CHARNIKA IMBULANA MUNASINGHE
COLOMBO : Water’s Edge Hotel which is ever so popular with their buffet style Oktoberfest Festival held annually for very many years, lived up to expectations and more this year with the patronage of hundreds packing into the Festival Marquee set up in one corner of the Hotel’s sprawling property last week.
Well decorated to create a typical Bavarian atmosphere of the universally popular traditional German beer festival, the ambiance, the wide variety of Beers and the music was to near perfection.
While the weather favoured them on all three days to help the numbers, for starters, there is no doubt that it was the fabulous food spread, buffet style that gave Water’s Edge the clear edge to be real winners to have enticed the locals and overseas visitors thronging into the sprawling Waters Edge Oktoberfest Compound. The Beer fans relished what was on offer, and were seen to enjoy.
A feast awaited the guests at the buffet table with captivating dishes of food with a variety of the traditional and famous sausages leading them, the most well-known of them all-; the grilled bratwurst, bockwurst, and frankfurter. Meats consisting of Roasted Pork, traditional Pork Schnitzel, Beef Rouladen, Roast Chicken, Creamy Sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and Spaetzle, which are like the buttered noodles from the classic Bavarian food range were dished out in plenty for choice. There was also crusty fried fish. The entire list of dishes were too numerous to list out here.
The wide selection of breads was placed on an entirely separate table with the famous salty soft Pretzels being the pick of most. Apart from the usual, the mouth- watering sauces were the curry ketchup, Mayonnaise, Bavarian style sweet and spicy mustard, peanut butter sauce.
The Salad table had a wide range too-; German Salad Platter, Raddish Salad, Allgaeu Style Sausage Salad, etc., but it was the typical German Potato Salad and Bavarian Cabbage Salad with Bacon that seemed to be the most popular amongst the large number of food connoisseurs gathered.
The Desserts spread across another sprawling outdoor table but yet well covered, which had all the Favourites of the typical Oktoberfest desserts. From the Apple Strudels to Black Forest pudding and every flavor of ice cream toppings.
I, myself, having been a visitor to the roots of Oktoberfest festival location in Munich could only find, to my pleasant surprise, everything around to be so familiar and typically Bavarian at Water’s Edge Hotel. With the German hostesses too abound, one could only get immersed into the festival mood.
With tables set up outdoors too, it was an absolute joy to savor the taste of desserts in the fresh air to the sounds of the super music that got most on the floor for dancing.
Word of mouth is strong, and the numbers increased with each passing day at Water’s Edge Hotel. They saw the Sunday 15th October, the last day, drawing the best crowd despite the following day being a working day.
A refreshingly joyful team of Water’s Edge Hotel, in spirit with the event was literally on ground to ensure the planned event was conducted successfully to the last detail and to the last minute. I perceived it to be a very thoughtful gesture on the part of the hotel to even arrange a shuttle service for those who had parked their vehicles too far.
Marketing Manager, Thusitha Ranatunga was elated at the turnout on all three days especially the last day being a Sunday which had surpassed their targeted expectations. A splendid combination of brilliant cuisine, compliments to the Hotel Head Chef and his talented team, an excellent marketing team and a splendid support staff made Oktoberfest an event to remember for the patronizes.
Water’s Edge depicted the world’s largest celebration of Bavarian culture to the maximum and to also suit the palette of the Sri Lankans, without a fault. A splendid team effort saw a fruitful completion to yet another year of success with the Oktoberfest for this picturesque hotel by the “Water’s Edge”.
