Brotzeit: German Lunch Specials + Bavarian Tea Time

Even as a big foodie, there are still a lot of local and foreign cuisines I haven't much delved into yet. One of which is German cuisine. To be honest, all I know about this particular fare are their schnitzels, sausages and sauerkraut. But with the equally German cuisine-unoriented beau in tow, we visited Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant earlier this month not just to sample their Lunch Specials and Bavarian Tea Time menus, but also to educate ourselves more about the interesting German fare.

Brotzeit which stemmed from the German words brot or bread and zeit or time, is a Singaporean-owned bar and restaurant offering world-famous German beers and authentic Bavarian Cuisine. Aside from several outlets in Singapore, Brotzeit also has branches in Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Thailand and now, the Philippines.

Located in front of Shangri-la Plaza's new East Wing stands Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant. It's beside Pages Deli, and accessible only from its street level entrance.

The restaurant already looks pretty big from the outside, but I was quite surprised after setting foot into Brotzeit. The place is really spacious! Donned with clean lines, blacks, whites and wooden furnishing, Brotzeit exudes huge doses of simplicity mixed with just the right amount of sophistication and cozy. There are couch seats on both sides of the dining space, cushion-equipped bench seating, and of course, bar stools.

✓ Original Münchner Lager (Klein)
Klein 0.3L (P165 before 6PM, P200 after 6PM); Halbe 0.5L (P250 before 6PM, P300 after 6PM);
Mass 1L (P445 before 6PM, P540 after 6PM)

Speaking of which, I got to try the Original Münchner Lager from their bar. Even if I'm not really a beer drinker, I sure didn't want to miss the chance to sample this Paulaner, the best-selling Munich Lager in the world. Described on the menu as clean, happy nose, and with a clear golden color, I found this German beer pretty light, crisp, refreshing and slightly sweet. I especially love its foam, mellow with a hint of citrus notes. But of course, having 4.9% alcohol, there was a bitter aftertaste. Very tolerable and easy-drinking even for a rare beer drinker like myself though. (The beau shares the same sentiments.)

The Lunch Specials

Most of the main dishes at Brotzeit are priced around the P500 mark. But if you're just by yourself, with a friend or a date, in for a nice, filling yet more budget-friendly weekday lunch, then you have to check these Lunch Special dishes out!

Zigeunerschnitzel - Vagabond Schnitzel (P275)

First among the 3 items on Brotzeit's Lunch Specials is the Zigeunerschnitzel also called the Vagabond Schnitzel. This hearty dish comes with 3 filling pieces of pork chops with capsicum, pickles and onions done 2 ways in a light tomato sauce. Although I don't know how this dish is really supposed to taste, both the beau and I agreed that this is a pretty good meal, flavor-wise and portion-wise. Taste is a little more on the tart side, but I dig the sauce since I'm a big tomato lover. The chops were cooked nicely too, soft and tender, although I would've preferred them a little less done.

✓ Hausspiess - Skewer (P295)

Next on the menu was our most favorite dish, the Hausspiess or Skewer. This platter comes with a skewer of grilled sausages, chicken breast, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, onions and capsicum, served with fries, tomato sauce (similar to the Zigeunerschnitzel's) and herb butter on the side. This restaurant is famous for its homemade sausages, so it's a no brainer why we instantly fell in love with this item. The accompanying elements were really good too! All the meats in the skewer were moist, tender, savory and packed with flavor. The fries were surprisingly tasty, and the tomato sauce and herb butter helped add more dimension to the meats. Yum!

✓ Peterfisch - Dory Fish (P250)

The healthiest option on the menu was the Peterfisch or Dory Fish. Served with potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, lemon and herb butter, this dish is unbelievably filling. The fish itself was cooked nicely -- soft, tender and moist, but it was definitely the herb butter that made this very enjoyable. I loved the veggies too, especially with a coat or two of the butter. If I have to be really nitpicky though, my only qualm would be the soft carrots. I would've loved them crunchy.

From what I know, Brotzeit changes its Lunch Specials menu from time to time. I'm not so sure if these items will still be available in a month or two. But personally, I hope they'd make these staples, most especially the Hausspiess!

Brotzeit's Lunch Specials is available from Mondays to Fridays (excluding public holidays), 11AM to 2PM. You can also add P100 to avail of either the Soup of the Day or the Garden Salad.

Bavarian Tea Time

Aside from filling and budget-friendly treats for weekday lunch, Brotzeit has also rolled out its Bavarian Tea Time menu to offer us light but delectable items we can leisurely snack on while enjoying a cup of an afternoon tea or coffee.

Every order comes with a choice of Twinings Tea or Illy Coffee Americano with one free refill.

Salmon Tartare (P120)

Since I love salmon, I definitely enjoyed this serving of Salmon Tartare. It's pretty simple and very straight-forward -- raw salmon with cucumber, tomatoes, lime juice, dill and other seasonings. Nothing fancy, but I appreciated that they used whole wheat bread.

✓ Laugenstangerl mit Schinken - Brezn Sticks with Ham (P120)

The previous item is pretty light, but not this Laugenstangerl mit Schinken or Brezn Sticks with Ham which I call a sandwich, filled with ham, egg, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and finished off with mayo. Unlike regular sandwiches though, this uses a unique bread, one made from pretzel dough, and this gives off a subtle saltiness and an interesting chewy and slightly tough texture that I find addicting. The beau didn't quite dig the unique bread, but I'll gladly have this again on my next visit.

Palatschinken mit Nougat - Crepes with Banana and Nutella (P150)

For my fellow sweet-toothed friends, there's the Palatschinken mit Nougat we can surely enjoy. Also known as Crepes with Banana and Nutella, it's simple and straight-forward using the classic banana and Nutella combo. I'm sure you all know how good this duo is! So just imagine it tucked inside a thin, creamy sheet of crepe. Yum!

✓ Apfelstrudel mit Vanille Sauce - Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce (P180)

I've recently been hooked to apple strudels, so this Apfelstrudel mit Vanille Sauce successfully snatched the title as my favorite among the Bavarian Tea Time items. Even without the vanilla sauce, the strudel was very enjoyable. With a combination of apple, cinnamon and raisins in a sweet layered pastry, how can this go wrong?

These items from the Bavarian Tea Time menu come with tea or coffee, plus one free refill. For our trip, I chose to enjoy my afternoon tea time with what else but tea, Twinings in Pure Camomile. The beau on the other hand, had a cup of Illy Coffee Americano.

Brotzeit's Bavarian Tea Time is available from Mondays to Fridays (excluding public holidays), 3PM to 6PM. Again, all orders come with a choice of Twinings Tea or Illy Coffee Americano, with one free refill.

THE VERDICT

As someone who's not yet too acquainted with German cuisine or even Bavarian fare, I can say that I found myself enjoying my time at Brotzeit. Unlike Chinese, Thai or Filipino cuisine where dishes are really dynamic in flavor, I've found Brotzeit's fare to be simpler and straight-forward, strongly highlighting the natural flavors of the ingredients without relying too much on condiments and seasoning. Will I come back to try them again? Of course! The Lunch Specials aren't only good for the palate, but also budget-friendly and can feed even 2 people. The Bavarian Tea Time menu on the other hand, offers reasonably-priced items sure to make a guest's visit a leisurely stay.

So to Brotzeit, we'll be sure to come back again soon, both for the beer and for the food!

Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 4/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant, Shangri-la Plaza Mall
Unit 112 Street Level, Shangri-la Plaza Mall,
Shaw Blvd. cor. EDSA, Wack Wack
Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 631-1489; 668-4635
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