Brotzeit @ VivoCity

The initial plan to embarrass me with a candlelit cake AND a birthday song sung by the staff of Brotzeit did not materialize fully. The cake was there, but the song did not come with it. I guess something went wrong in the planning and thank gawd for that! The cake, or the Weissbier Tiramisu (S$10.50) was exceptional.

I got a little suspicious when BeerGirl (aka BG aka Tasmanian Girl aka Xiu Long Bao) did not order dessert. How could she when there were a few interesting signature desserts on the menu?

Not rum or kahlua, the tiramsu was actually infused with reduced Paulaner! The creamy froth that topped it went very well with the soft sponges and chocolate. Lighter than most and sufficiently soaked in beer, it has got to be one of the better desserts I have had in restaurants recently.

BG loves exquisite beer, which is cool. So, I guess Brotzeit was a good idea from her since she was able to drown herself in the endless list of beers while I chomped (most of) the meat. I must admit that this is not a good place for photography as it gets really dark after sunset but hey, we are here to eat and to get drunk. If al fresco is your thing, reserve the table where you actually face the sea for an additional conversation piece.

So, happy hour it was and BG had the Hefe-Weissbier Paulaner (Halbe 0.5L - S$11.90), described as a typical beer from Munich; top fermented, unfiltered, made with wheat malt, naturally cloudy with vitamins and hints of banana. Oh, the number one Weissbier in Germany as well.

I like my beer dark and dense, like Portishead’s Sour Times. Looking at the menu, I guess the Original Munich Dunkel Paulaner (Halbe 0.5L - S$12.50), a dark lager beer from Munich which was made from caramel malts suited me best. It certainly did not disappoint with its rich malt taste.

The Brotzeitflade Bayern (S$18.50) must have been the German version of a pizza. I’m reading off the menu, “thin crust fladenbrot with tomatoes, emmenthaler cheese, black forest ham, mild green peppers, cocktail onions and mushrooms”. Certainly a multitude of toppings there, I must say. The texture of the crust was harder and tougher than any of them Italian savoury pancakes but I guess in general, after downing a few pints, everything should go soft in the mouth. The yellow mustard was a contrastingly delicious complement.

At S$36.00, the oven roasted crispy pork knuckle with sauerkraut and potato salad was quite a deal as it could easily feed four or two very hungry white-collar workers like us. Loved the moist, tender meat and the cauliflower-looking skin, roasted to crispy perfection. Slightly bland but then again, its German and not Chinese siew yoke.

When it comes to German food outings, I try to not miss the sausages. Since the birthday berry was allowed to choose whatever he wanted (from the menu), the thick-skinned him went for the kill and ordered the Würstelplatte (S$32.50), a platter of assorted sausages including spicy chicken, lamb, mini pork cheese, weisswurst and garlic. Each distinctively flavoursome yet shared the same commendable softly firm texture. It came with more sauerkraut (which I secretly wished it could be substituted with a bowl of rice) and mustard. We left the plate almost squeakily clean, save for some inches which we could really swallow no more.

Thank you BG for the beery porky dinner which was fantastic!

I heard she came again, the following week.

*Burp*

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant
VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk,
#01-149/151
Singapore 098585
Tel: (65) 6272 8815
http://www.brotzeit1516.com

Read BG’s take here.