Tawandang German Brewery

[ilyushin]

Brewing family fun

Story by Kanokporn Chanasongkram, photos by Aroon Permpoonsophon

The second Tawandang German Brewery boasts a European walking street interior and a 28-metre wide stage.

Watch out for a runaway Hua Lamphong train station alongside Rarm Intra tollway.

Would a brewery be an appropriate place for a family get-together when you have young children and ah-ma (grandma) in your group? Tawandang German Brewery on Rama III Road may not be the kind of venue for clans to meet for a celebration but its sister branch alongside Rarm Intra tollway would certainly be a lively spot for a rendezvous with family and friends.

Located on a strip packed with restaurants, the second Tawandang German Brewery probably outdoes existing outlets in beer and entertainment. "It's a non-smoking restaurant that's more family-oriented compared to the Rama III branch," explains Supote Teerawatanachai, the brewery's managing director. "We're here to offer a new option for customers in the northern and eastern areas of Bangkok, which is totally a different group from the first branch. At the least, we can give people in this area the real thing regarding German beer." He adds that for food people may look elsewhere but for "brewed before you eyes" beer, Tawandang German Brewery offers frothy lager, dunkel, and weizen.

Intriguing aerial ballet by talented imported performers.

The microbrewery and restaurant is housed in a colossal white structure that, according to Supote, resembles a classic European train station. "It's a runaway Hua Lamphong," he jokes. "With this 10-rai piece of land, we were able to build a new brewery without the shortcomings of the Rama III branch in terms of parking and seating." Supote's new beer kingdom has ample parking space for 640 cars, and the 4,000-square-metre brewery can accommodate 1,800 customers.

There's less fuss about finding a good spot because there are no pillars blocking views of the stage. Furthermore, customers will gladly take a flight of stairs to the second floor where balcony seating provides an enchanting sight of a sophisticated version of Tawandang German Brewery.

While its antecedent has a more rugged look, the second branch gives a refined feel of dining in a European walking street. Classic lamp posts light up this great hall for feasting with the black sky of the oval roof. And it's one place that you won't be haunted with loneliness with all that's going on. While it's probably one of the biggest restaurants in this area, expect a full house on Fridays and Saturdays _ reservations are strongly recommended.

Supote Teerawatanachai serves up German beer.

As a dining venue, its menu includes signature dishes such as crispy salted shrimp with chilli sauce (150 baht) and sauteed cabbage in fish sauce (100 baht). Supote points out that the most popular dish, on nine out of 10 tables, is deep-fried pork knuckle with spicy sauce (280 baht). He claims that the 1.4 kg serving of pork knuckle is bigger than elsewhere.

Challenging the hot-selling pork knuckle, the new menu includes Aroy Kub Pla Mae Nam Khong (tasty freshwater fish from the Mae Khong river) dishes such as spicy pla joke with tamarind leaves in clear soup (240 baht) and mok larb pla tong, or grilled feather-back fish mixed with spicy herbs in banana leaf (140 baht).

At this new dining destination, while savouring zesty food and quaffing beer, one can enjoy live music as well as breathtaking entertainment _ from aerial ballet to acrobatic acts. In "Shows of Magical Movements", imported performers astound the audience with their special abilities in juggling giant vases and leaping through rings

"We really wanted to do something very different and the 28-metre stage, which is three times larger than the Rama III branch, allows us to do something spectacular for more family fun," Supote says.

While Supote and his staff are still testing out new ideas to further improve operations, Tawandang German Brewery episode two will undoubtedly become a destination for those in the mood to hoist a frosty mug and relax with friends.

Tawandang German Brewery alongside Rarm Intra tollway is located between Rarm Intra Soi 34 and Rarm Intra Road and is open from 4pm till midnight. For more information and reservations, call 02-789-9988 or visit www.tawandang1999.com.