A German Porky & Beer Wonderland @ Berlin’s Bier Houz, Ipoh
June 5, 2010 | 4,852 views| 31 Comments » |
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Who Needs Fork & Knife? Basted with a finger-licking droolworthy BBQ sauce, the Pork Ribs Special @ Berlin’s Bier Houz just begged to be devoured using hands and all.
A new watering hole opened in Greentown Business Centre recently, named Berlin’s Bier Houz (www). Specializing in imported German beers, and a mish-mash of German-European cuisine, I came to know about this place recently from a colleague, and decided to venture over for lunch.
This place reminded me of Bavarian Bier Haus @ The Curve, with almost the same setting, cuisine, and imported German beers.
The front facade of the restaurant/bistro, located at the new premises in Greentown Business Centre. Berlin’s Bier Houz faces the row of shops housing Movenpeak and Assam House.
The menu covers mostly liquors in all manners, served in half-a-pint sizes, full pints, in bottles, and even cocktails/mocktails. Indeed, a haven for those who appreciate the finer forms of German beers, with names such as Erdinger, Stella Artois, Blackthorn, Tetley’s and Connor’s. Pardon me for being ignorant, for I’m not an avid drinker myself.
So let’s see what type of cuisines Berlin’s Bier Houz has to offer ….
Finer Beers, and Greater Coffee – Good thing Berlin’s has decided to include Illy’s Coffee into their repertoire, instead of neglecting completely the needs of those who wish to stay sober
Surprisingly, the Illy Coffee blends at Berlin’s Bier Houz are priced rather reasonably, with most beverages priced at below RM10/USD3 each. The latte goes for RM6/USD1.80 each, a steal considering the robust , full-bodied and creamy concoction was smooth and pleasant. Can’t remember when was the last time I had a good latte, and an Illy’s blend at that.
German Roast Pork – Served with a dollop of mustard, and another dollop of garlic alio sauce (RM15.80/USD4.80)
Berlin’s list of comfort, beer food (light bites) include an astonishing 23 items, ranging from curry bratwurst, caramelize roast pork, roasted baby ribs, cheese platter, German mash & sauerkraut, etc. Prices ranging from RM6/USD1.80 upwards. We sampled the German Roast Pork, also known as Schweinerbraten, which was served with two different sauces. One being the tangy/acerbic mustard, and the other being a dollop of garlic alio sauce; a mayo-like dip with a tinge of chopped garlic. Perfect as accompaniments to foil the fatty, carnivorous delights (possibly better known as ‘Siu Yoke’ in Chinese) roasted until the skin crackles with every bite. Even grandma approved of this, hence it’s all good. 
Pan Sear Barramundi - A thick slab of barramundi (also known as Asian seabass) grilled with Chardonnay reduction, served with burney potatoes, and cherry tomatoes. (RM28.80/USD8.70)
Regrettably, the only fish item in the menu is the barramundi, pan-seared then served atop a bed of burney potatoes, and halved cherry tomatoes. What’s more intriguing was the choice of garnishing; the Japanese flavoured seaweed salad better known as ‘Chuka Wakame‘ sat on top of the fish. Eye-candy? Yes. Tastewise? No-no. The tartness of the frozen, crunchy seaweed almost spoiled the delicate, briny and fatty flavours of the fish.
Pork Burger with Cheese - Beats the average fast food intepretations anyday, eh? (RM16.80/USD5)
My eyes glowed at the sight of PORK burger in their menu. As stated, it came with a juicy and thick slab of homemade marinated minced pork patty, a slice of bacon, and cheddar cheese, atop a bed lettuce. No complaints here, for the pork burger did remind me of Nambawan’s deliciously homemade rendition, albeit at almost triple the price. The thick cut fries served with the burger was a nice touch, and thankful they did not rely on cheap shoe-strings or crinkle cuts. But they could have melted the cheese, instead of plain sandwiching the burger with it.
Spicy Paella - A famous Spanish rice dish, served with chicken, olives, and red pepper chillies here. (RM15.80/USD4.80)
I mistakenly read the description in the menu, thinking that the paella would be arriving in a pan, just like how the real deal‘s supposed to be. But after scrutinizing the smaller letters, I noticed that in the menu, the paella was pan-fried with the ingredients, not served in a pan. Oh whatever.
Anyway, the paella at Berlin’s was forgettable, and would do better if relegated to a side dish rather than a main on its own. If only they have done a seafood version of the same dish, then maybe the paella would be worthy of an order.
German Pork Knuckle – Crispy, authentic German signature, served with a brown sauce with caramelized onions, and a noticeable tinge of alcohol. (RM43.80/USD13.30 for a full portion, and RM25/USD7.60 for half)
A carnivore’s dream come true, a German feast is never complete without a sample of the favourite pork knuckle. At Berlin’s, you can order a full portion, or half. Word of warning though; take the HALF portion instead, unless you’re sharing the knuckle with someone else.
Clockwise from top left : Dissecting the pan-seared barramundi, The beautifully layered pinkish pork meat, fat, skin and all, Dipping the crackly skin into the intoxicating gravy, and the thick cut fries at Berlin’s.
At RM25 for half a portion, the German Pork Knuckle just begged to be ordered. And you won’t regret your choice. Almost passing off as a FULL portion, the knuckle had me struggling with the immense portion and scary layers of gelatinous fat underneath that perfectly crispy skin. Elsewhere, the knuckle would be a tad too salty for taste, for the odds are you’d be downing a pint or two while happily chowing down on your food. But thankfully at Berlin’s, the meat was not only juicy and tender, the marinade was kept to a minimal; resulting in a moist and naturally flavoursome pork.
Aside from the knuckle, you can also opt for the German special roasted suckling pig (RM180/USD54.50 for a full piglet, RM98 for half, and RM50 for a quarter).
Choose to dine al fresco, or inside the premise which can seat a good 50 or so patrons. And marvel at the sight of those tipsy-inducing bottles and beer dispensers.
Berlin’s Bier Houz also serves several varieties of pasta, such as Spicy Vongole Fettucine (with spicy clams), a Prawns Aglio-Olio, and even a Carbonara. The selection of desserts is limited to three types; Crepe Suzette, Banana Flambe, and Cheesecake. We omitted the thought of going for more, as the overload of proteins was indeed taxing to the guts.
More importantly, Berlin’s Bier Houz dedicated almost half of their menu to their imported liquors; hence you can be assured of good quality, imported beers at any time of the day.
Just refrain from drinking and driving, or worse …… binge-drinking during lunch and getting back to work in a not-so-sober mode !!!
BERLIN’S BIER HOUZ (non-halal)
No 12, Ground Floor,
Persiaran Greentown 4,
Greentown Business Centre,
30450 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-241 8118, 6017-398 2513 (Danny Wong)
Website : www.fnblibrary.com
Business hours : Sunday – Thursday : 11.30am – 12.30am,
Friday & Saturday : 11.30am – 1.30am
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to Berlin’s Bier Houz
wow, u r indeed fast, they just opened last Fri if im not mistaken. Something extraordinary, but kinda pricey for Ipoh standards…
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Yeah, a little pricey, but not anything more shocking than the rest of the fine dining establishments (and not so fine ones).
I am sure Ipohans can adjust to the prices just as well.
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Wow, a nice food review.
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SPARE ribs? Haha
So funny.
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such a mouth watering pics and review. gonna give it a try soon
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Please do so. After all, lately there have been quite a number of new restaurants sprouting up left and right all over Ipoh.
Higher spending power? Or we’re just plain hungering for more good food?
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melody Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
So many new eateries sprouting here, there, everywhere..
Ipoh lang very rich oredi..
Neway it’s a good thing so we food lovers can have more choices….
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Wah, you really a food hunter.. hehe..
Am gonna treat my friend’s forthcoming birthday there..
Am gonna ordered German Pork Knuckle & Roast Pork..
Can’t wait………..
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Okay, melody. Let’s see if you find the place worthy for a visit or vice versa.
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melody Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Food wise should be not bad from what i saw in your blog..*smile*
Shall update you..
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Ooooo…I love German pork knuckles!!! Drool! Drool! …And their sausages!
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OK, now I know that ‘siew yoke’ actually has a German name – Schweinerbraten! I wish I could pronounce that though… :/
And that pork patty certainly does look THICK! Moist and tender inside?
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 6th, 2010 at 8:48 am
Yes, thankfully, the pork burger was not one of those type that is dry as tree bark.
I had a mouthful only though, my brother had the whole piece.
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wow… u r fast… !!! in ur coverage.
too bad u dun drink…. the beers are very smooth…and not too gassy …
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D-Tourist Reply:
June 6th, 2010 at 12:10 am
this porky paradise will definately…haf my support whenever my carnivorous part of me is craving for some good porky delights
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 6th, 2010 at 8:48 am
Haha, we were out of ideas on where to have our lunch, hence I instantly remembered this place from the FB page.
I do drink, albeit not very often. And certainly not during lunch hours ….
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Nice…very nice…
I love the imported beers and that first photo of pork space ribs special looks so delicious, it should be rated 18SX. It’s porn!
Thanks for sharing especially since Ipoh is not that far away!
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 6th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Hey … you’re most welcomed.
Porn indeed ….. once you get down and dirty, licking them juices off your fingers one by one ….
Slurping goodness!
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Hmmm… pork knuckle…. wish to have one now…
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Checked out Berlin’s with frens upon reading your article. The 1/2 pork knuckle was large enough and nice although a tad salty (uneven marinating) but still tender .
Its version of carbonara has nods too . Thanks for a good recommendation!
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 8th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
It was salty? Oh … when I was having mine that afternoon, the pork knuckle was a little bland, but saved by the gravy.
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The german pork knuckle of yours come in a chunk. When were you visit this place? I went there last wednesday, my half portion knuckle was served in pieces, very disappointed. I prefer to cut it myself. The shop owner (I think he is) told us too many customers ask them to cut the knuckle, so they decided to cut it before serve.
You can see how my pork knuckle looks like in my blog:
http://goosey.blogkaki.net/viewblog-116323
It looks so much like siew-yuk!!! We have to reconfirm with the stuff it really is German pork knuckle. And it taste like too, not as tender as I imagine it would be.
The drinks is a let down. Cranberry crush mocktail was tasteless, ice blended irish coffee too. But its me to blame for ordering ice blended coffee instead of hot coffee. The second coffee I had that night (scotch coffee) is very strong, maybe too strong for me. LOL. May give their irish coffee another try.
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Hi san,
I visited last Saturday, during lunch hour.
The knuckle did come in a chunk, and I had to saw the huge chunk into pieces myself.
Probably most people are sharing the pieces of pork knuckles, hence it’s a hassle if someone has to saw the piece him/herself?
The skin was crispy, but a little thicker and tougher than the average siew yoke.
And never compare with suckling pig, for that’s in a class of its own.
But the knuckle I had was tender enough, even my grandma approved of it.
Maybe you went on a busy night? Or they might be not as consistent to start with.
Do tell if their Irish coffee’s worth the try. I was tempted, but settled for the safer latte instead.
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am gonna get my share of ‘em this Friday..
let’s see if it’s worthy.. hehe..
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interesting place. i wonder do they serve lamb?? or only pork and fish?
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J2Kfm Reply:
June 17th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Hi lovelove, if I’m not mistaken … YES, they do have lamb and beef, but not many varieties. More pork dishes.
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Glad to see the addition of these kind new eateries in Ipoh.
I’ve been there but i really find the food so so only… Nothing spectacular if compared to the authentic Germany and Spain cuisine
I’ll definitely going back again but not for the food next time, maybe some drink or sausage platter to share among friends that’s all
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I just came back from berlin’s. Frankly, am really disappointed with the food, ordered the platter (Platter actually means a range of sausages with kinds of flavours but sadly, it came in such unfavourable portion with a dull taste). Secondly, the german roast pork. It is really the first time I’ve seen a german roast pork being roasted like our traditional siu yuk, nothing outstanding. Since the sausages were a mess-up, i was hoping the pork ribs to be something comforting but i think i can eat better pork ribs during my normal 8.45am brekkie. (the ribs were not tasty, and the pork was not well marinated)
Forget abt the food part, the beer was at least something to calm me down, but lets nor forget, beers? they ‘re all imported, i can really forgive them if its house brewed but ahh, fine.
Next, this is something that annoys me most, I’ve seen families coming in with lil’ babies but all the helpers did was stand there like pieces of wood, especially the guy in specs and spiky hair and another bigger size helper with fair complexion. All they did was stand there w/o helping out. Stop looking around and help out, we know ur busy but be “serve-smart”. There’s a reason we need you around to help us out.
Overall, I would be generous enough to give a 2/10. I would say, if we have foreigners coming in, I dont think I would bring them in. I wouldnt want the lovely area to be spoiled by such.
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