Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 10/02) - Ndilo's Smokehouse Cafe is open for business once again.

The restaurant was used sporadically over the last couple years for conferences by Bouwa Whee Catering.

But finally on June 1, the cafe reopened to the public. For now, it's only open for a lunch buffet.

But new operators Muriel Betsina and Barry Eaton hope to introduce a dinner menu soon and expand their catering service.

The buffet is relatively cheap at $7.95 and offers a different selection of homemade country food dishes every day.

"We're trying to stay on the healthy side," says Betsina. "Not too much deep frying."

Like most experienced chefs, Betsina doesn't need to measure ingredients.

"I learned to cook at residential school at age 13," she says.

"I've worked in a kitchen all my life."

So far business has been "not bad," but Eaton says the word hasn't spread to tourists possibly because of the location.

"Tourists don't know we're here," he says.

"When they get past the Wildcat and into the residential area, they think they've gone too far."

Locals, however, may recognize the couple's bannock. They provided all the bannock at this year's Aboriginal Day festivities and will pitch a tent at Folk on the Rocks.

Betsina also hopes to market her bread to bakeries and businesses in the city.

"I can make 2,000 bannock a day," she says.