Muskox on the menu — and more Inuvialuit food to come, says chef at new Inuvik restaurant

The head chef at a newly opened restaurant in Inuvik, N.W.T. hopes to be able to put more local food on the menu soon. 

Brendan Vogt works at Mamaqtuq, which officially opened its doors Friday night. It's owned and operated by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC). 

"I think it's the perfect chance to represent us in terms of food and put something on a plate that screams Inuvialuit and screams 'This is our land,'" he said. 

The eatery got a traditional makeover before the opening. Inuvialuit drums and clothing decorate the restaurant, and there are ulus and delta braid designs accenting the walls.

Vogt, who is Inuvialuit, got his start in cooking at Le Frolic in his hometown of Yellowknife. After working in kitchens all across Canada, Vogt answered an online ad for the job in Inuvik. 

Now, he's back in one of the many northern communities he used to call home. 

"Honestly it's the dream job. Get to come back home, do something for the community, provide naanaks (grandmothers) with good food, provide all the young ones with good food," he said. 

Vogt arrived in Inuvik in April and has been busy preparing the new menu that debuted Friday. Mamaqtuq had been using a different takeout menu for orders prior to its official opening. 

Muskox stew and burgers from Banks Island have already been featured as specials, but Vogt has big plans to incorporate more local foods on the regular menu soon.

He believes featuring local food on the menu will be good for tourists but also a point of pride for locals in the region.

The restaurant gets its muskox from the IRC meat processing plant, which distributes locally harvested meat and foods to communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region four times a year.

Vogt said Mamaqtuq has received a good reception from the community so far.