Aviary Unveils Its First-Ever Burger

At Aviary on NE Alberta, chef-owner Sarah Pliner (Ducasse, Aquavit) has been cooking her brand of always playful and refined Asian-inspired plates — like the iconic crispy pig ear with coconut rice — since 2011. But starting today, she’s moving into uncharted territory: adding the burger of her dreams to the mix.

“I didn't really think a burger fit with what I saw as the original identity of the restaurant,” Pliner tells Eater, “but the addition of the bar has kind of changed that over the years — as well as how we fit into the community on Alberta.”

Starting today, Aviary’s Banh Mi burger is only available during happy hour, which runs Monday through Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m. It will set you back $8 and features almost twice that number of ingredients: a natural Angus beef burger seasoned with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime, and fish sauce and served on a Pearl Bakery ciabatta roll with white cheddar, pickled carrots, jalapenos, cilantro, Kewpie Mayo, hoisin, and a six-minute, deep-fried egg. Deep fried.

The Banh Mi Burger joins an already lengthy happy hour menu of $2 tall boys, $7 signature cocktails, $7 nachos slaw dogs, $8 tempura green beans, and more.

• Aviary [Official]
• All Previous Aviary Coverage [EPDX]