First, let me begin by saying that you can eat at whatever Sunshine Village restaurants you want. Far be it from me to tell you to refrain from indulging in your favourite spot. But if you’re new to the resort and like food as much as I do, you’ll want to know what to eat where. Here’s how I like to devour the mountain.
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Sunshine Village Restaurants
If you want to make first tracks, you need to be well-fuelled, so sustain a leg burner day. Before you head on up the Gondola, consider popping into Creekside Lodge. Java Station is the spot to hit for breakfast and snacks to go. They’ve got breakfast sandwiches, wraps, ham and cheese croissants, plus pasties filled with feta and spinach. Stash a thick slice of banana bread or lemon loaf in your jacket for something sweet. There’s also a variety of muffins, croissants, cookies the size of your head, bars, bagels, and a full-service barista.
For a sit-down breakfast, settle into Creekside Bar and Grill. In the mornings, they serve up waffles, pancakes and full-on bacon and egg brekkies before transitioning to a lunch menu at 11 am. Pro tip: Creekside is also a great place to cap off your day après-ski style. (But know that the RCMP often waits to breathalyze drivers right before the TransCanada Highway.
In the Village
Once you’re up in the Village, several options exist for all three meals. I shouldn’t play favourites, but I love dining at The Chimney Corner. You can’t beat the ambiance with two massive wood-burning fireplaces, a wine bottle chandelier, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the runs unfurling down the mountain.
The vibe is ski resort relaxed, so you can wear pretty much anything while settling into leather couches in front of the fire, a hightop or tables overlooking both Strawberry and Standish chairlifts.
The menu at The Chimney Corner gets tweaked every year. The vegetarians in my brood like the curry laksa, a coconut-infused dish with mushrooms, tofu and bok choy. I’m a fan of the roast chicken salad. If I’m feeling decadent, it’ll be the bison lasagne. I was in a rebellious mood recently, so I split the smash burger with a girlfriend. It’s gloriously messy, and you need both hands to keep everything in place for a perfect bite. With two patties and a side of fries, the value was there.
Nikko Ramen
The exciting news is that Nikko Ramen is newly opened for the 2023/24 ski season. It’s situated in Centennial Lodge – the big one directly to the right as you exit the Gondola.
Let me tell you; it’s hard to beat a bowl of steaming, flavourful broth crammed with noodles, not to mention loads of little extras like mushrooms and a ramen egg. For vegetarians, there’s a ramen made with a vegetarian miso broth. For the rest of us, you can get yours pimped out with chasu pork (and a decent amount, too!), chicken thigh or locally raised ground bison.
Then there’s the appetizers. After half a bowl of ramen, I was already full, but who can say no to shrimp tempura, chicken karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken) and my favourite: agedashi tofu (deep-fried tofu)? Not me! If you’re a fan of Asian desserts (admittedly, I’m not), you’ll find those on the menu, too.
The Coco Lab
The second most exciting thing to happen at Sunshine Village this season is the addition of their hot chocolate bar, The Coco Lab. Like Nikko Ramen, you’ll find it inside Centennial Lodge.
This hot chocolate is good – delicious. You can get it straight up, or for an extra toonie, get it zhuzhed up with salted caramel, chocolate bar bits, marshmallows, sprinkles, salted caramel, and the list goes on. Because I was driving, I didn’t add a shot of liquor to mine, but you know I wanted to!
The Coco Lab also serves up barista-style coffees, teas and lattes.
Mad Trappers
For classic, old-school ski vibes, Mad Trapper’s is the place to be. This legit, original 1928 log cabin wears its rustic well
Saddle up inside this (family-friendly) saloon and tuck into classic pub fare like loaded poutines, a fun taco bowl, burgers, bison chili and hearty soups. If you’re so inclined, go upscale with a steak sandwich or spinach dip.
Surprisingly, there’s a good number of vegetarian dishes on the menu, but your eyes will probably be drawn to the pepperoni stick platter. I know mine were.
Kids are welcome with their own menu. Wee ones can munch on a burger or mac & cheese, grilled cheese, grilled chicken with rice and veg, pasta or chicken fingers. All kids’ meals include pop, juice, milk, and ice cream. All this for $12, and they can colour their menu, too.
Usually, I think of Trapper’s as a beer place, but they have some really lovely cocktails. I’m partial to the Supermodel with hibiscus tea, infused wildlife distillery gin, botanical bitters and lemonade. And they offer a bunch of warm cocktails, including my favourite, mulled wine.
Listen, there are lots more eateries at Sunshine Village, and I intend to update this post regularly with pictures of my favourite items. In the meantime, let me know in the comment section below what your favourites are at Sunshine Village. I’d love to try them out.
