Straight out of Germany Hilton Hotel Colombo celebrated the 26th year of their Oktoberfest in the first week of November. The event was held from 1-10 November at the Sports Centre Arena. As proven time and again, Hilton attested that they are the best “Zelebrieren” in town. Complete with colourful décor, festival-like seating arrangements, the brilliant Bavarian Band, and the lip-smacking food and beverage, it had everything to make a perfect Oktoberfest experience. Priced at a Nett of Rs. 3,888 on Fridays and Saturdays, and a Nett of Rs. 2,888 from Sunday through Thursday, this was a spectacular experience, having you feeling like you were walking the streets of Southern Germany. We visited on opening night when the event kick started with the band marching in through the crowd and on to the stage. The food and drinks Over five types of beverages, including your usual ones, were offered as the traditional Oktoberfest brew. While the crowd clapped along to the melodious tunes of the band, we checked out the menu and it was absolutely incredible. The food menu at “Zelebrieren” had a whole lot of meats, ‘Brot und Breze’ (bakery items), ‘Kalte Vorspeisen & Salate’ (cold appetizers & salads), farm cakes, and much more; all prepared in authentic German recipes. The Bratkartoffeln Mit Zwiebeln or the home-fried potatoes with onions, the Knodel or boiled bread dumpling, crumbed tender pork schnitzel, the beer batter fried fish with pickled mayonnaise, the smoked grilled bratwurst, and the Bienenstich Kuchen cake were some of the best dishes. Speaking to the Executive Chef at Hilton, Chef Robert Mujagic, we found out that a lot of thought and preparation was put into this diverse variety of food. “All the sausages are homemade, the sour marinated beef and the meatloaf were made from scratch, and it all comes from the southern part of Germany, where I come from, where Oktoberfest actually comes from.” “It’s bigger and better this year” Besides the amazing food, the “Zelebrieren” was by far the most engaging and entertaining Oktoberfest this year. It was swarming with guests and everyone was enjoying the beats of the band with big smiles on their faces. Here’s the crowd testifying to how much fun it was: Mani Spencer: “The food was amazing; I am a huge fan of the food here anyway. This is my first time at Hilton Oktoberfest and I will come again next year. The music is great and I wish more people danced.” Rosh Deseram: “This is great, just great. The spread, the atmosphere, the decorations, and the music – everything is just great. They should have more events like this, where we can all have a great time.” Anuradha Sooriyaarachchi: “I have to comment on the food. It was wonderful. The flavours, the desserts, everything was perfect. This event is one with international standards and we need more of these.” Dominic Keller: “The difference between this Oktoberfest and all other Oktoberfests in Colombo is that it sticks to tradition. It a fun festival and that’s what I love about it. It is also very impressive that they get better every year, the buffet, the music, and even the choice of drinks is better this year, and that’s how it should be. I will be back next year and I am sure they will top this.” Shamili Galagedara and Parami Fernando: “It is a good event; we are having a great time. The food is amazing; they have a good choice of drinks as well. Overall it’s great.” [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="11763,11762,11760,11759"] By Pujanee Galappaththi Photos Krishan Kariyawasam