Oktoberfest is known and recognized in many countries with celebrations in the German town of Munich, Bavaria lasting for 16 days in the month of September. As one of the country’s most famous events (who doesn’t want a chance to make merry, drink lots of beer and eat traditionally prepared food like sauerkraut (red cabbage), schweinsbraten (roast pork), käsespätzle (cheese noodles) and hendl (chicken)?), the traditional festive cheer has also spread to other countries around the world.
In Malaysia, Oktoberfest is a festival many look forward to as a joyful, beer and food-filled event and this was no different at W.I.P. at Bangsar Shopping Centre when the restaurant held their first Oktoberfest on 9 October. While many of the restaurant patrons dined indoors, those joining in the celebrations were ushered to tables outside. The waiters and waitresses were appropriately clad in traditional Bavarian costumes – lederhosens for the guys and beer wench dresses of bright red for the girls. We were filled to the brim with steins of local and German beer and tall glasses of fruit juice specially squeezed at W.I.P.’s designated juice bar.
When it came down to tucking into some German delicacies, we didn’t falter in the slightest. The roast beef and gravy was succulent and tenderly melt-in-your-mouth, while the hendl –wrapped sausage on a bed of sauerkraut and cheese noodles was flavourful, with the accompaniments providing the perfect complements. Another dish was sausages atop a bed of mashed potato and pickled green cabbage, which was lip-smacking hearty, followed by crispy calamari rings with tangy chilli sauce and a bowl of chicken wings. To finish off the delicious meal, a platter of freshly-cut fruit was served.
Throughout our meal, we were serenaded by music made by an authentic German band. The organisers had flown in the Inntaler Musikanten to make the occasion more festive and festive it was, when they encouraged clapping, more drinking and sing-alongs amongst the crowd when they emerged. Marching in as a group in lederhosens, topped off with a jaunty hat with a feather while sounds of the guitar, tuba and drums filled the air, Inntaler Musikanten received a round of applause and soon launched into their first set of upbeat, traditional German melodies complete with dancing, foot-stomping. The group even paused to toast the crowd after every song and sang a German toasting song while doing so. What impressed the crowd even more was when they began toasting in Cantonese, thus encouraging the crowd to yell “Yam seng!” along with them.
We had to bid farewell soon after Inntaler Musikanten’s first set but we exited feeling most excited and happy having had a taste of what a ‘real’ Oktoberfest was like.
