wine & dine
Brewed fresh
Rockman’s Beer Island offers five choices of brews for draught-starved beer enthusiasts in the Capital.
T
here’s a reason why it’s called an ‘island,’ – sprawling over a mammoth 36,000 square feet, on level four of the upscale Ambience Mall, Gurgaon, Rockman’s Beer Island was one of the first, and is by far the biggest, micro-brewery to come up in the NCR since the trend took off a few years back. The first thing you need to know when you disembark from the escalator on level 4 is where in RBI you want to go (yes it is that big!) – there are three venue choices depending on what you want to do and what company you’re in: if you’re hanging with the guys, then make a beeline for ‘Bavarian,’ – a pub. If you’re there to catch the latest IPL match on a big screen then head for the ‘Rockdome,’ which has a projector and the entire seating is oriented towards the screen. If you’re there for an outing with the family then you could consider walking into ‘Kegs & Barrels,’ a fine-dining restaurant. The overriding theme in each venue is, not surprisingly – Germany – land of the hallowed Oktoberfest, and legendary beer drinkers. And that’s reflected in the décor as well as the menu. The brewery tanks and equipment are in the bar area, but inaccessible to the patrons. In Bavarian, you can sample authentic Nürnberger Sausages (Rs 475) served with Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage), two types of mustard sauces and pretzels, and Oktoberfest Hendl (Rs 575) (Roasted Half-Chicken with Potato and Kraut salad). For a Delhi carnivore, the food here is a welcome respite from the onslaught of the tandoori variety. We recommend healthy dabs of the superb mustard sauce. For an outlet, where the emphasis is squarely on the beer, the food is surprisingly good. Finally, about the beer: to begin with, if you don’t want to be
76|CityScan|november 2012