Tasting Journey #22 - Deutsches Haus

Deutsches Haus
4875 Victoria Dr.
Vancouver, BC
http://www.vancouveralpenclub.ca/restaurant.html


Deutsches Haus is a German restaurant located in the German club house in East Vancouver.  I've passed by this place quite a few times and have never even noticed that there is a restaurant in this community centre.  From Victoria Drive, you wouldn't even know such a place existed (no signs) unless you walked down a long steep flight of stairs towards the back of the building.  The entrance to the restaurant is in the back, from the parking lot. 

The restaurant itself is quite interestingly built;  All wood, sort of an old pub/lounge type of feel to it, and fully carpeted.  The waitress were all dressed in dirndl, traditional German dresses - a dress, an apron, and a low-cut ruffly white blouse.

The guests were quite of a mixed crowd.  It wasn't busy, but again, it could be because it was a weeknight.  There were people in their 70's, and there were people in their 20's.  I even saw a table of 4 seniors whom ended up playing maybe some sort of poker game there.  The guests to me looked like people who lives in the neighbourhood, and are there to relax.  I guess since this is more like a diner in a community centre, people felt comfortable and so at ease that it only seemed too normal to be doing activities as if you were in your own home. 

Jägerschnitzel

Everything on the menu looked like alien words to me.  Having not too many experiences in trying out German cuisine, I did not know what to order.  Deutsches Haus is known for their schnitzel, a pounded thin sheet of pork/chicken, all breaded and deep fried.  I asked the waitress for her recommendation on food, and ended up going for the dish - "Jägerschnitzel" - schnitzel with mushroom gravy, red cabbage and spaetzle.  To me, the schnitzel was well marinated and juicy, but it wasn't extraodinaire, as it tasted like a thin version of the tonkatsu - a common food in Japanese cuisine.  The red cabbage was chopped and pickled so that it tasted sour and sweet.  I thought it would've gone really well together with mash potato.  My favourite on the dish was the spaetzle.  Though made of egg, it tasted very cheesy.  If I did not know that it was a type of noodle, I thought it was a probably mozarella cheese made into long skinny udon sized noodle.  Chewy and flavourful.  As for drinks, I did not get a chance to try their beer, but I did notice that many of the other guests had dark beer (or could be because it was the special of the day). 

Overall, I would say that this place is cozy...maybe a place worth trying out.  Do I have the urge to go back? Not really.  but do I dislike the place? Not really either.  It is a so-so place I guess...

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