I still remember Gasthaus Hansi as a small dark place on the Donaufelderstrasse, serving a rather poor Brettljause. Since then, it has moved to the outskirts of the Lobau park, into a structure previously occupied by a Chinese restaurant. Its Brettljause has become better (even though the mosquito situation has deteriorated), and with the Hansi becoming my customary beer-drinking location while cycling in the Lobau, I was always curious how its Martinigansl would fare against the competition when the season comes.
As it turned out, it would fare quite well. The goose did not look fresh and did not taste fresh, but I must admit I did not bother reserving it in advance. On the other hand, I am quite sure that had I reserved it, it would have looked and tasted exactly the same. But bad it was certainly not. The skin was quite crispy (always a good sign), and the meat, while offering some resistance to my old tired teeth, was absolutely chewable.
The amount of meat was quite impressive: it took me at least a quarter of an hour to finish the goose leg. Sick of the red cabbage, I have tried white cabbage with bacon instead and was not particualtly disappointed. Although quite sour, the cabbage provided a nice balance to the otherwise spice-less goose. I was also mildly impressed by the potato dumpling, for it was much less sticky than usual and even quite enjoyable for a while.
If you ask me if I would recommend the Gasthaus Hansi as a goose place, I would say it depends on how many geese you intend to eat this season. If you are planning to have five or more and enjoy riding a bicycle in the Lobau, this restaurant is an obvious choice. If you are on a diet and are looking for an ultimate one-time Martinigansl experience, look elsewhere.
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