We revisit an old-time favorite for an authentic and hearty German meal.
By Heinz Bulos April 2004
you`re old enough to remember, Schwarzwlder, the German restaurant, used to occupy a prominent place in the Old Greenbelt, ronting Makati Aenue. I remember the irst time my dad took us there or dinner. 1he place had an Old \orld eel-dimly lit, heay wood, cast iron. 1he sausages were illing and succulent. 1he sauerkraut was, well, it grows on you.
Schwarzwlder now has an entirely contemporary look since it moed to the ground loor o 1he Atrium along Makati Aenue. But the menu remains largely unchanged.
I`m here with Ralph Peter Jentes, the 66- year old German owner o the restaurant. Jentes came to the Philippines in 191 and sered as the general manager o the lyatt Regency or seen years, and later managed a chain o hotels.
In 1980, he opened a ranchise o \ienerwald, a popular Viennese chicken chain which had around 1,500 outlets at that time. 1he Manila branch was the irst ranchisee in the lar Last outside Japan. As ate would hae it, the chain pulled out o Asia and Jentes took the opportunity to run the restaurant on his own.
le decided to call it Schwarzwlder, literally someone rom Schwarzwld, a mountainous area in the south-western part o Germany near the Swiss and lrench borders. Schwarzwld means Black lorest and it happens to be a aorite holiday destination in Lurope, amous or its ir trees, historic cuckoo clocks, colorul peasant attires, century- old monasteries, and spotlessly clean thermal springs. And it happens to be where Jentes came rom.
Jentes decided to gie the restaurant a light and airy` atmosphere three or our years ago. But he kept a ew dcor rom the old place, like iron stands and the red ceramic lights-I saed eight or good luck,` says Jentes-which add charm to the interiors.
le explained that he made the moe, although he was oered a choice corner spot at the new Greenbelt, because he didn`t want to be surrounded by ity other establishments.` le allows though that there are adantages to that, particularly during dinner as the area has become the latest hot spot in Metro Manila.
Still, Schwarzwlder enjoys a steady low o customers during breakast and lunch ,dinner time is a bit unpredictable,. 1he breakast crowd enjoys the restaurant`s buet with lilipino,Continental dishes. Interestingly, Jentes says that while there are German nationals and other oreigners who eat at his place, about 95 o clientele are lilipinos. \e cater to a mature clientele, orty plus years old, but we also hae a lot o people who come here with their parents as little kids.` le says that they`re trying to attract the younger crowd as well as the middle-age proessionals who come in with their laptops ,most customers are business executies,. 1hat gae Jentes the idea, with the prodding o his son, to work on a \i-li hotspot deal with Bayantel. Schwarzwlder also has a unction room that can it around 28 people, which customers can use or meetings. I
Jentes explains the appeal o Schwarzwlder to lilipinos: \e gie good ood or a relatiely reasonable price.` le adds that the riendly serice and clean toilets are plus actors as well. But in the end, it`s the delicious and heay meals that make customers keep coming back. lilipinos loe to come here or the pork knuckle,` he says, which is ordered either boiled or crispy. Schwarzwlder, and German cuisine in general, is oten associated with sausages, and the restaurant oers a wide ariety- kalbsbratwurst ,eal sausage,, knoblauchwurst, St. Gallen schueblig, hausmacher, nuernberger rosbratwuerste, rankurter goulash, and twin wienerli sausage.
But Schwarzwlder is also well-known or chicken. 1he restaurant oers German spit-roasted chicken, herb-and-mustard chicken, breaded Viennese chicken, among other choices. \hat I`m haing is Swiss larmer`s Chicken, one o their best- sellers. It`s a illing and tasty meal, with a rich sauce and bits o mushroom and bacon.
Prices are indeed reasonable and ery much worth the taste and sering size. 1here are some orty items in the menu. Soups range between P95 to P115, salads between P15 to P295, and sandwiches aerage P25. Sausages, chicken, seaood, and pasta are priced rom P245 to P450. By the way, their take out menu is priced a bit lower.
Jentes has long been an insider o Manila`s high society in the seenties, but now, he says, the scene has changed. 1hen, only the adults went out and the kids stayed home, but now, it`s the youngsters that go out, he obseres. le adds that lilipinos hae become more adenturous, as seen by the explosion o dierent kinds o cuisine. Schwarzwlder has a bey o loyal customers, including politicians and ambassadors. Most customers are repeat business,` he says. Jentes is also proud o his collection o wine and brandy, a lot o which is aailable only in Schwarzwlder.
One thing that strikes me about Schwarzwlder is that it`s just a great place to hang out. It`s relatiely quiet and isolated and is ar rom the maddening crowd. It`s a perect nook to read a book or magazine while sipping coee or wine. And it`s a cozy spot to chat with riends oer a huge sausage platter. My chat with Ralph Peter Jentes eentually dierts to society and politics, and it occurs to me how his decades-old German restaurant is indeed such an ideal place or hearty ood and liely conersation.
Visit: Schwarzwlder Ground lloor 1he Atrium Makati Aenue Makati City