Stew Brew, Upper Thomson (29 Sep 08)

I chanced upon this restaurant as I was visiting the Apple centre on AMK St 64. I am not sure if I can call it a german restaurant but it certainly does have the european feel to it. So, what more but to try the pork knuckle. The staff also recommended the grilled chicken and sausage gumbo.

The gumbo came with freshly baked bread. This great. How I wish all restaurants freshly bake their bread. Bread out of the oven is a great accompaniment to any dishes. 

The gumbo, I thought was rather bland. I normally do not add salt to my food but this time I couldn't resist. I guess maybe, it is to cater to more health conscious customers. So, I won't fault the chef for it. The gumbo I know is made with vegetable and sausage... well that's the american version that I have tasted at least. Adding the grilled chicken makes it quite a complete meal by itself. 

The pork knuckle was a good size. We ordered half a knuckle which is enough for two. The chef sliced the knuckle into slices making it easy to eat. It was very crispy and the meat was well cooked. Layered with some fat here and there but our knuckle leaned more towards the skinny  side which was good. Sometimes even though I appreciate pork with some fat, too much can be overwhelming. Only thing that I thought could be improved was the seasoning. I found the knuckle too salty. It would be perfect if it was toned down slightly. However, I also understand that pork knuckle is meant to be salty as you will normally have it with beer. 

The other pleasant surprise was they have the Bundaberg ginger beer here. I was not in a drinking mood, so no real beer with dinner this time. So, the ginger beer was a nice replacement. 

So, 3 cilipadi... definitely, a place for beer and beer grub. I will check it out again if I come by this neighborhood.