nothing like a german sausage

Hofbrauhaus http://www.hofbrauhaus.com.au/

• 18 - 28 Market Lane, Melbourne
• Dining at dinnertime
• Party of six

There is something about German sausages that put them in a category above all other sausages I have tried.  I am not entirely sure what the Germans do differently but all I know is their sausages, from kranskys to bratwursts, are always full of flavour and satisfaction.  The Hofbrauhaus is one of several places where Melburnians can find these German delights in an authentic, restaurant setting.

We started our meal with a vorspeisen or entree to share and we opted for the Gebackener Camembert which was a crumbed camembert cheese with ligonberry compote.  Now I love crumbed camembert, perhaps one of the most indulgent things I eat.  I can still remember the very first time I tried deep-fried camembert.  I was seventeen and it was at the Dunedin Wine and Food Festival where I initially thought, what a strange thing to deep-fry.  That camembert was cut in wedges, crumbed and served with a cranberry sauce that was both sweet and tart.  The camembert oozed in your mouth, the creamy richness perfectly complemented with the cranberry sauce.  Unfortunately, the crumbed camembert at Hofbrauhaus did not compare and for $13.50, it disappointed my eager expectation.  It was bland and lacked the fullness of one of my most fondest food memories.

Now to the sausages, I chose the HB Wurstplatte which was a selection of sausages (nurnberger, cheese kransky, Swiss bratwurst) on a bed of sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and served with German mustard for $26.50.  The stand-out sausage on the plate was definitely the cheese kransky, the cheese in the middle is perfect with the seasoned flavour of the meat.  If I were to dine here again, next time, I would opt just for the cheese kransky.  Having said that all three sausages were delicious in their own right, and if it is variety you are after or if you just can't decide, this is the perfect dish to sample three different types of superior German sausages.  I must also add the mashed potatoes were well-seasoned, light, fluffy and creamy and there was also an overly generous serve of sauerkraut.  I have had better sauerkraut but German sausage is just not the same without it, so this sauerkraut was better than having none.  The German mustard was not at all memorable and the dish would have been just as good without.

For great atmosphere, service, beer, schnapps and German sausages to boot, Hofbrauhaus is a place to enjoy a complete dining experience.  Until next post, may your taste buds be continually tantalised!