Sometimes, food is about so much more than what's on your plate. It's about family, memories, familiar flavours, and the comfort of home. That's the story behind MRIYA, one of the newest additions to Kamloops' Yew Street Food Hall, which opened in October 2026.
Founded by Ivanna, originally from Dnipro, Ukraine, MRIYA was born from a longing for home. After moving to Canada in 2023 because of the war, she missed the traditional dishes of her childhood. She decided to bring those familiar flavours to her new community, using family recipes to share a little piece of Ukrainian culture.
Even the name has a special meaning. Mriya means dream in Ukrainian and also honours the legendary Antonov AN-225 Mriya aircraft, a symbol of Ukrainian pride that was destroyed during Russia's invasion in 2022.
We have Ukrainian roots on our father's side of the family, so hearing that an authentic Ukrainian restaurant was opening up in Kamloops was very exciting news. Since losing our father, I've dearly missed his pierogies and cabbage rolls. His pierogies still hold the top spot for my all-time favourite dishes.
So what did we try during our visit?
The Ukrainian Borscht
We started with the Ukrainian Borscht, a traditional beet soup made with tender pork, a rich beef bone broth, and vegetables. It comes with an assortment of traditional accompaniments, including salo (cured pork fat), Ukrainian beet horseradish, sour cream, garlic, and, usually, freshly baked pampushka (Ukrainian garlic bread rolls).
Unfortunately, they had run out of pampushka when we visited, so ours was served with dark rye toast instead. We were a little disappointed to miss out on the traditional bread, but the rye turned out to be a delicious companion to the soup.
The borscht itself was wonderful. It had a rich, deep flavour, with the earthy sweetness of the beets balanced by the tang of the homemade horseradish. The broth was hearty and comforting, and the traditional accompaniments added their own character to the experience. I was nervous about trying the salo, but it ended up being one of my favourite parts of the dish.
I also loved that MRIYA has a little sign on the counter explaining how to properly enjoy your borscht. It's a thoughtful touch for anyone unfamiliar with Ukrainian food and a nice way to introduce people to the traditions behind the dishes.
Next, we tried the Beef and Pork Stuffed Potato Zrazy. Served as two golden potato patties, they're filled with a savoury mixture of beef, pork, onions, and garlic. The dish comes with a fresh cabbage salad and MRIYA's signature sauce.
The potato patties were crispy on the outside while remaining tender inside, with a hearty meat filling. But the real star of this dish was the signature sauce. Creamy and wonderfully garlicky, it added another layer of flavour and texture that brought everything together.
The fresh cabbage salad was a lovely surprise. Light and refreshing, it provided a nice contrast to the richness of the potatoes and made for a well-balanced plate. It's a simple combination, but one that really worked.
Holubtsl - Ukrainian Meat Cabbage Rolls
I'll admit, cabbage rolls have never been a personal favourite of mine, and my partner, Kirk, felt much the same way. Neither of us went into this dish expecting to be particularly impressed. I'm very happy to say MRIYA proved us both wrong!
The Holubtsi are traditional Ukrainian cabbage rolls made with sour cabbage leaves filled with seasoned beef, pork, and rice, served with a creamy tomato sauce and sour cream.
The cabbage was wonderfully tender, the filling was plentiful and flavourful, and that sauce? Absolutely chef's kiss! Creamy, rich, and delicious, it brought everything together beautifully.
This was one of those dishes that reminded us why it's worth stepping outside our usual preferences. We both went in without expecting much and came away thoroughly impressed. Who knew cabbage rolls could win us over?
Varenyky - Potato and Mushroom Pirogies
The Varenyky were actually the reason I wanted to visit MRIYA in the first place. We make pierogies at home quite often, but we've never quite managed to replicate our father's version. I was curious to see how MRIYA's would compare.
We ordered the potato and mushroom variety, which came as five generously sized traditional Ukrainian dumplings filled with potatoes, savoury mushrooms, and onions. They were served with caramelized onions, melted butter, and sour cream.
First, the dough. It was incredibly tender, almost melting in your mouth. The filling was delicious, too, although quite different from the version we grew up with. Dad's pierogies always included potato, cheese, bacon, and onion, so these were a different take on a familiar favourite.
But here's the thing: I think Dad himself would have been impressed. And that's probably the highest compliment I can give them. Sometimes food brings back memories in ways you don't expect, and these little dumplings certainly did that for me.
We also managed to miss out on dessert, which is something we'll have to remedy on our next visit. Medovyk Honey Cake? Hello! And we still need to try the freshly baked pampushka, those traditional Ukrainian garlic and dill buns that we missed out on with our borscht.
Needless to say, we have plenty of reasons to return!
It's wonderful to see a new local business bringing something so personal and meaningful to Kamloops. Ivanna's dream of sharing a little taste of home is off to a lovely start, and we're happy to have discovered MRIYA.
MRIYA – Ukrainian Comfort Food
Yew Street Food Hall - 107 Yew Street, Kamloops, BC V2B 4A1
Find them inside Yew Street Food Hall on Kamloops' North Shore.
