How German are you? Well, certainly it’s an apt question to ask in the World Cup season. But there’s nothing to worry about – this is neither England nor the Netherlands. So you can flaunt your black, red and gold and drink to the team’s success. In fact, one place in Gurgaon has been unabashed for quite some time now about where its culinary loyalty lies. And to retain its Bavarian authenticity, it imports its pork every day.
Full house
A confession: one wasn’t expecting much when told of a micro-brewery in Gurgaon. Having been to a couple of those on the promise of ‘an extraordinary experience’ and having left the place with no such thing – only the thought “Why did I ditch my draught this evening?” – I kept my expectations low this time. Evenings are not the best time to plough through the Gurgaon traffic, especially on the rapid rail construction route, so I was already a bit tired when I reached 7° Brauhaus inside the South Point (the last ‘T’, though, has fallen off) Mall.
And I was immediately taken aback. It was a Wednesday, no festivities round the corner, no football (or anything, for that matter) on television… and yet this place was full. And no, there was no birthday, or kitty party, happening. I was told that Wednesdays are meant for ‘The Beer Enthusiasts Club’ regulars and is usually the busiest day of the week! To show why this micro-brewery has this steady and dedicated fan base, I was immediately presented with three different varieties of fresh beer to taste and choose from. Wheat to start off, I decided – though I ‘had’ to take the special dark Bock variety later on insistence.
Here’s an alert: while the tasting was done in tiny little glasses, your beer arrives in a Weizen glass – for a true Bavarian experience. So, you are basically staring at a really tall glass with golden-pale 500ml liquid inside. That’s nearly two bottles of regular at one go!
Stuff it up
Let’s accept it – there’s a dearth of places in the NCR that claim to serve you pork in the way that makes it a European’s lifeline. Then, there’s always the lament that “we just don’t get good meat here”. Maybe true. But by now, I’m already somewhere in south-east Germany and the live music is only helping me trip. I requested the servers to keep things ‘small’ – especially after the Weizen experience – and so a sausage platter with about seven varieties on it arrived at my table. If one wants – from the classic Bratwurst to the Krakauer and Munich Weisswurst (white sausage) – over 20 different types of sausages can be had at the 7° Brauhaus!
They were fresh, delectable – and despite having the fat-laden harder variety of the pepperoni sausage (they were a delight), your mind wouldn’t be guilt-ridden, as is the norm. The goat-cheese avocado salad was the perfect accompaniment – in fact, there’s quite a bit vegetarians can choose from. Though there is an ‘Apart from Bavarian’ section with some good variety of Indian fare and pastas, it was German for me that night – hence a chicken schnitzel. With Colby cheese, smoked ham and bacon… need I say more? I was told that gym-goers from the fitness centre right across the corridor fill up 7° Brauhaus after their workouts. I wanted to head for the cross-trainer right then!
Do it right
Well, no matter how good the food is here, the spotlight is always on what you are drinking. And even though you are served the regular malts and other poisons, including interesting cocktails that have fresh lager beer on Jägermeister, the freshness of a 22-day fermented and filtered brew is unmatched. That’s where 7° Brauhaus scores. No wonder my evening ended with a generous dollop of beer syrup – this time in the form of an ice cream. I had come in with an Indian appetite, but left burping in German.
Where: 7° Brauhaus, South Point Mall, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon. Time: 11 am to midnight. Cost: Rs 2,500 (approx for two persons)