Pork knuckles topped with sauerkraut, an array of grilled sausages, salads, cheese, ham and cakes… I can almost wax lyrical about it. And have I already mentioned the beers? FreshGrads brings you the wonderful Sunday brunch at the Paulaner Brauhaus – a great reason to get out of bed on a sleepy weekend.
The Food:
Paulaner Brauhaus and Restaurant offers a healthy range of original Bavarian dining that compliments the Paulaner’s masterly brewed beer excellently. For $50, enjoy the Fruhschoppen (which happily means morning pint) Sunday German brunch with free flow Paulaner beers. It is worth ditching the healthy lifestyle for!
For lovers of red meat, be bowled over by the delicious pork knuckles paired with the traditional sauerkraut. The combination of firm red meat and crunchy skin with finely shredded fermented cabbage is a delight for the taste buds, especially with a swig of Paulaner.
Another hit was the juicy pork leg, served by an attentive chef stationed by the wooden chopping board. Show an interest and he will whip out his carving knife to serve you a generous portion. Yum!
Compliment the abundance of meat with greens to curb the guilt; Paulaner has a good range of green offerings. Try the Farmer’s Salad with feta cheese and olives, tomato salad with herb vinaigrette or the cucumber salad topped with dill.
I, however, zeroed in on the warm potato salad with chives – a creamy mix of carbohydrate goodness – and the seafood salad, which was a refreshing mix of squid, shelled mussels and crab.
Of course, drink plenty of beer! Paulaner Lager is medium bodied, with a slight malt sweetness and fruity, wheaty flavour; the Dark shares the sweetness but has a toasted malt flavour that finishes dry. Both are, of course, great with the Bavarian menu.
Finish up the delicious meal with sweet offerings – chocolate fondue with skewered fruits, Movenpick ice cream, cake and fruits. Being a cake lover, I picked the blackforest, which put all other blackforest cakes I have tried to shame with its quality chocolate and cream, and a delightfully tangy passion fruit cake.
Another hit was the tiramisu-in-a-cup, a good version of the Italian with its rich cream and coffee flavour – with the hint of rum.
Give the chocolate fondue a miss though. The lack of choice in the items – there is only one choice of grape, honeydew and strawberry on a single skewer to be contended with – to be dipped is not helped by the wooden taste the fruits seem to have gotten from the skewers.
On hindsight, I realized I should have paced myself through the meal. My eager, hungry approach towards the brunch buffet got me through the meal too quickly; I missed the tasty looking tomato cream soup and the chocolate mousse cake, among others.
But, I will be back again!
The Mood:
Do not let the empty bar fool you like it did me; the action is hidden from public’s view by a lift – probably the only bar with their own to serve all their three floors – tucked in the corner.
The restaurant level, where the brunch is held, is a homey place, with its wooden furnishing and red tiles reminiscent of warm kitchens.
I was told that the setting was of a unique Bavarian atmosphere. The focal point of the restaurant was a huge Maibaum (Maypole), a 16th century Bavarian architectural feature. The spacious interior was also adorned with hangings of traditional Bavarian costumers and individual pendant lamps.
Unfortunately for my dining companions and myself, the uncomfortable stuffy air marred our visit – and our meal. I was assured that almost never happened; their air-conditioning was just faulty that day.
In all, it was a delightful experience that I would not mind getting out of bed for. The buffet goes for $50 (with free flow Paulaner beer) or $40 (with free flow soft drinks) from 11.30am to 2.30pm.
It is recommended to reserve your seats. For light eaters or late sleepers, you can opt for the ala-carte menu.
Visit [a href="http://www.freshgrads.sg/index.php/articles/lifestyle/dine/761-paulaner-brauhaus"]FreshGrads[/a] for pictures and comments!
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