Oktoberfest at JW Marriott Hotel Dubai

Oh how time flies! Can't believe it's already the last quarter of the year. And to kick off the month, Hofbräuhaus, the popular Oktoberfest venue, is opening its doors to a live German band, hearty food and merrier times.

We already experienced Maifest before, which is somewhat similar to Oktoberfest in terms of the festivities and food, so we somehow already knew what to expect with Oktoberfest in Dubai. We were supposed to have it on the first Saturday of October, but because it's a holiday in Dubai, October 1 was declared as a dry day (no alcohols are being served from 6pm to 6am). Oktoberfest (Munich Beerfest) won't be complete without beers so we re-scheduled to the following Saturday instead.

It felt like we were transported to a different place as the authentically German vibe was evident the moment we got to the restaurant. From the menu and live band to the decors and cheery staff complete in dirndl and lederhosen, this restaurant and bar have been licensed from the original Hofbräuhaus in Munich to guarantee an authentic German experience.

Hearty meals accompany generous portions of Bavarian cuisine and the ales are straight from the cellars of the Fatherland. We sampled a hearty Bavarian fare and delicious German brews. We started the night with a basket of freshly baked pretzels and Bavarian bread along with spreads. Mark also got his favorite Jaeger Bomb while I had the Oktoberfest Beer.

Among the breads, the pretzels were a hit. It's soft yet chewy texture felt good in my mouth. Also not sure what it was, but I liked the brown spread. It was sweet and tangy and went perfectly well with the subtle saltiness of the pretzel. I think the yellow one has mustard and it somehow tasted like mild wasabi.

I don’t like beer much, I prefer cocktail drinks, but the beer that I had was good I opted for a second round. I loved that it didn’t have the bitter taste. Mark, as always, enjoyed his Jaeger bomb that he had 3 rounds of it! :p

If you love meat, specifically pork, you'll enjoy the German cuisine. Hofbräuhaus' menu mostly comprises of pork dishes, and so Mark and I, being from a country who eats pork, were spoilt for choice! It took us a while to decide what to have, good thing the staff who attended to us suggested their best sellers—sausage platter and crispy pork knuckle. We had to tame all the cholesterol down, so we also got some grilled veggies. :D

The Originale HB Wurstplatte (original mixed sausage platter) came in a hefty cast iron. It consisted of three sausages—Frankfurter, grilled Bratwurst sausage, Weisswurst (Bavarian white sausage)—and Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage). All sausages were meaty and had that smokey taste, but I must give it up for the Bratwurst sausage. I loved its distinct peppery taste, perfect with the pickled cabbage.

Originale HB Wurstplatte
Frankfurter, grilled Bratwurst sausage, Weisswurst (Bavarian white sausage) Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage)

The star of our table was Schweinshaxe, in German cuisine, it's crispy pork knuckle. Very similar to our very own Crispy Pata. It also comes with Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage). Mark, who has not been home for almost three years, immediately dug into its goodness! With its crackling skin that's crispy and meat that's fork-tender and juicy, Hofbräuhaus' Schweinshaxe is by far the best pork knuckle that I've had in Dubai!

Schweinshaxe (crispy pork knuckle) with Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage)

Hofbräuhaus' Schweinshaxe is by far the best pork knuckle that I've had in Dubai! Tweet

For desserts, Mark chose Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (black forest cake), while I had Kaiserchmarrn, Apfelmus, Vanilleeis (shredded pan cake with apple compote and vanilla ice cream). Both were suggested by the staff and I'm glad they didn't disappoint.

Between Mark and I, he's more into black forest cakes. I don't like the wet and mushy texture of the cake base of the black forest, but this version is different. It had just thin layers of cake with lots of cream filling and shredded chocolate. This one I liked!

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake)

The shredded pancake did not only look gorgeous but also tasted heavenly! The pancakes had that crispy crust which goes down into a soft fluffy core in every bite. The apple compote had the perfect combination of sweetness and tang and was made more delectable by the vanilla ice cream!

Kaiserchmarrn, Apfelmus, Vanilleeis (shredded pan cake with apple compote and vanilla ice cream)

They also have the traditional toast ceremony which Mark has been very giddy about. :p Party goers are not allowed to drink before the Mayor of Munich has uncorked the first keg of brew. This traditional ceremony is called ‘O’zapft is’ -‘They Untaps!’

Although the food and drinks were outstanding, the overall vibe wasn't much as how I expected it to be unlike what he had with our Maifest experience. But it started to get lively when people flocked when it was almost midnight. So yeah, I guess we were just a bit early. :p

Make sure to get your dirndl and lederhosen on and try out their à la carte menus on weekdays or buffet packages on Thursdays and Fridays. German guest Chef J. Hellner from Hofbräuhaus Munich will be running the show from 23 to 29 October.

Oktoberfest 2016

29 September - 28 October 2016, 6pm-2am

AED 295 buffet with soft beverages

AED 395 buffet with house beverages

A la carte menu on weekdays

HOFBRAUHAUS, JW MARRIOTT HOTEL DUBAI

Ground Level, Marriott Hotel Dubai
Next to Hamarain Shopping Centre
Abu Baker Al Siddique Road, Al Muraqqabat
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
+971 (0)4 6077977
+971 (0)4 6077009
* Table booking recommended.

We were guests at Hofbräuhaus and our meal was complimentary, but as always, this post is sincerely written and all views and opinions are my own.

All photos and videos were taken with iPhone 6s Plus.