Brauhaus @ Novena

My watering in the younger days, Brauhaus is one of the original pubs and clubs at the basement of United Square. Others are gone, but Brauhaus has survived with its original decor intact.

Owner/Founder/Chef Michael Chuah worked at a German restaurant in Ginza in his younger days but it was themed parties that he used to host in the guest house he lived at which inspired this beer aficionado to open Brauhaus upon his return to Singapore. One of its kind in Singapore, Brauhaus exudes an old charm with its wooden nicotine-stained ceilings and rustic german décor. 

The Sausages

What’s the staple of a German pub besides beer? Wursts, sauerkraut und pretzel. They were out of the typical German twisted pretzel, so we just ordered the sausages that came with sauerkraut and German potato salad.

Chipolata sausages are made from ground chicken seasoned with salt and pepper together with herbs and spices such as sage, thyme. Chipolata originated from France but is confused with the spicy versions from Americas, the not United parts. They can be served grilled or boiled, and tonight we had a boiled version that was really juicy but not much complex flavours, unlike the wursts.

As you can see, this is not a German wurst as it used a synthetic skin. The beef cheese sausage is a favourite as it has a bursting centre of molten cheese that will burn the mouth of unknowing pub crawlers. Käsekrainer is a quintessential Austrian gourmet delicacy, a type of sausage filled with small chunks of cheese. Once stuffed, the plump sausages are lightly smoked over applewood, giving this meat specialty a distinctive smoky aroma and flavour.

The Bratwursts

Bratwursts are a type of sausage, but not all sausages are bratwursts. You can find sausages at the supermarket or butcher shop with a natural or synthetic casing, whereas bratwursts usually have a natural casing made from animal intestines or animal skin. Some sausages are sold pre-cooked or smoked, so they do not require cooking. Bratwursts are sold fresh, with raw meat, so they require cooking.

One of the most famous of German sausages, second only to the Frankfurter Würstchen, the bratwurst or endearingly called “brat” a.k.a. minced meat is typically made from veal, beef or pork. The veal bratwurst was quite juicy and broiled instead of grilled.

Knoblauchwurst is a German garlic sausage, very popular in the Thuringia region and in former German city of Breslau (known today as Wrocław in western Poland). They come in many sizes but the ones we had tonight was done in a twisted pair and smaller, which made them good eats in a pub. Grilled perfectly and still retained the juiciness of the sausages. they burst with flavour with each bite.

Nuremberg bratwurst contain mace, pepper and marjoram in a recipe that dates back to the city’s heyday as a medieval trading town. To qualify as a Nuremberg sausage, the sausage must be no longer than 9cm and weigh no more than 25g. And the characteristic slimness of the sausage, as the legend went, was because during the Plague in medieval times, the sausages were made to be slotted through keyholes to prevent spreading of the disease. They had lockdowns even in medieval times!

The Rest of the Food

Beside sausages, Brauhaus serve many pub food that are influenced by Michael’s wide traveling experience.

This is not German, but Gambas Al Ajillo or garlic prawns was a great Spanish tapas for sharing. It would be great to have some bread to go with it.

We had to order a side of garlic bread but actually plain bread would be great to soak up all those prawn infused olive oil.

Bar favourite, beer battered deep fried calamari rings.

This appetiser took a long time coming, but the grilled portobello mushrooms with mozarella was quite a heavy eat.

The dish is protected under Austrian law, and—if it is to be called Wiener schnitzel—it must be made with veal. However many other versions existed elsewhere. The bastardised version was made with thinned, breaded, and pan-fried chicken cutlet served with a lemon wedge, a mesclun salad and french fries. It was a bit too dry IMHO.

The manager recommended us the roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon and pomegranate pearls. It was delicious with all the bacon rendered into the roasted sprouts.

The term Schweinshaxe is typically used in the southern parts of Germany, predominantly in Bavaria, and it usually refers to a whole pork knuckle that is roasted for hours until it is thoroughly cooked and the skin becomes golden brown and crispy. Michael flew specially to Germany to learn the perfect roast, the result was succulent meat encased by a crispy crackling shell. 

Afterthoughts

This German pub has been my favourite in my younger days for it’s easygoing vibes and wide selection of beers as well as good, value-for-money food. It is still the same. I hope the live music will come back soon.

Brauhaus Restaurant & Pub
101 Thomson Road, B1, #13/14 United Square, 307591
Tel : +65 6250 3116

Visited Oct 2022

#brauhaus #german #sgoldestpub #singapore #brauhaussg #sgfoodies #sgrestaurant #hiddengem #germanpub #sgig #bier @brauhaus.sg