The Northern Table
Honest food from our backyard - wild, foraged, and unforgettable
Honest food from our backyard - wild, foraged, and unforgettable
Look, we're not gonna tell you about "elevated" this or "artisanal" that. Our chef Jamie grew up hunting moose with his dad and ice fishing on Lake Laberge. He knows this land, and he knows what tastes good after a long day out there.
Everything on our menu comes from within a day's drive - sometimes closer. The pike? Caught last week. Those mushrooms? We've got three guys who know every chanterelle spot within fifty klicks. The caribou came from a sustainable herd managed by local First Nations. It's just how we do things up here.
You won't find fancy foam or tweezered microgreens. What you will find is a perfectly seared elk tenderloin, wild berry compote that actually tastes like berries, and bread made with flour milled right here in the Yukon. Real food, cooked right, served without the pretense.
Our menu shifts with the seasons and what's available - here's what we're cooking this week
With roasted root vegetables, wild rosehip jus, and birch syrup glaze. This one's a best-seller for a reason - tender, rich, and nothing like store-bought venison.
Falls apart with a fork. Served over creamy polenta with caramelized onions and local mushrooms. Jamie's grandma's recipe, tweaked just a bit.
Grilled fillet, smoked rillette, and crispy skin crackling. Caught from Great Slave Lake - that's where the big ones live. Sides change daily depending on what we've got.
Yeah, we've got a vegetarian option, and it's actually fantastic. Loaded with foraged mushrooms, local barley, and aged cheddar from a farm near Dawson.
House-smoked meats, local cheeses, bannock bread, and whatever pickles we've been working on. Great for sharing, or don't - we won't judge.
Smooth as butter, served with sourdough crisps. The char comes from a small operation up in Nunavut - they do it right.
Simmered for 48 hours with herbs from our little greenhouse out back. It's legitimately healing after a cold day on the trails.
Mixed greens with cloudberries, lingonberries, and whatever else we picked this week. Honey-mustard vinaigrette. Simple but perfect.
Classic. Warm, with vanilla ice cream. Our pastry chef Anne makes the crust with lard because that's how it should be done.
Richer than maple, kind of earthy. The burnt sugar top is satisfying to crack with your spoon - everyone knows that's the best part.
We hate wasting bread, so this happened. Turned out to be everyone's favorite. Served with whiskey caramel sauce.
Three rotating cheeses, bannock crackers, and wild berry preserves. Perfect with a glass of ice wine if you're feeling indulgent.
We've got a decent wine list - mostly Canadian stuff from BC and Ontario because why ship from Europe when we've got great wineries here? The beer selection leans heavy on Yukon Brewing because they're literally down the road and their stuff is excellent.
If you're into cocktails, our bartender Marcus makes a mean "Northern Mule" with local birch syrup and Yukon Shine vodka. The "Klondike Old Fashioned" uses rye from Alberta and a smoked ice cube - sounds gimmicky but it actually works.
Coffee's from Midnight Sun Coffee Roasters here in Whitehorse. They roast small batches and know their stuff. We also keep a selection of herbal teas - some commercial, some foraged and dried by a lady who lives off the grid near Carcross.
Pro tip from the staff
Ask for a hot toddy made with Yukon Jack after an evening snowshoe. It'll warm you from the inside out, and you'll sleep like a log.
Between September and April, there's a decent chance you'll see the Northern Lights while you're eating. We've got floor-to-ceiling windows facing north for exactly this reason. We'll even dim the dining room lights if there's a good show happening - the food can wait, but the aurora won't.
Some guests book dinner specifically for aurora season. We can't guarantee they'll show up - that's not how nature works - but when they do, it's pretty special to have a glass of wine and a plate of caribou while those green curtains dance overhead.
Reserve Your TableBreakfast: 7:00 AM - 10:30 AM daily (complimentary for guests)
Lunch: 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM (Saturday & Sunday only)
Dinner: 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM daily
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially during aurora season (Sept-April) and summer weekends. Call us at (867) 555-0847 or email reservations@drakarveilfrontier.info. Walk-ins welcome if we've got space, but we can't always squeeze folks in.
We can handle most dietary needs, but you gotta give us a heads up. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are on the regular menu. Vegan dishes need a day's notice - we'll make something good, just need time to plan it.
Food allergies are serious business up here since we're far from hospitals. Let us know when you book, and we'll take care of you. Our kitchen's pretty small, so we can't guarantee zero cross-contamination, but we're careful and experienced with this stuff.
This is the Yukon - we're not uptight about dress codes. Clean jeans and a decent shirt are perfectly fine. Some folks dress up a bit for dinner because it feels special, others come in their hiking fleece. Both are welcome.
The vibe is relaxed but respectful. We've got families with kids, couples on anniversaries, and solo travelers all mixed together. It's a communal kind of atmosphere - you might end up chatting with the table next to you about the day's adventures. That's just how it goes here.
Mains run between $38-$58. Yeah, it's not cheap, but you're getting wild caribou and line-caught fish, not factory-farmed stuff. Appetizers are $14-$22, desserts around $12. A full dinner for two with drinks usually lands around $180-$220 before tip.
We take all major credit cards, debit, and cash. There's an ATM in the lobby if you need it. Gratuity's not included - standard is 15-20% up here, same as anywhere else in Canada.
We've got a private dining room that seats up to 14 people - perfect for family gatherings, small weddings, or corporate groups. There's a minimum spend of $800, but that's easy to hit with food and drinks.
For groups over 8 in the main dining room, we'll need at least 48 hours notice so Jamie can prep properly. We can do set menus for larger parties to keep things moving smoothly. Email us and we'll figure out what works for your group.
Book your table and taste what the Yukon's really about. No pretense, just honest food done right.