It all started in Japan in 1876. A German trained brew master named Seibei Nakagawa helped to set up the very first Japanese brewery, Kaitakushi. Less than a year later, the first Japanese beer was created. Named after the city of its birth, Sapporo lager was the forerunner to the major explosion in Japanese demand for beer. More than a century later, it remains one of the largest beer brands in Japan, alongside Kirin, Suntory and Asahi.
Naturally, any mention of German or in this case, German inspired beer, must be accompanied by a nod to the beer hall, which is pretty much the largest size of pub there is. In Munich, the home of Oktoberfest, beer halls are so large they can hold hundreds of people in various states of inebriation.
You can probably see where I’m going with this.
Ginza Lion is a new beer hall set up by Sapporo in the newly renovated and extended Suntec City. Billing itself as a beer hall, it is impressively spacious, if not cavernous like its German cousins. I didn’t count but I’m pretty sure it would comfortably sit a hundred people, which would make it one of the biggest pubs I’ve been to in recent memory. Seating was comfortable, and overall the classy, but not overwrought ambience, was just nice for a relatively sedate boys’ night out.
The Japanese attention to service was also another pleasant surprise. Not only was the establishment itself Japanese, the crew was as well! Attentive and polite, we were impressed by the effort that went into our comfort.
It being a beer hall, we saw no reason to hold back our appetites. After all, what goes better with German style beer than German cuisine? Surprisingly for a Japanese restaurant, there was no sushi or sashimi or even the ubiquitous miso soup on the dinner menu (they do serve Japanese curry rice at lunch). Since it was party of 4 guys, it seemed just right that we ordered the meat platter.
As you can see, it was quite the mouthful; numerous mouthfuls, actually. The standard complement of roast beef, sausages, pork knuckle, sauerkraut and greens served as an excellent appetiser.
OK, I’m kidding. It was plenty of food, even for four starving gents. It was pretty tasty, but not particularly remarkable. Suffice to say, it was only the warm-up round.
Two Sapporo weissbier. The beer was light and like what you’d expect from the wheat beer, fruity with a light, sour banana taste. It was pretty smooth and clean-tasting for… I’d go on, but I bet you’re really just wondering what’s up with those boots.
Like most ancient traditions, no one really knows the truth of how these combination footwear/glassware came about, but legend has it that a Prussian general made a bet with his troops to drink beer from his boot if they won a battle. Obviously, since the fates laugh at such a dare, the day was won and the general found himself in a bit of a dilemma. Fortunately, he was a clever chap and had a glass made in the shape of a boot to make good on his promise and not add any “special ingredients” to his beer. History doesn’t tell us if the troops were convinced, but my guess is that they were too shocked to object.
In the dulcet tones of Nancy Sinatra: These boots were made for drinking.
I wish I could say that the beer was the best thing I tasted all night, but I’d be doing a grave injustice to the wonderful chicken wings you see above. A house speciality at Ginza Lion, the wings were lightly coated with a special soy sauce to give it a savoury sweetness that was just right. Not drenched in oil like your typical fare, the wings were crispy outside but still juicy and tender inside. Best wings I’ve ever had. My friends seemed to agree; we had 4 servings. It tasted particularly good with the sweet and sour wheat beer.
So, would I go back to Ginza Lion? Definitely. The ambience and service were good, the food was delicious, and the beer definitely worth drinking. Highly recommended.
Ginza Lion
3 Temasek Boulevard #01-649/650
Tower 4, Suntec City Mall
Singapore 038983
