More than a meal: Ukrainian culture in Thunder Bay
“You know, I love this culture,” said Mariia Sukhanova. “Everybody is so friendly in this small city. I feel like I’m at home, so I’m really lucky.”
With the ongoing war in Ukraine, many have been forced out of their homes and into foreign territory. Nearly three years ago shortly after the war began, Mariia Sukhanova and her family made their way to Thunder Bay, bringing with them not only resilience but also the culinary traditions of their homeland.
Their previous experience in business ownership and longing for home-cooked cuisine inspired the start-up of their family-run restaurant, Sukhanov Ukrainian Kitchen.
Located at 239 Algoma Street, this cozy restaurant captures the essence of Ukrainian culture and heritage.
Cooking has always played a role in Mariia’s life. From childhood holidays to her family’s new beginning in Canada, Mariia has always found comfort and connection in preparing wholesome dishes from her homeland.
“It’s the smell of Grandmas kitchen, you know. It’s the feeling of being a child.”
Growing up surrounded by the delicious scent of a homecooked meal, Mariia took to following the recipes of her mother and grandmother. The same recipes that provided a base menu for Sukhanov Ukrainian Kitchen. They serve high-quality meals with fresh ingredients, free of harmful trans fats and additives.
The menu was initially intended to be gluten-free, but as the restaurant and its customer base expanded, Mariia created a wider range of menu items. The restaurant remains mostly gluten-free, focusing now on creating an authentic Ukrainian atmosphere.
One popular dish is the homemade Transcarpathian Bograch which began as a special but quickly became a permanent menu item.
Bograch is a rich dish that originates from the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. It has four kinds of meat, many vegetables and a fragrant aroma of spices.
Other favorites from the menu include perogies sauteed with bacon and onions, homemade borscht (a chopped beet and cabbage soup), and a flavor-packed stuffed pepper made with quinoa, beef, and bacon. The stuffed pepper is a common dish of Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Moldovan, Romanian, Georgian, and Azerbaijani culture.
Mariia and her family continue to repay the kindness she felt by welcoming locals into her childhood kitchen and inviting them to experience authentic Ukrainian cuisine.
“Thunder Bay people are amazing. When we arrived, we were like refugees and everybody helped us. People of Thunder Bay have the heart of a giant.” Mariia and her family have plans to expand their restaurant in the future, but for now they are open from noon to 7 p.m., offering takeout all day and delivery between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
