Music, laughter and beer, in that order, were what you found at the inaugural Oktoberfest held at The Deck, WEIL Hotel on Saturday, October 24.
As the Oompah Band, a world-famous classic Bavarian brass band who has performed all over Southeast Asia, brought all the way from Germany, rendered thigh-slapping German tunes, revellers were served with traditional German food such as pretzels washed down with authentic German beer, Paulaner Munchen.
Other highlights of the lively night included the crowning of the drinking champ title, barrel-lifting champion and winners of the lucky draw where the grand prize was an all-inclusive 3 days/2 nights stay at the hotel.
Ipoh Echo had an exclusive one-on-one with Ipoh-born 34-year-old John Ong, The Deck Restaurant Manager who drew the inspiration for the festival from his previous overseas stints in Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.
“We try to have an international event every month in our hotel. For Oktoberfest, our targeted customers are our hotel guests and Ipohites. If the response is encouraging, we’ll make this a week-long event next year,” John declared.
“In Malaysia, there is a wrong perception that Oktoberfest is a time when the beer companies would come up with fancy beer mugs and sell the beer at a higher price. Here, we make it into a memorable occasion for everyone to enjoy,” he explained.
Mei Kuan
