a0while\u00a0still putting out the best dining experience.<\/p>

Q: <\/b>Where does the culinary team draw inspiration when creating new dishes?<\/p>

Cheer:<\/b>\u00a0Our\u00a0Inspiration comes from many places –\u00a0family traditions, Indigenous wisdom and even community\u00a0and\u00a0staff\u00a0conversations. We always try to connect\u00a0flavours\u00a0with meaning.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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by Julianna Hayes<\/strong>
Photography by Lionel Trudel<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u00a0meet\u00a0Executive Chef Shawn Cheer, there\u2019s no denying his warmth and charm. And it\u2019s apparent in his approach to food\u00a0in the newly inspired\u00a0Sweetgrass\u00a0at\u00a0Nk\u2019Mip\u00a0Cellars\u00a0restaurant, where the region\u2019s Indigenous culture\u00a0is\u00a0not only embraced, it\u00a0shines. Every dish tells a story, is a journey through the region\u2019s ancestral heritage and is aimed at showing respect for the land and its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-local-chefs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guidetodiningout.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}