Haxenhaus

Haxenhaus

80 Mohamed Sultan Road

#01-13 The Pier at Robertson Quay

Tel: 68357818

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Food 6/10

Ambience 5/10 or *8/10

Audience 7/10

Service 6/10

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*Ambience was rated as 5 on the basis of a fine dining establishment. For a general friends' gathering, I think Haxenhaus deserves an 8 for the bustling tavern it appears to seek to recreate.

Recalling my previous trip to Haxenhaus (again, during restaurant week), this time, for lunch.

I went for the Sommersalat, Wienerschnitzel, Strudel and...a beer, of course :)

Walls @ Haxenhaus

Kitchen (Open concept)

Bar

I liked the walls, which suited the open style of Haxenhaus, and which facilitated the usual heat from sunny Singapore to stir our thirst for some beer.
(I can't imagine how torturous a rainy day must be though :P)
The decor was cleanly simple, without a sense of pretence...almost like visiting a friend's place with a pretty nice eating area to chill out.

The Sommersalat was drenched in dressing. You got that right. It was DRENCHED.
I wasn't so sure if the chef spilled a bottle of it into mine, but a quick check with my friend confirmed that it was probably intentional. Very poorly executed and it made me pretty cross.
For people who know me...it says a lot that I left this dish unfinished.

Bad.

But thankfully, I decided on Haxenhaus cos I was craving Schnitzel \(^o^)~♪
For friends who are unfamiliar with Schnitzels, it's basically a breaded pork chop. Well, originally, it HAD to be made with veal but it's become more accommodating and chicken, turkey, and pork were added to the Schnitzel family :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKgeBCbVGgQ

Enough on the background, on to the taste.
Individually, the schnitzel was a little on the dry side; the potatos were too buttery and the jam too sweet for my liking. Does that mean it's perfectly horrible?
Nah, that's exactly why dining is fun. Have the schnitzel with some very buttered potato to get a smoother texture...squeeze some lemon to "lubricate" the schnitzel...etc, if you thinking what I'm thinking, mix'n'match to get te perfect combo is the key.
My personal favorite combination/sequence for this would be to:
1) Spread some jam on the schnitzel (take care not to spread too much or it'll mess up the balance. What you really want to do here is to have the jam add more colors but the focus should still be on the meat)
2) After having the schnitzel, treat yourself to some potatoes (have the texture transition from tough to normal...)
3) Finish it off with a beer to rid the oiliness you may be feeling from a deep fried dish, while letting the slight bitterness of a beer spur your fondness for a good piece of meat.

The meal was concluded with an apple strudel, but as I am no fan of desserts, I got my friend to give me a review instead (while I probed incessantly with lots of questions).
She felt that the ice cream was not sufficiently cold and melted too quickly.
I agree with her, especially after taking into context our tropical weather.
My salvation came in that it was not too sweet (I could finish it and not feel any after effects!)

After the experience, I had to face the inevitable question: Would I come back again?
Haxenhaus is not meant for fine dining. Instead, it is a place for friends to have a noisy party, which would then pit it against other German eateries e.g. Brotzeit (far more accessible) and Werner's Oven (cheaper, family restaurant).

My answer: Yes. They have a platter for 4 (~$88 before tax) that I've yet to try :)
As much as I was not too impressed with the schnitzel, I feel compelled to try the Schweinhaxe (pork knuckle) before a verdict can/should be reached.