German Old Bavaria Haus is All About Schnitzel

OK, I am really behind here. When was I at The Old Bavaria Haus Restaurant in New West? A while ago now, but I keep dreaming of the rich meaty schnitzel goodness, so I’m going to post about it anyways. Schnitzel is apparently not the national dish of Germany (that honor falls to either Sauerbraten or Sauerkraut, depending on sources), but you wouldn’t know that from surveying the room at the Old Bavaria Haus.

There are other things on the menu (Filet Mignon, bratwurst, Chicken Cordon Bleu for a few examples), but the thin slice of veal or pork coated in breadcrumbs and fried seems to be what comes to mind when we think of German cuisine and so that’s what we (I’m speaking for the majority of the restaurant here) had. I had the Schnitzel Champignon ($16.95) and it was delicious. Aromatic and hearty - especially with mushrooms sauteed in butter and coated in a creamy sauce - the schnitzel also managed to not be greasy, which is a huge plus in my books.

We also had the Baked Camembert appetizer ($8.95), which we could have probably done without. It was good, as only cheese can be (sorry vegans, but it’s true), but not extraordinary and somehow seemed not particularly German. One of the spatzle dishes would have probably been a better choice. Spatzle is a type of homemade German egg noodle and at the Old Bavaria Haus, it comes in 2 varieties; the Spatzle “Jaegar Art” ($6.95) which comes with wild mushroom sauce or the Spatzle Nordsee ($7.95), which is shrimp, scallops, crabmeat in a Riesling sauce.

One of the most charming aspects of this place is that it is actually an old home, converted into a restaurant, so you can feel a bit like you’re dining at your granny’s house, with the lace curtains and German knick-knacks.  Well, if your Granny is German and makes excellent schnitzel that is.

Photos courtesy of Travis. Thank you.

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The Old Bavaria Haus Restaurant

233 6th Street, New Westminster

2 Strange Drinks; BibiCaffe and Karamalz

BibiCaffe advertises itself as “the bubbly espresso”, which I guess is true, but what struck me about this little Italian drink was more the caffeine than the carbonation.

I was first intrigued by the size of the bottle (only 6 ounces) and then turned on to the idea of a caffeinated pop that I may actually like. I find most American pop to be either too sweet or too fizzy (or both), but the Europeans tend to be on the same wavelength as me on this one, so I had hope.

At first blush, the drink was tasty, like coffee for people who hate the taste, or maybe for those who can’t decide whether they want a coffee or a pop. The vanilla and caramel flavours vied well with the natural espresso taste and subtle carbonation.

I was about to give it a perfect score until about 10 minutes after drinking it, I realized that I was having a great deal of trouble sitting still, figeting around and coming close to actually twitching a couple of times! I have a pretty high tolerance for caffeine, so let me tell you that that 6 ounces sure packs a punch. I like this drink a lot, but I may need to save it for road trips.

All Natural ingredients: Water, Neapolitan espresso, Sugar, Caramel, Vanilla and Carbon dioxide.
Bought at: Marketplace IGA.

If BibiCaffe is bubbly espresso, then Karamalz is surely the German non-alcoholic dunkelbrau (dark beer). In fact, on the Wikipedia list of soft drinks by country, it is listed as a “beer for children without alcohol”. Interesting.

There are also apparently some vitamins and minerals included, but I don’t think I got very many in my three mouthfuls. This drink is seriously disgusting. It has a skunk, malty fermented smell as soon as you open the bottle and that taste follows through with slight flavours of sweet caramel. Like cotton candy stored in a dank basement, or old socks with butterscotch candies stuck to them.

Like the BibiCaffe, there is only a subtle carbonation, which I was grateful for because it allowed me to gulp down 3 mouthfuls before I was completely repulsed and there was thankfully no burping.

Ingredients: Water, barley malt, glucose Fructose syrup, carbonic acid, coloring material E 150c, hop excerpt.

Bought at: Mediterranean Specialty Foods (1824 Commercial Drive)

My final analysis is that I think I prefer my espresso hot and un-carbonated - although I will have this one again, maybe in summer - and I definitely prefer my beer with alcohol.