Deutschland Über Alles: Day 1 of Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2012 was epic!

I went to Munich, Germany, with my parents just for the sake of attending Oktoberfest. My parents aim for the beer, while I aim for the pork and pretzel. As an average alcohol tolerance, I ahve to say that beer is a bit hard for me to enjoy. It's bitter and it's fizzy, like soda, which I'm not fond of either. So, during my stay in Munich, I was far from finishing a quarter liter of Paulaner Weissbier. But my parents, on the other hand, managed to drink more than one and a half liter of beer a day. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a winner!

My parents' first liter of beer on our first day of Oktoberfest

It was at around four in the afternoon when we arrived at Goetheplatz. We immediately followed people in German traditional costume, because where there are dirndl and lederhosen, there will be Oktoberfest. After a ten minute walk, we arrived at one of the big entrance of Oktoberfest. I was mesmerized. Blinded by the sunshine, I spotted a gigantic Ferris Wheel and police in uniforms guarding the entrance. Without further do, we immediately entered the gate and started our quest for beer. 

There were lots of food stands at the Oktoberfest. They were colorful and very attractive, not to mention smelled good and looked mouth-watery. The first food stand that we visited was a peanut stand. Our favorite kind of nut was the genbrannte mandeln, or the sugar-coated almonds. Those almonds were glazed with melted sugar then sprinkled with some sugar. Those almonds were very very sweet and crunchy, it tasted delightful. Five pieces of those almonds would make you feel full, so easy on the munching if you still want to continue your epic food-venture.

This stand had all kinds of nuts

Pretty pricey for a bag of nuts, but it worth the price

A bag of genbrannte mandeln, or sugar-coated almonds

After we ate some sugary snacks, we headed to one of the so many big tents named Paulaner Beer Garden. We were going to have early dinner inside the tent, but there were no available seats left, so we ate at the tent's backyard. We ordered two liters of beer and a plate of Pork Snitchzel. I don't drink beer, so  I ordered a glass of water that costed me 4 €. I expected a cold and thirst-quenching water, but I got a glass of fizzy sparkling water. As a person who dislikes soda, it was a torture. Oh, and, did I mention that I had a sore throat back then? Those bubbly water made me felt like there were sand papers flowing down my throat. 

The Pork Snitchzel, on the other hand, tasted amazing! The outer skin was very crispy and the meat is well-cooked. It came with some companions, which were a clump of potato salad that tasted sour and refreshing, a spoonful of pomegranate sauce which tasted like rum and was not that enjoyable for me, and some slices of red radish. My parents and I shared the entire Pork Snitchzel, and it was an awesome opening meal to start our adventure in Oktoberfest.

Paulaer Beer Garden

Met a bunch of stranger during our stay at the Beer Garden

A plate of Pork Snitchzel that tasted great

Pomegranate sauce that tasted like rum 

Had a glass of fizzy watter instead of Paulaner Weissbier

A brief explanation on what Oktoberfes is. Oktoberfest is a 16-days beer festival, held in Munich, Germany, usually on late September until the beginning of October. The event take place at an enormous area called the Theresienwiese, or the meadow of Therese. The place is jammed-pack with big tents, uncountable food corners, amusement rides, beer in gigantic glass, and ladies with big boobs in Dirndl. People attend Oktoberfest for one thing, and on thing only.. BEER.

This year's Oktoberfest started on the 22nd of September and will end on the 7th of October. I managed to attend the festival for two days in a row, which were on September 26th and September 27th. The meadow turned into a sea of drunk people in just a blink of an eye. You would bump in to a lot of people, most of them had a big glass on their right hands and a snack on their left. Don't be fooled by the word "snack". At Oktoberfest, "snack" can refer to brezen (or pretzel), bratwurst (or sausage in a bun, similar to a hotdog), weisswurst (or a white sausage made out of minced veal and pork bacon), pork steak in a bun, pomme frites (or french fries), chocolate glazed fruits in a stick, and even half-a-meter-long sausage. So much for your potato chips. 

My next stop was at a hotdog stand, or a bratwurst stand, where they sell half-a-meter-long sausage. Yes, half a meter! Again, my parents and I share this particular long bratwurst so that we still have room for more food, and beer. 

If someone were to ask me, "Hey, Kinan, what kind of sausage is your favorite?" then my answer will be "GERMAN SAUSAGES!" with capital everything, emphasizing on both words, with my hands locked on my waist and my legs nailed to the rotating earth, with pride, and the epic mount fuji and wave of the ocean as the background. German sausages are beyond delicious! If you think your local product sausage is good, then German sausages are Chuck-Norris-good. 

The skin is far from flexible and it's very crunchy, like the texture of a balloon, it even make sound when you take a bite of the first end of the sausage. "Kletus!" that's what my Dad said when he describe the awesomeness of the sausage, mimicking the sound that the sausage's skin produced when we destroy it with our teeth. Our "kletus" is similar to your "crack", the sound when you crack your elbow. Then, juice and oil will come out from the nicely grilled sausage, it can even squirt out if you bite it with force. Oh, and do keep in mind that those sausages are mostly pork, so you can imagine how delicious they tasted. 

"One bratwurst coming right up!"

My half-a-meter-long sausage in a bun

Dats me comparing the sausage with my arm (Photo taken by my Dad).

My quest for delicious German cuisine continued. There were so many food corners, I was too excited I wanted to try them all. I was surrounded with people, munching on food which looked alien to me, until I spotted someone who was eating chocolate-glazed fruits on a stick. I have to agree that that particular treat is pretty easy to make, I can even make myself a stick or two of those chocolate fruit, but the urge to have at least a stick was unbearable. I decided to look for the food stand, and I finally found it an hour later.

Glasierte fruchte. I'm guessing that it means "glazed fruits". I stepped in to the counter and was welcomed by so many chocolate-covered fruits. There were strawberries, grapes, pineapples, bananas, and even chilly pepper, coated in three different chocolates, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. I repeat, there were chilly peppers covered in chocolate! They were pretty cost-y, 4 € for a stick of strawberries and 1.50 €  for a chilly pepper. I ended up choosing chocolate-milk-covered banana because it looked delicious and appealing, and it turned out that it tasted better than I expected! The banana was so ripe, so it was sweet and soft, and the milk chocolate was very very delicious. It costed me 3 €, but I don't mind.

The almighty Glasierte fruchte

Lots of interesting choices, I had difficulties in choosing what I want to have

What on earth is a weintrauben?

A customer, choosing what he would like to have for an evening snack

I'm guessing that it is a white-chocolate-glazed mixed fruits

My milk-chocolate-coated banana that tasted sweet and milky

After finishing my chocolate banana, I went to another food corner that sells sweets and I bought myself a sweet treat named Krokant. I don't know what that is, or what it is made of, but it tasted nice. I'm not quite fond of it though, because the inner part that looked like artificial snow that you can find at Ace Hardware tasted sweet, yet gassy. It tasted nice, but not much to my liking. 

Lots of different flavored Krokant

Don't judge food by its' lovely appearance

Night fell and the Theresienwiese got even more crowded, but it didn't stopped my parents to settle down at a rather small beer garden and have half-a-liter glass of Paulaner Weissbier. My throat got worst from drinking cold water and gulping down food abruptly, so I began my quest for hot beverages. I was lucky to find myself a Coffee joint not far from the beer garden. I went full Flash and headed straight to the joint. There, I ordered myself a glass of hot chocolate, that costed me 4.10 € and it was the best drink I have drank, and purchased, since the entire day. Good Lord, the warm liquid running down my throat tasted heavenly, my throat danced with joy.

The Coffee joint lady, preparing to make a drink

Best menu I have seen so far on that day

Warm and foamy hot chocolate at your service!

Before my parents and I headed back to the hotel, we made a quick pit stop at a meat stand and bought ourselves dinner. This time, I had a sausage that has melted cheese inside, so was my Mom, while Dad fill himself with half-a-meter-long sausage and Pomme Frites. The best dinner I had in a week so far!

"This long," said the sausage man

Flip them half-a-meter-long sausages like a sausage boss

What is this, heaven?

Dad's dinner

Mom's dinner

Dad's afer-meal snack

My goal was to eat and I went for a touchdown. Imagine a soccer field full of perfectly cooked meat and aromatic sugar-glazed almonds, how can a heavy eater like me not went barbaric? I pigged-out, in a still proper and humanly way, and I regret nothing. All those Bavarian delicacy worth a weight-gain!

When I went back to the hostel, I immediately used the free wifi provided to check up on a few things, including my foursquare account. I checked in at the hostel I was staying, which was Munich Park Youth Hostel, and it turned out that the hostel had a special promo for those who use foursquare. I got myself a heart-shaped ginger bread cookie and a 50% discount at the hostel's bistro for any kind of coffee. Free stuff at its' best, those ginger bread cookie worth 4 €. My day was made!

My Oktoberfest ginger break cookie

Deutschland Über Alles: I'm On My Way

I was on my way to Munich, Germany, with Qatar Airways. 21J is where I was seated, next to my Mom and Dad. Luckily, adjacent to me was the aisle, I didn't have to jump over a stranger just for the sake of emptying my bladder. It was a six-hour-flight. I packed some candies and munchies incase I got hungry along the way, but then came on of Qatar Airways' steward with a meal tray. 

"Would you like to have the Pancake, or the Omelette," he asked. At first, I was ready to order myself some Pancakes, but my tongue suddenly longed for something savory, so I ended up choosing the Omelette. It turned out, it wasn't a bad decision.

My breakfast meal

I opened the aluminum-covered plastic bowl and found myself a triangle-shaped Omelette, with sausage on its' side, complete with some slices of potato and mushroom with tomatoes. Next to the plastic bowl, there was another plastic bowl, yet smaller, filled with fresh fruits. Red grape, green grape, papaya, and pineapple. Mini Croissant and a butter roll were also sighted on my meal tray, along with butter, strawberry jam, and cream cheese.

The delicious main course

The main course was very delicious and enjoyable! Even though I hate mushroom with all my guts, I managed to finish them, along with the remaining tomato sauce. The sausage though had a funny texture and flavor. It tasted good, don't get me wrong, but it gave the impression of eating a rubber sandal. Not that I have tasted a rubber sandal before. There were small chunks of meat inside the Omelette.. or diced mushroom, either way the meal was great!

Some companions for my bread

Fruits for dessert

"What would you like to drink," asked the handsome steward. "A glass of water, and some apple juice, please," I replied. He handed me two cups of drinks and I started to dig in. I was aware by the fact that there were a cup of yogurt and a cup of Orange juice as well, but since I was too full, I keep them in the paper bag for rainy days. 

The thirst-quenching Orange juice

When I was halfway there, the steward came again with his meal tray, handing some snacks and drinks for the passengers. I got myself a bag of chocolate biscuit and a cup of apple juice. "The biscuit tasted great and not that sweet," approved Dad. I munched the chocolate biscuit while having a movie marathon. Treasure Planet was on air, ladies and gentleman, my all-time favorite movie! I sat there like a good girl and watch Jim fighting against bad guys for the remaining hour before I arrived at Munich.

Snack time!

Munchy's tasty chocolate-coated biscuit

The Comic Cafe Rises

I finally made it to Comic Cafe, yaaaaaay! My friend, Memes, told me about this funky restaurant a while ago and I have been dying to rest my butt in that place ever since. "The restaurant is very unique, it's decorated with drawings of comic characters, and the food is great, and there are comics available in that restaurant for you to read," said Memes. How can a person don't want to eat at such place?

Yesterday, I met Memes and her Mom at the Medical Checkup Center. After we took care of everything we need to do, we headed to Epicentrum Walk to have lunch at the second location of Comic Cafe. The restaurant is very noticeable, you can tell by the nicely painted MARVEL and DC Comics characters on the walls and the speech balloon with writings of "Comic Cafe" on it. When I entered the restaurant, I was mesmerized. 

The sight of the beautifully decorated Comic Cafe

The wall was filled with action figures and comic books trapped in a glass box, there were Super Saiyan and Flash hanging on the ceiling, the walls were drawn with scanned comic books, manga characters, and hands of some MARVEL characters, such as Ironman, Spiderman, and the Hulk. The restaurant is two stories high, and we had lunch at the second story. And the chairs, don't get me start on the chairs, has prints of comic on it! I spotted the one with Detective Conan manga and some other manga about baseball and tennis. Some chairs also has printed silhouette of some famous animated characters on it, like Tintin, Hello Kitty, Tom Cat, and Donald Duck. You think you have seen it all? Wait until you see the menu!

Genius idea for decoration!

The menu, ladies and gentlemen, was also made by a genius. The style of the menu is like a comic, decorated with speech balloons, superhero characters fighting against monsters, and catchy names. It's like reading an actual comic book, but without a story line and it's about food superheroes! 

Comic Cafe's epic comic book menu

After long consideration, I decided to order myself a glass of Kiwi Iced Tea same as Memes' Mom, while Memes had a glass of Orange Iced Tea. My iced tea looked pretty odd. There were green liquid at the bottom of the glass, which I assumed as Kiwi syrup. If we stir the drink, the green syrup and the brown tea will collide, then the whole drink completely changed color into dull green. My iced tea looked like a crime scene. But, it was very refreshing and sweet, and I enjoy every slice of Kiwi! 

Our sweet and refreshing iced tea

Memes' Orange Iced Tea

Ibu Tati, or Memes' Mom's, Kiwi Iced Tea

Not a pretty sight for a thirst-quenching drink

I had a hard time in choosing what to have for lunch. The food seemed very attractive and fancy, I want to eat them all! They were not that expensive either, for example you can have a big plate of Pizza for only Rp 50.000,00. The spaghetti looked very delicious, not to mention the soup and salad, the steak as well. I was flustered, it's as if defeating Loki would be much easier than choosing a dish to eat!

Memes had a plate of Spaghetti Salmon Aglio Olio and a snack platter consisted of potato balls and fried chicken pop, while her Mom had a plate of Imperial Salad. Aglio Olio. The more you say the word, the funnier and weirder it will be. Aglio Olio. Aglio Olio. Aglio Olio. I can't even pronounce it right. When my dinning partner has this particular dish during meal, I automatically go, "May I have a spoonful of you ogliaoaliolio?" I tried a swirl of Memes' Salmon Aglio Olio and it tasted good, although I can't see why can't the dish be named "Spaghetti Salmon" without the oaglioaloio.

Where's the salmon in this Aglio?

Those cheese sticks on top of the Imperial Salad looked crunchy and tasty

Can you spot which Superheroes can be found in this snack platter?

After defeating Mr. Freeze and Joker, which was an easier thing to do compared to choosing what I want to have for lunch, I finally set my eyes on a unique and awesome dish. Its' name is Dark Knight Cheese Burger, a burger unlike any other burger that you can find here in Jakarta. It lurks in the dark, waiting for the right time to ambush bad guys and send them to prison. This burger, it has a loyal butler named Alfred, who took care of it since its' parents died. I obviously can tell that you can tell that I'm rambling.

The reason why the burger I ordered is named after Batman, is because the burger is black in color. Get it? Batman is the Dark Night, and he wears black suit. The burger's name is Dark Knight Cheese Burger, and it is black in color. Get it? Get it? I expected a grayish and burnt burger, but it turned out that the buns they used were charcoal black in color. What is this sorcery? 

The Dark Knight rises!

The burger sandwiched four kinds of vegetables, two kinds of sauce, a slice of cheese, and a grilled minced meat. Lettuce, tomatoes, pickle, onion ring, mayonnaise, ketchup were in it. As manly as the burger may sound, its' physical appearance resembled Krabby Patties' Pretty Patty. 

To me, the Dark Knight Cheese Burger was not suitable to be eaten like the usual burgers that you can get at Burger King or McDonald, the one where they are squashed until they are thin enough to be gobbled down. So, I decided to dig in like a Lady, using knife and fork. The vegetables were fresh and firm, but I was not in the mood for some vegetables so I didn't eat them. 

Started off by eating the cheese, then proceed to taste the black bun. The buns were very soft and delicious, but there's a hint of flavor in it. I'm not sure what it was, but I'm guessing it was sesame seeds. The grilled beef was delicious, and sweet and savory, but it had too much fat in it. It's like 50% meat and 50% fat, you can actually taste the chewy and greasy chunks. All in all, the burger was delicious though. I give a 7 for the Dark Knight Cheese Burger.

It's a Krabby Patty, can't you tell?

Black colored inside out

The burger came with a very salty french fries

Even the hot sauce is decorated with badass female heroin!

I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of my stay at Comic Cafe! Great food, awesome decoration, nice atmosphere, and it's a fine place to visit with your fellow MARVEL enthusiast. Other than MARVEL comic book, they also have some Japanese manga and Indonesian comics too, so for those who love local comics can get a glimpse of the traditional Ramayana stories as well.

Comic Cafe
Epicentrum Walk
Kuningan, Jakarta