Cheers to the best of Oktoberfest beers

Roasted pork knuckle with all the trimmings is a cold-weather classic. [Photo by Mike Peters/China Daily]

More health-conscious folks may opt for the boiled version, which may sound like a poor cousin but is quite tasty. Or, go the other way - bring a half-dozen of your best burgher-chums and order a whole roast suckling pig, which comes with a free flow of side dishes. Call in that order a day ahead, though.

More creative than roast pig, perhaps, is the braised beef cheek, marinated for hours with rosemary and pickled plums and red-wine sauce. The meat on the plate is so dark that it's practically black - packed with flavor and tender enough to cut with a fork. It comes with fresh broad beans as well as mashed potatoes.

Sausages? They've got sausages - seven, to be exact, including a delicate Munich white and a savory Nuernberger pork. Choose one for a main for 88 yuan ($14) with your choice of one side and one garnish) or go for a four-link combo (188 yuan).

We liked the sides we explored, too: Beef goulash soup was a hearty mix of meat, chilis, cumin and bell peppers, cooked long and slow to render a broth packed with savory and tender morsels. The potato salad is all but compulsory: in the style of southern Germany, it's tossed with plenty of bacon and robust with mustard and vinegar.

Apple strudel with warm vanilla sauce was hard to pass up at the end, but we opted for the less-predictable rice pudding, a German-style smoothie with a red fruit compote and cinnamon sugar. A gamble that paid off: Yum!

The low-light atmosphere of the restaurant is relaxed and comfortable. There's an array of TVs for sports-bar lovers, but the sound is so low that it doesn't distract those who are there for good food, conversation, and maybe a little liebe.

If you go

Ellingen Brauhaus

B114-115 Seasons Place, Financial Street

010-6622-2312

Average cost per head: 200 yuan

Recommended: Roast Pork Knuckle, Four-Sausage Feast, Braised Beef Cheek, Beef Goulash Soup, German Rice Pudding

MORE OKTOBERFESTING

BEIJING

Paulaner Brauhaus: The granddaddy of Oktoberfest parties in the capital, with a live band from Munich, traditional food, women wearing dirndl dresses, men in traditional leather lederhosen, and singing and dancing till the wee hours. Get your picture taken “in Munich”, thanks to an interactive photo booth provided by Lufthansa. The party room rocks Oct 11-27. Kempinksi Hotel Beijing, 50 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang district; 010-6465-3388.

HONG KONG

Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel: The 21st annual German Bierfest is back, with 23 days of good German cheer from Oct 25 to Nov 16. The open-air festival highlights a large selection of German brews, authentic Bavarian dishes, and a boffo Black Forest cake. 6/F, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, 052-2113-3217.