Wilder Mann, the Homely German Restaurant

Wilder Mann, the Homely German Restaurant

Address (Google Map): 906 Upper Thomson Rd, 787110

Opening hour: Mon – Fri 6.00pm to 11.45pm Sat 4.00pm to 11.45pm Sun 12.00pm to 10.30pm

Introduction

When we think of German food in Singapore, we normally do not associate them to the word “affordable” or “homely” but Wilder Mann is one in a slightly different caliber. I was quite surprise when I saw their menu, where most of the dishes are like 30% cheaper than the usual German restaurant and they do not charge GST and Service Charge. Wilder Mann also sets a very relaxing mood in the restaurant especially during at night.

Wilder Mann is recommended by a friend who lives nearby and since they opened last year in 2014, it had became one of her favourite haunt. It is a small locally owned business and the boss is a half German half Singaporean who stayed in Singapore all of his life. Having worked in the F&B industries for years, he mentioned that it has always been his dream to open a restaurant serving food the he loved.

Apart from traditional German food, and after receiving some feedbacks and requests, they also offer a few Singapore-style dishes like the Karate Chicken Chop and Tom Yum Pasta. And of course, don’t forget about the selection of German beer.

Wilder Mann Menu: Click to enlarge

Pork Schnitzel with Fries ($12.50 nett)

Although this dish is not the most unique, it’s very properly done up as the thinly pounded pork cutlet is well tenderise and flavoured. It has just the right amount of crisp, less the usual greasiness. Their fries are with a good dose of curry powder and this not an adaptation of Singapore flavour, but a way to have your fries in Germany. These fries are really good and I can’t get enough of them.

Meat Loaf with Potato Salad ($12.50 nett)

Fleischkäse is a common snack food found in various part in Germany. This loaf of compact pink meat is served in slices and topped with a sunny side up, together with a portion of potato salad and greens. The texture is almost identical to the Spam Luncheon Meat and is very flavorful. The taste is more complicated than our favourite luncheon meat but the one similarity is the salt level. It’s rather salty by itself and I wish I have bread to go with it. I feel that this dish has a lot of potential considering how popular our luncheon meat fries are. Personally, I prefer this as a side dish instead.

Tom Yum Pasta ($10.80 nett)

I was quite looking forward to the Tom Yum pasta actually however it didn’t meet my expectation. The taste of the tom yum sauce is actually quite decent but it’s too watery. It didn’t manage to cling on to the pasta at all so each mouthful is a pretty bland and i got to drink the sauce like it’s really a bowl of Tom Yum soup and that is a not my definition of a good plate of pasta.

Sausage Platter for Two ($24.90 nett)

This is the most satisfying dish of the day. It comes with a huge portion of side dish of your choice (potato salad, which I forget to take photo), and six pieces of well-sized German Sausages of various flavours. I’m quite sure the portion is more than what two person can finish especially after taking into account of their side dish.

The weird thing is they decided to add in two pieces of cheese bites (one piece per person) in the platter. It’s not a matter of taste (in fact this breaded melted cheese taste really good) but like why? And only two pieces? I would pay to have more of these.

HOT Wild Wings ($8.80 nett)

For this dish, i love it initially, then not so much. At first bite, the chicken wing is pretty crispy with a zesty spicy punch. However it became soggy after the breading soaked up the chilli sauce. The chicken wings are quite well marinated though so it’s a pity as it started off quite well. I probably should had finished it quickly when it’s served.

Boiled Sausage ($8.50 nett)

Honestly, this plain looking plate of boiled sausages doesn’t look too exciting at all and I was not expecting a boiled healthy meal whenever someone mentioned “German Food”. This is actually my friend’s favourite dish and she will mostly order this whenever she visits Wilder Mann. The herb fragrance of this sausage is something different from the rest.

Conclusion

I really like the dining environment of Wilder Mann. Although there is no exaggerating interior design, it feels very homely and relaxing. It’s somewhere that I want to go if I want to avoid the noisy crowd and yet to have a good meal.

Their food are pretty good for some, but there are also a couple of misses. Their dishes are totally not gimmicky and it reminds me a meal of home cooked western food.

Given the current dining trend, i feel that Wilder Mann will lose out in term of food presentation and having the “Wow” factor. For example, they decided to present their sausage platter and side dish in separate plates. Instead, they can consider slicing some sausages so that it will not look so repetitive, and by serving them on the same plate with a big bed of curry fries which will help in making it looks a little more impressive.

49 Seats and their Tom Yum Pasta

49 Seats and their Tom Yum Pasta

Address (Google Map): 49 Kreta Ayer Rd

Opening hours: Mon to Thu 6.00 pm – 2.00 am, Fri & Sat 6.00 pm – 4.30 am

Introduction

49 seats is situated along the stretch of shop house, at the end of Kreta Ayer street. Comparing to most cafes and restaurants, the unique thing about this branch is they only open at 6pm and closes late at 2 am, even on a weekday.

Thank you BB and Fang Fang of 49 seats for hosting me. This is an invited food tasting session and i decided to accept the invitation after reading so much about their Smoked Duck Aglio Olio and their Tom Yum Pasta.

49 Seats Menu 1 of 2 – Click to enlarge

49 seats menu 2 of 2 – Click to enlarge

Smoked Duck Aglio Olio ($14.90)

This is their so-call off menu dish (although there is a pic of this pasta at the ordering counter). Apart from their Tom Yum pasta, this is another of their signatures and this is my favourite dish among all. Apart from the generous serving of buttery mushrooms and tender slices of smoked duck, the pasta itself is pretty good too.

There is a pleasant fragrance coming from the pasta which it guess there’s something to do with the oil of the duck. The slices of duck meat is not tough at all and the well marinated duck skin may just be the contributing factor for the popularity of this dish.

Tom Yum Fish and Chips ($16.90)

49 seats is rather proud of this creation – The Tom Yum Fish and Chips, and claimed that it’s currently the only one kind in Singapore. The tender breaded fish fillet is fried to crisp and served with fries. They also provide a separate bowl of Tom Yum sauce as dip or to be drenched over the fish. Dipping it may be a better option so as to retain the crisp of the fish. I think that the fish is quite average so the deciding factor will be on how well does the tom yum sauce complement the fish.

Sad to say that the tom yum is overly salty and that’s the only thing i taste. I also think that to complement the strong Tom Yum sauce better, it may be a better idea to go with a lightly battered fish and chips instead of a fully flavoured breaded one.

Tom Yum Pasta ($14.90)

This is like 49 seats’ signature of the signatures and has a reputation of one of the most spicy pastas around. The pasta sauce is a blend of cream sauce and tom yum spices. I thought this sauce is more creamy than expected and has a moderate punch of Tom Yum fragrance and is less sour and spicy than expected. I would very much prefer a much stronger tom yum flavour while maintaining a lighter cream base.

The pasta is boiled till moderately soft, which generally suits the taste of Singaporeans. Comparing to a bowl of hot spicy tom yum soup, this pasta lacks a bit of the “shiok” factor. However if i am to judge this as an entirely new creation, it’s actually pretty addictive after having the first mouthful.

Cheese Fries ($7.90)

I have no complain for this cheese fries. At $7.90, it comes with a good portion of fries, top with a hell lots of cheese. This got to be one of the most generous portion of cheese that i’d ever seen. The cheese taste like a cross between KFC’s Cheese Fries with Golden Village’s Nacho Cheese in term of taste and texture, which is not as sweet like KFC with a not-so-creamy texture. This is an ideal dish to order to go with a nice cold bottle of beer.

Chicken Wings ($9.90 for 8 pcs)

Their chicken wings are fried with a layer of seemingly simple blend of breading. It’s doesn’t has the most exciting flavours but I am satisfied with the traditional taste. The wings are rather well tenderise as the meat get seperated from the bone quite easily. The plus point? Juicy. The minus? Can be more crispy.

Waffle with Ice Cream ($10.90)

I thought a good dessert will complete the whole dining experience and it’s a pity that this waffle fall short of expectation. 49 seats waffle is actually sweetened, like a typical Prima Deli kind of waffle, but it lack in flavor and fragrance. The ice-cream taste like a typical Wall’s ice-cream tube and for the price of $10.90, there are definitely better alternatives out there. Not recommended.

Conclusion

I think this place and their menu selection will very much appeal to fun seeking youngsters. It has a very cosy and casual dining environment and they are also offering their food at a reasonable price. All prices indicated on the menu is nett, with no additional service charge and tax. Recommended dishes – Smoked Duck Pasta, Cheese Fries, Chicken Wing. Tom Yum pasta may also be something interesting to try.

In fact I went back to 49 seats (and that is when i also tried their Tom Yum pasta) as this place came to my mind when looking for a casual drinking place that opens till late. The cheese fries and fried chicken wings will probably be on my regular order when i visit this place.

Although the dishes here are not something to die for, it’s pretty decent and it can be an option if you are looking for something not heavy on wallet and yet looking for a more-comfortable-than-hawker kind of dining environment.

Stew Kuche’s German Pork Knuckle and Two Wings at Salute Coffee Shop

Stew Kuche’s German Pork Knuckle and Two Wings at Salute Coffee Shop

Address: 119 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-40

Opening hours: Tue to Fri 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm, Sat & Sun 12pm-3pm, 6pm-12am, Closed on Mon

Reservation Phone Number: 62766445

Indroduction

Have you heard of a coffee shop that requires/accept reservation during weekend dinner time? Salute, one of the most hip coffee shops in Singapore, is filled with stalls selling “Ang Moh” style cuisine like speciality coffee, French cuisine and i am going to write about Stew Kuche, a stall that specialises in affordable German Cuisine. One of popular stalls, two wings, is also located in this coffee shop.

A friend (who wanted to be named), Charlie, recommended this place to me and swear that this is the most value for money Pork Knuckle that you can find in Singapore. He actually wanted me to link his name to his facebook. Charlie, if you are reading this, i am not going to do that.

Looks like an ordinary coffee shop from the outside

Stew Kuche

Stew Kuche, means Stew Kitchen in German. and it is most well known for their Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle). Not only it taste great, portion is big, the price is also rather economical.

When we mention pork knuckle, which part of the pig is the knuckle?
When people mention pork knuckle, they are actually referring to the hock of a pig. It is around the lower knee area of the pig that extends towards the ankle.

We ordered their pork knuckle platter which consist of a whole pork knuckle, potato wedges, achar, garden salad, mash potato and two German sausages. Typically, German Pork Knuckle comes with a side of Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) but theirs come with a local twist – our Singapore’s achar.

Stew Kuche ran out of garden salad and potato wedges so they gave us one more sausage(!) and five hash browns, which is awesome. I think the sausages are decent. Not exceptional, but very decent. The portion is quite big and i enjoyed it.

Their pork knuckle is the definitely the highlight and the whole platter only cost $35 nett. In a typical restauant, a banger and mash already cost you about $12. This platter is good to be shared by two to four pax depending on how hungry you are. The skin is crackling crispy and probably everyone will be fighting for it to the last bit.

The pork knuckle is well roasted and some parts of the exterior are a little drier. This can be rectified by dipping it into the bowl of brown sauce. At just $25 for a whole pork knuckle, i will choose this over Brotz**t’s easily. And what’s better than pork knuckle? Pork knuckle with German beer!

Two Wings

I have read about how much some bloggers raved about Two Wings online and I finally had a chance to try it. At $2+ per wing, it’s definitely not cheap to begin with. I feel that the marinade is a little similar to our Nasi Lemak’s wing so it’s no wonder that some people that think that Two Wings is actually not a big deal.

Menu: click to enlarge

The juicy wing is freshly fried and is evidently meatier and bigger in size comparing to a typical nasi lemak wing. I find Two Wings is rather good, just that there is no need to make a special trip down just for them.

Conclusion

Given the current cafe hopping culture, chilling out and hanging out at a coffee shop is considered as “not hip” and probably something that an elderly person would do. However, Salute smashed this perception totally.

Stew Kuche, apparently the main attraction in the coffee shop, offers the most reasonably priced German food and yet does not compromise on the taste. Pairing their pork knuckle with a few glasses of ice cold German beer and a couple of fried chicken wings is definitely one of the best ways to end a stressful day of work. Prost! – ein Toast!