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Directly from the Wild Rice Press Release:

Burgers & Brew Celebrate Food Day Canada

(Vancouver, BC) – Saturday, August 4th is officially ‘Food Day Canada’ – a day when we celebrate our country’s rich culinary heritage from coast to coast to coast. It’s a time to honour our farmers, fishers, chefs and local producers. Wild Rice is proud to be an invited participant in this national food fest.

This year Wild Rice is giving a nod to the good ol’ Canadian tradition of the summer barbecue by offering mini-burgers paired with artisan brew for only $17.50. “Barbecue has a long and honourable history in Chinese culinary culture,” says Wild Rice owner Andrew Wong. “Think of the importance of BBQ houses in Chinese society. They are meeting places where friends get together to share casual food – much the same as the Canadian backyard barbecue.”

Still – burgers in a Chinese restaurant? Most definitely! These come with a distinctly Asian twist. Executive Chef Todd Bright starts with house-made buns that use a dough similar to that found in ‘cha siu bao’ (BBQ pork buns) or pineapple buns. The tops are given an egg wash to replicate the typical ‘Chinatown bun’ appearance. Wild Rice chose to make mini-burgers (aka ‘sliders’) because they are smaller and easier to hold, like a cha siu bao.

The bun is merely the starting point. Next comes the slider’s focal point - a patty of ground Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef seasoned with the usual onions and garlic along with the not-so-usual ginger, soy, cilantro, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine. Of course like any good burger, it’s topped with bacon. Wild Rice makes its own from Gelderman Farms free-range pork. The pork side is brined in a tasty mixture of Shaoxing wine, Five-Spice Powder, whole star anise and additional Sichuan peppercorns. The sliders are completed with crispy-fried shallots.

What is a burger without fries? Wild Rice’s Yukon Gold frites are seasoned with Five-Spice Powder – a traditional Chinese seasoning consisting of ground star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds. Instead of ketchup, they come accompanied by a sriracha (an Asian chili sauce) and green onion aioli – just perfect for dipping and/or slathering.

To wash it all down Wild Rice is offering local artisan brews. At the original Chinatown location on Pender Street there is Whistler Brewing Co’s Powder Mountain Lager by the bottle and at the New Westminster location the sliders come accompanied by R & B Brewing’s Sun Gold Wheat Ale on tap.

Three mini-burgers with frites and brew combo only $17.50 on Food Day Canada, August 4, 2012. Join us to celebrate the diversity of our country’s rich culinary culture.

For updates on Wild Rice, check out Wild Rice’s web site at www.wildricevancouver.com.