With live trinklieder (German drinking songs) making them merry, patrons enjoyed the food and live entertainment at the Oktoberfest that has been taking place at the Hilton Trinidad since September 15. The unique six-day food festival of authentic Bavarian cuisine was designed based on the annual Oktoberfest food and cultural festival that takes place in Munich, Germany.

Adding to the delight of the festival was the Werdenfelser Hoagartn Musi, a trio from Germany that performed trinklieder and folk songs each night. The three very personable men, two brothers and the son of one of the siblings delighted the diners, most of whom did not understand the lyrics of the songs, but appeared to be still having fun and enjoying the performances all the same.

’Now, you should really have a mug of beer in your hand for this, but I can see that not everyone has beer, but you can still lift your hand and cheer,’ instructed Gottfried Furtner, before the trio launched into one of their

popular trinklieders. For those who wished to indulge there was enough beer for patrons to join in singing and drinking to their hearts delight as the Carib Brewery had sent complimentary Carib, Stag, Redd and Black Wolf.

As to the food, making his way all the way from the Munich Hilton was Chef Karsten Ulloth who worked with Hilton Trinidad Executive Chef, Carlos Gomez and his staff to create the lavish buffet-style banquet laid out. On the night the Express visited Oktoberfest, the menu included Bavarian favourites such as wholemeal bread and pretzels topped with cream cheese with herbs mixed in along with apple lard.

The salads offered featured Munich sausage salad with red onion rings, white cabbage salad with bacon and cucumber salad with yogurt. Appetisers included garlic sausages with sweet mustard. There was also an assortment of Bavarian sausages and cold cuts as well as roasted pork with horseradish, smoked trout in horseradish cream and lemon as well as a beef salad with mushrooms.

For the entrees, patrons were introduced to the Munich Schnitzel, which consists of veal escalope with sweet mustard, horseradish, fried potatoes, onion, cucumbers and yogurt. There were also pork meatballs with potato-cucumber salad as well as roasted pike-perch in a white wine sauce served with dill-potatoes and vegetables.

Also on the main menu was spaetzle, which is a type of egg noodle, which in this instance was served with emmental cheese and fried onion rings. Rounding off this list of choices was the brewmasters pork steak served with Bavarian cabbage and herb potatoes.

Dessert included apple pancakes with a vanilla sauce along with Bavarian cream (whipped cream blended with egg yolk only custard) and fresh berries. Patrons also enjoyed apple strudel with vanilla ice cream and kaiserschmarrn (pancakes with almond and raisins) and steamed yeast dumplings with a vanilla custard sauce. Oktoberfest ends tonight.