Celebrating Oktoberfest with La Brasserie
1 Comment
Bruce Nguyen
October 29, 2009
Oktoberfest: A time for bavarian beer, lederhosen, and delicious sacrifices of the hog-kind. I’m sure there’s more to it – a rich history of royal wedding celebrations mixed with the reunification of Germany – but all I’m expecting from the German festival are knee-breeches, one-litre steins, and a sacrificial pig. Earlier this month, La Brasserie met all my expectations and then some.
The celebration
Reaching its first anniversary, small Franco-German bistro La Brasserie cleared its tables and opened its doors for an Oktoberfest celebration earlier this month. Men in lederhosen, women in dirndl, and a whole lot of (partially alcohol induced) platonic love were ready to greet you at the door.
The first part of the evening was by media-invite only. Established magazines to new local food bloggers made it a varied crowd bound by a common passion.
The food
While La Brasserie offers a special limited-time Oktoberfest menu, on this day a slightly different selection of German favourites was made available: suckling pig sandwiches, in-bone roast chicken, soft pretzels, bratwurst, and the expected selection of beers on tap.
If the term ’suckling pig’ sounds deliciously disturbing, that’s because it is. Think pork veal. Think succulent pork veal on rye with a healthy dose of sauerkraut. Now imagine that available on a kaiser roll, too.
Hungry yet? Yeah, me too. It’s funny how things that taste so good and comforting in sandwich form can taste even better in mini-hamburger form.
The pretzels were a definite hit, with the Tiny Bites team gobbling up more than our fair share. They were leaning a touch on the salty side for my tastes, but the quality of the fresh-baked breading more than made up for it. If you’re ever lucky enough to see these on the menu, order them quick because they’re not likely to show up again. To paraphrase one of the cooks, ‘they’re a bitch to roll’.
The wurst was far from the worst (yuk, yuk) and all together it brought back fond memories of my brief stint in Germany, where my typical backpacker’s lunch consisted of street vendor provided bratwurst, pretzels, and beer.
Only, this time I didn’t have to first ask, “Sprechen Sie Englisch?”
La Brasserie
1091 Davie Street | Vancouver
(604) 568-6499
Categories: Downtown, Events, Food, Restaurants
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