SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Sato Chankasingh knows it's impossible, but he wants to please everybody.

Sato Chankasingh sits in the dining room of the Wildcat Cafe on Sept 7. The popular Old Town restaurant will close for the season on Sept. 12. - Karen K. Ho/NNSL photo

The multi-decade restauranteur said that's how he feels as he gets set to wrap up his first season running the historic Wildcat Cafe on Sept. 12.

"It's the biggest challenge, because I know it can't happen," he said. "For the most part, people love the food."

Even after months of nine to 14-hour work days serving tourists and locals in Old Town, Chankasingh said he still loves the view of the lake and reading comments in the guestbook every morning.

"After 20 years of running Fuego's in the basement, as soon as I come in here in the morning, my stress is gone," he said. "I'm never going to take it for granted."

The seven wooden tables inside the Wildcat Cafe are a much smaller space than the dining areas inside Twist and Fuego, which Chankasingh said has been a nice change.

"I don't have to deal with a lot of staff," he said.

So far this year, business has exceeded Chankasingh's expectations. Customers have come from China, Japan, Germany and many other countries. And sales of the restaurant's $19-bison burger, which were expected to be approximately 3,000 over the summer, have already exceeded 4,500.

"I didn't realize how much heritage the Wildcat has," he said. "It's one of the things you have to do when you come to Yellowknife."

However, Chankasingh said supply issues, the falling Canadian dollar and other economic factors such as the cost of staffing have made it extra challenging to counter the perception his prices are much more than they should be.

"I purchase Arctic char at $22.50 per kilogram, after filleting it, it's $29, then when I smoke it I lose another 30 per cent," he said. "When people say I serve a small cake, it's because I still have to pay the rent and the utility bills."

Chankasingh said he's still trying to keep prices as low as possible but said that if customers want larger portion sizes, next year he'll offer them and charge accordingly. In some cases, Chankasingh has found cheaper prices than the ones from his suppliers at the grocery for items like sugar. And he said in the last three months, the price of bacon has risen more than 30 per cent, from $6.95 per kilogram to $9.10 per kilogram.

He expressed relief there was considerably less smoke in the air compared to last year.

"With the previous owner (Thorton's chef Luke Wood), he said sales were not even close," Chankasingh said. "All the tourists stayed away."

After Sept. 12, Chankasingh plans on taking three months off to spend time with family and undergo surgery for his right shoulder. He said Twist is currently leased out and plans for Fuego will be determined over the next month.

As for next year, Chankasingh said he plans on adding more items to the menu, live entertainment on the patio deck on Saturdays during good weather and opening even earlier than the May long weekend.

"I'm privileged and honoured to run the Wildcat Cafe," he said. "I can't wait to do it again."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.