Tamariba Kitchen gives a saucy crunch for your lunchtime or evening meal

Tamariba Kitchen is a fan-favourite in Revelstoke, its popularity proven by the number of readers who suggested it for my first Revelstoke edition of #LysEatsTrucks. Often found in the parking lot of the Revelstoke Legion, Tamariba Kitchen is touted as a sushi-cafe style food truck. The menu offers poke bowls, katsu-styled breaded goodies and gyozas.

I am someone with a fish allergy, a pork allergy, a tofu aversion and long-standing sensory issues with foods touching. So, of course Revelstoke would resoundingly call for me to hit up Tamariba when asked where to go for my first Sensory Processing Disorder-angled food truck review in Revelstoke.

Sensory Processing Disorder or general sensory issues are a sort of misalignment of what sensory input the body takes in and how the brain interprets it. It’s oftentimes buddied up with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, generalized anxiety and a whole host of other neurological disorders. It can manifest as overreacting or underreacting to sensory input, heightened aversion to specific stimuli and increased seeking out of other stimuli. For example, the creak in the floorboards as I write this overpowers the tap of the keyboard and I’m highly aware of the way one sock has folded ever so slightly into itself and the seam now sits lower on my leg than the other sock. 

Trying to predict how new and mixed foods are going to taste, smell and feel can lead to an anxiety attack, which makes enjoying some meals a little hard. 

Fortunately, Tamariba Kitchen offers a peek at their menu on their website, along with an option to order online and have the meal ready for your convenience. 

People check online menus for various reasons, whether to see if the spot offers something they’re looking for or to gauge if anything on the menu lines up with allergies and dietary restrictions. I’ll often scour a menu to find something that gets as close to the sensory-friendly range as possible and then practice what substitutes and cuts to my order I might have to make.

“Can I get the burger with no house sauce, no cheese, hold the onions, half the pickles, and no tomatoes, please?”

“Sir… are you ordering a burger with just ketchup, lettuce and a pickle on it?”

While allergies and sensory restrictions do cut out a good chunk of Tamariba Kitchen’s menu for me, I was thrilled to see the garlic teriyaki beef rice bowl would need no substitutes or cuts to make it my style of sensory friendly. As good as the kids chicken teriyaki meal looked, I would not be restricting myself to the kids menu today.

“We can make substitutes, whatever you need,” staff assured me when I asked what options might have been available if I had found myself needing to cut out allergens or aversions. Gluten-free options are available on the menu, including the Tamariba poke bowl. Staff said all efforts are taken to reduce cross-contamination of their gluten-free options.

In terms of physical accessibility, the truck and ordering windows sit high. A tap payment option, utensils and condiments sit on two wooden counters under the ordering windows, but the average customer still ends up calling the order up into the truck. Those with mobility access needs might want to consider using online ordering so staff can run the meal out to you once you arrive. 

Anyone looking for a space to sit down and enjoy their meal might have to head out to the various green spaces around town, as no shaded sitting options are located by the truck. The Revelstoke Legion’s cenotaph does offer a couple of benches, just no shade to fight off the summer heat.

I’ve heard about the portion sizes for Tamariba Kitchen but was still a bit shocked when handed a large bowl brimming with beef, rice, a dry coleslaw mix, lettuce, spiralized carrots and corn. Easily two meals for most, making menu prices that much more appealing.

An inspection of the garlic teriyaki beef rice bowl showed a meal sectioned into parts, with crisp cabbage, bright carrots, sesame seeds sprinkled over the beef and no signs of anything I wasn’t prepared for. I heartily dug into the dish, noting a sauce that favours teriyaki and uses garlic as a supporting actor. The nutty tones of sesame don’t quite seem to come through in every bite, but they provide an extra bit of smoky warmth when they make themselves known. The veggies are crisp and provide a fresh crunch with each bite.

I’m more than alright with the lack of sauce or additions to the veggies and rice, but other customers might want to add some of the soy, seasoning salt or other sauce options Tamariba Kitchen offers before digging in. Still, there was enough garlic teriyaki sauce to add a bit of a kick to the veggies and rice without making the whole meal soggy. Family and friends well versed in my sensory oddities will be pleasantly surprised to hear I even mixed everything up after a couple of bites.

If you’re looking for a hearty meal and have the means to either walk to a favourite green space or back to your office, or you’re not afraid to eat and walk as you keep exploring Revelstoke, Tamariba Kitchen is a high recommendation on my list.