Oktoberfest 2014 Opening Night at Paulaner Brauhaus, Jakarta

Just got back from the Opening Night of Oktoberfest 2014 at Paulaner Brauhaus, Grand Indonesia and I am so excited I am gonna blog about it right now. Paulaner claims that this year remarks its biggest Oktoberfest yet and I was so glad to be invited to the opening night.

What is Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest is the world’s largest fun fair held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16-day festival usually running from late September to the first weekend in October. This event is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. The festival has to include the first Sunday in October so the length varies from 17 to 18 days depend on the date of first Sunday.

Paulaner is always crowded whenever I visit it, and I always love the lively atmosphere inside the restaurant, but tonight it was even crazier. As the opening night guests are mostly invited guests, we needed some kind of paper bracelet to wear all the time, probably to differentiate us from non invitation parties as it was still open for public too. I arrived earlier so it was still a bit quiet but later on, the place was fully-packed with people and I totally love the energetic crowds!

To bring up the real Oktoberfest Bavarian touch, there is also X’elch’ten Band, a renowned German band which is being flown in from Europe to play Bavarian folk music and entertain guests.

Since 1950, there has been a traditional festival opening: a twelve gun salute and the tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer with the cry “O’zapft is!”, which means “It’s tapped!” in Austro-Bavarian dialect, symbolizing the opening of Oktoberfest. This ritual called “Anstich”, which is tapping the first litre of specially brewed Oktoberfest Bier, and in Paulaner, was done by the brewmaster, Mr. Arie Susanto.

Pretzel, pretzel!

Oktoberfest Bier

So it’s not Oktoberfest without its signature beer, so don’t be fooled although it looks like regular Paulaner beer! This Oktoberfest Bier from Paulaner is full-bodied and has pleasant taste, pairs beautifully with Paulaner’s roast chicken or pork knuckle. The difference with the usual lager beer is its stronger alcohol content of 5% per volume, and the specific gravity of the Oktoberfest Bier is also slightly higher, starting at 13.5%. With a hint of malty sweetness, it boasts the perfect balance of strength and flavour.

For the food, there are 2 platters, one is cold cuts and appetizers and the other one is meat galore. Time after time I enjoy Paulaner dishes and I fall in love every time I come back. The Brotzeit Plate offers so many beautifully-presented cold cuts, cheese, and fresh salads, accompanied by plated salads and my favorite liver paté EVER. I mean I don’t always eat paté because I don’t really like the texture of liver, but well, here it is perfect. The Oktoberfest Platter much or less resembles Paulaner’s most bestselling platter, and tonight I was lucky because the pork knuckle was superb. The skin was extremely crispy and the meat was so thick that I got so full although we shared it for 3 person. Seriously, I am never disappointed.

Paulaner “Brotzeit” Plate

Oktoberfest Platter

Dessert
Mixed berry compote with vanilla sabayon
Emperor’s Pancake with apple compote

Loved this, the mixed berry compote was fruity and rich, neutralized by the soft and smooth vanilla sabayon, lovely!

And guess what? There was a girl offering shots of Jagermeister around, and since I was in party mood I didn’t even think twice and ordered one.

Jagermeister IDR 80K/shot
As a herbal liquor drink made with 56 herbs and spices, Jagermeister is quite mild in my opinion. In contrary to what some people think, it is quite throat-friendly and much more enjoyable than they think. Personally, I kinda think the taste resembles cough syrup like V*cks, perhaps because of the strong taste of licorice and anise, and I love it.

The Event

Oktoberfest in Paulaner starts from September 24 to September 28, 2014 from 6.30 PM, with only IDR 688K/person (nett), it already includes family-style Bavarian food and free flow of Oktoberfest Bier.

Please note that during those dates, Paulaner Brauhaus will be closed from 3 – 6 PM for preparation of the nights.

P.S. Insider info is they are fully booked already and no longer accepts reservation anymore but in case you really want to join, heard they only can squeeze you in on the 28th (Sunday), so make sure to reserve fast to secure a table! 😉

PROST!