We easily found our way to Paulaner Brauhaus one midweek night, and were ushered to the dining area on the second floor of the three-storey microbrewery. It was surprisingly empty, but that meant better service all around. The high ceiling coupled with warm country-styled décor provided a delightful balance of airy cool and warmth. As several dishes had German names (with descriptions in English), it was fun trying to pronounce them. We chose the gravlax of salmon. The generous serving tasted fresh, while the accompanying potato pancake was well mashed and lightly salted. Naturally, a German meal simply would not be complete if we did not attempt Paulaner’s signature pork knuckle—or gegrillte schweinshaxe. The meat was roasted to perfection with crispy crackling and moist meat, with the fatty bits melting in our mouths. The traditional bread dumpling, on the other hand, was disappointingly flat and dry. We ended our meal with Grandma’s Warm Apple Strudel, which had us almost licking our plates with its bourbon-vanilla sauce. The pastry was crisp, the apple filling warm and moist. If we had a German grandma, we’re pretty sure that’s the way she would have made one too. Full, we happily stayed on for a few more rounds of beer at the bar below.
