Paulaner is one of the most famous breweries in Munich, the beer capital, and Paulaner Bräuhaus is Paulaner's restaurant brand. In China, Paulaner Bräuhaus is a pioneer of German brasserie, and after opening at Kempinski Beijing in the early 90s, Paulaner Bräuhaus has expanded its presence in China and has now opened stores in almost 20 cities. Founded in 2016, Hangzhou Paulaner Bräuhaus is currently the largest Paulaner store in China.
However, Paulaner Bräuhaus in Hangzhou is in a different situation from its stores in Beijing and Shanghai, and while the eponymous restaurant in Beijing and Shanghai is in full swing, Hangzhou Paulaner Bräuhaus has been sluggish for many years, and its popularity is even lower than that of the other two well-known German restaurants in Hangzhou, which is not unrelated to its remote location. Fortunately, Hangzhou Paulaner still maintains a relatively stable level under such circumstances, maintaining the consistent German rigor of the Paulaner brand. It is worth mentioning that Paulaner's current official Chinese translation name is "Paulaner", but Paulaner Bräuhaus in various parts of the country still uses different translations due to historical reasons, such as Plana, Parana, Paulaner, etc., in fact, they are all the same brand, and they all belong to Paulaner Bräuhaus's authorized franchise system.
Compared with the south-central European diet, the traditional German diet is more rugged, with a preference for meat, especially pork products, and German sausages and roast pork knees are typical German dishes. At Paulaner Bräuhaus, guests can enjoy a wide variety of German cuisine, with a focus on Bavarian cuisine. The main ingredients such as sausages and cold meat products are basically directly provided by the suppliers designated by the German headquarters, and the German chef team has been systematically trained, so the taste is not much different from that in Germany.
German cuisine is known for its wide variety of sausages, which are also an important staple in Germans, and in Paulaner diners can taste Munich sausages, Frankfurt sausages, Nuremberg sausages, Vienna sausages, pork sausages, Bavarian sausages, Thuringian sausages, cheese sausages and many other classic German sausages. The texture and flavor of each type of sausage are different, for example, the meat of the Nuremberg sausage is relatively coarse and grainy in the mouth; Frankfurter sausages have a tighter texture and a delicate taste, similar in flavor to American hot dog sausages; Thuringian sausages, on the other hand, have a strong pork liver flavor with a pronounced spice flavor. Paulaner's menu is served with sauerkraut, potato salad or bread slices, and if you want to try multiple sausages at once, a sausage platter for 2 to 3 people is a more convenient option.
Roasted pork knuckle is also the highlight of German cuisine, Paulaner's roasted pork knuckle is a traditional Bavarian method, lightly marinated, grilled over medium heat, and then roasted over high heat until the skin of the pork knuckle is crispy, the color is fresh, the entrance is crispy, and the meat is firm. The seasoning of German-style roast pork knuckle is relatively coarse, and the flavor layering is not strong, but such a simple and rough crispy horizontal meat is also a refreshing taste experience. In addition to pork knuckle and sausages, German steaks such as classic Wiener steak and fried chicken cutlet and grilled seafood are also included in the restaurant's menu, which can be ordered according to the number of diners and preferences.
Beer is an integral part of German cuisine and a reflection of German culture and lifestyle. As a typical German beer restaurant, Paulaner Bräuhaus beer is certainly worth trying, the beers here are all brewed by the restaurant, the brewing equipment and interior planning of the restaurant are designed and built by the German microbrewery customizer Caspary, the beer is brewed by the resident German brewer Christina using Paulaner's traditional craft brewing process, and the barley malt, hops and yeast are imported from Germany. The restaurant offers three kinds of home-brewed beers: yeast-based wheat beer, original lager and original lager stout, which are naturally turbid during the brewing process without high temperature sterilization and filtration, rich in foam, mellow and mild. In addition, Hangzhou Paulaner also has a rare "three-liter cannon" configuration that is rare in other branches, with three kinds of fresh beer to choose from, and the wine glass is the same as the Bundesliga giant's Bayern Munich championship celebration beer bath, with a net capacity of up to 3L.
Hangzhou Paulaner Bräuhaus is located in Shangcheng Lixing, Zhongshan South Road, the complex is relatively remote, and Paulaner is hidden in the corner, if you don't visit it deliberately, it may be difficult to find. However, Hangzhou Paulaner does have a large space, the decoration is typical of the German countryside, the seats are mostly white oak long tables and chairs, the dome of the duplex design is high, there is a resident stage in the center, and a series of huge brewing equipment such as sugar, filtration, cooling, and fermentation are arranged in the restaurant. In addition to the indoor space on the first and second floors, there are also extensive outdoor terraces on the third floor. On weekdays, the restaurant is a little deserted, but the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, and there is a Filipino band singing at night, which will interact with the guests, and the service quality is quite comfortable.
