Kempinski

Opening of the Frankfurter Oktoberfest 2016

Opening of the Frankfurter Oktoberfest 2016 1650 875 Galia Brener

Day 1

It’s that lovely time of the year again to take out the Dirndl and Lederhosen! Like the years before, I was wearing a new custom made dirndl, designed by my friend Shanty Sutadji of Shanty Couture. Last week I had the pleasure to attend the opening event of the Frankfurter Oktoberfest, and let me tell you, it was fabulous! Watch out Munich, you have some serious competition here in Frankfurt. Not only can we do skyscrapers and apple wine, but we can also do one hell of a wild and fun Oktoberfest!

I was very excited because I had two evenings of Oktoberfest openings back to back. First came Thursday night, as we made our way into the huge tent to Box Nr. 4 – where all the hot celeb action was happening! Frank Kuhlmann of Kuhlmann Beauty Consulting was already there with his beautiful girlfriend Nina, greeting us with his bright, open and friendly smile. He organized this evening for us, along with Kai Mann. We were seated next to Liliana Matthäus – the face of the Frankfurter Oktoberfest for 2016, along with some lovely ladies from the German Bachelor TV show. I was astounded to see how much press was at our box, TV cameras and flashes going off every few seconds. After a while of “meet and greet” with the people, a sudden big bang came from the stage, the lights dimmed and the show started.

Introductions were made and the first drop of beer was tasted for the Anstich! The Oktoberfest has officially started! I couldn’t help but notice the happy people running around everywhere, the Hendl being brought out with a savory flavor, along with the traditional Weißwurst, sweet mustard, Brezel by the kilos, plus tons and tons of Maß beer! For those who don’t drink beer – like me – there is also wine, prosecco and delicious champagne available. With every passing hour, the guests were getting happier and wilder. The first couples have started dancing on the tables already. At that minute, I knew it shall be a night to remember!

I was happy to see some friends there, whom I haven’t seen in a while. It was lovely to catch up and talk a bit about life. Later on I had a chance to meet the lovely Chany Dakota, who took my interview for the Rheinmaintv television channel (See video below). The band was rocking it on the stage, singing all of the best and beloved Oktoberfest songs. I have to admit that as a Canadian, I don’t know all of the songs, but I love dancing to them, because they put me in a wonderful mood! The hours were running away from me and slowly I realized that it was time to go home. Tomorrow was Day Nr. 2, and I had to be fit and fabulous for the evening. I bid my friends, the Hausmann family and all the lovely new people I met farewell, and made my way out into the romantic warm Frankfurt evening.

 

Day 2

Tonight was the opening of the Oktoberfest at the beautiful Kempinski hotel in Frankfurt. My friend Shanty Sutadji invited us to see her glamorous new Dirndl collection. When we arrived, we were greeted with drinks and many familiar faces. Shanty was running around, making sure her models were perfectly prepared for tonight’s show. As expected, all the ladies arrived wearing Shanty’s glamorous 2016 collection, included me.

Shanty was born in Indonesia, and what I love most about her style is the combination of Asian and European fashion influences. Her Dirndls are not typical traditional ones, but rather a fancy creation that combines both cultural elements. She always includes lots of lace, silk and unique flower arrangements on her designs. Last night I was wearing my pink dirndl and tonight I was wearing the lovely green one she made especially to match my eye color. Shanty has a passion for details, which I admire very much, being a perfectionist as well.

We were served our delectable meats and wines and the men had maß beer. The food was absolutely delicious and I couldn’t get enough. Finally the anticipated time came for the fashion show and everyone around us was excited to see what shall be presented. The lights grew dimmer and the music came on. One after the other, the beautiful models came out, strutting their way between the guests, showing off Shanty’s glamorous creations.

The ladies were definitely turning their heads to look at the colorful Dirndls being shown. The materials and patterns were magnificent, and one was better than the other. It was very hard to choose my favorite one, because all of them were so unique and gorgeous. They are all custom made and there are never two which are the same! I was feeling very happy in my new forest green Dirndl. The fashion show was a big success and there was lots of dancing and singing afterwards. Shanty and the guests were all very happy with the positive reactions.

I felt very satisfied after my two eventful and cheerful Oktoberfest evenings. It was slowly time to make my way back to my favorite little city with a big attitude. Stepping out of the taxi, I looked at the skyline and realized again for the 100th time, how truly lucky I was to live here and now.

 

www.kuhlmann-group.com

www.frankfurter-oktoberfest.de

www.shanty-couture.de

 

Frankfurter Oktoberfest photos:

img_1761 img_1879 img_1822 img_1749 img_1722 img_2370 img_1880 img_1821 img_1753 img_2369 img_1751 img_1878 fullsizerender-7 fullsizerender-8 img_1833

 

Kempinski Oktoberfest Opening with Shanty Couture fashion show:

img_2365 img_1877 img_2368 img_1919 fullsizerender-6 fullsizerender-5 fullsizerender-4 fullsizerender-3 fullsizerender-2 fullsizerender-1 fullsizerender

 

My interview on Rheinmaintv:

SRA BUA – 1 Michelin Star – featuring new head Chef: Simon Prokscha

SRA BUA – 1 Michelin Star – featuring new head Chef: Simon Prokscha 1200 400 Galia Brener

Last week I received a fabulous invitation from Mr. Steffen Ball, spokesman of the Kempinski hotel and also known for his company Ballcom. Mr. Ball has been doing the PR for the Kempinski Frankfurt hotel for the last 10 years. He was pleased to share with us the accomplishment of the restaurant SRA BUA by Juan Amador with getting their well-deserved Michelin star! Last night was the official introduction of their head star chef, Simon Prokscha, a well accomplished man at the age of 28!

 

Simon started out in SRA BUA – a concept created by the great Juan Amador – in November 2013 as sous chef, and has made his way to the very top with creativity and ambition. I asked him what his inspiration is and he replied, “Authentic Chinese dishes! I like to take a classic Asian dish and transform it into my own vision. Everyone in the kitchen has a say in our creations. We all contribute our visions and the creations are always a result of team work.” I was very impressed by his answer and dedication to team spirit. One can see that he is a good leader due to his care for his team and involving them fully in the process and accomplishments – the perfect recipe for a successful Michelin starred restaurant!

 

The evening started out in the lounge area of the hotel. I was very impressed by the grandeur of it! The ceilings were infinitely high, accentuated by a huge chandelier at the end of the bar. Each side had a fireplace to give the feeling of warmth and comfort. We were greeted with a cold flute of Moët, served on a grand piano, for that elegant touch. We got a chance to introduce ourselves and meet the other press members. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits! After the meet and greet, we were taken to the SRA BUA restaurant, where the fantastic trip into taste-bud-Heaven was to begin! Being the curious creature that I am, I made my way into the kitchen first to see who this Simon Prokscha was that everyone was talking about? He turned out to be a really cool, down-to-Earth guy, funny and quite charming. I was impressed that the Michelin starred man was actually so nice!

 

Back at restaurant we began our 7-course SRA BUA Menü & Champagner experience with little delights like dim sum, soup in a test tube, Naan bread, and other little treats. Each course was accompanied by a different wine that matched the main ingredient in the dish and was picked to accentuate the taste! Throughout our 4 hour tasting experience, we were served various creations – half of which I have never even heard the names of before. So many exotic flavors in one little evening. The best part was that each dish was served to look like a work of art! I called it Food Art, and was impressed with the precise attention to details, form, color and composition! One could see that this was made by the hand of a creative master. In each dish one could see an entire landscape of art – from an Asian garden to an surrealist painting, the art was screaming at us from the plates, teasing us to eat and enjoy! We were served Australian Kingfish, scallops, Chawanmushi, back of deer, Onde Onde, crazy cotton candy, and other wild delights. (Please see photos below).

 

After the last course, I literally couldn’t move anymore. It has been a long time since my taste buds were exposed to such an amazing experience! I thanked Steffen for the wonderful invitation, Simon and his team, and all the others that made our evening so wonderful. We were given a few lovely reminders to take home, amongst them my favorite pistachio macaroons. As we walked back through the lounge area, I couldn’t help but notice how many people were still there, having an amazing time! It was midnight and the party was still going strong. I bid everyone farewell and made it to my carriage, thankfully not turning into a pumpkin just yet. It’s 2015, and Cinderella’s curfew has been extended to 1am. Welcome to Frankfurt – a city with no time and no limits, and definitely with one hell of a delicious Michelin-starred restaurant!

 

IMG_9222

IMG_9146

IMG_9132

IMG_9084

IMG_9031

FullSizeRender

FullSizeRender-18

FullSizeRender-17

FullSizeRender-16

FullSizeRender-15

FullSizeRender-14

FullSizeRender-13

FullSizeRender-12

FullSizeRender-11

FullSizeRender-10

FullSizeRender-9

FullSizeRender-8

FullSizeRender-7

FullSizeRender-6

FullSizeRender-5

FullSizeRender-4

FullSizeRender-3

FullSizeRender-2

FullSizeRender-1

Privacy / Datenschutz Preferences 

When you visit our website, it may store information through your browser from specific services, usually in the form of cookies. Here you can change your Privacy preferences. It is worth noting that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our website and the services we are able to offer.

Click to enable/disable Google Fonts.
Click to enable/disable Google Maps.
Click to enable/disable video embeds.
 
See our Privacy Policy / Datenschutz here: www.galiabrener.com/privacy-policy-datenschutz
Our website uses cookies, mainly from 3rd party services. Define your Privacy Preferences and/or agree to our use of cookies.