Snack Ribs

It was just a couple of days ago that a thought crossed my mind that I should really start eating less. It was one of those rare moments when my third beer on a Friday evening appeared like a good way to finish the day rather than a natural transition to the fourth one.

Today, on the first day of my holidays in Tyrolean Wildschönau, I received a portion of spare ribs that would have supported that intention perfectly, so untypically small it was. Unfortunately, it was a day when I failed to have lunch, so the size of the dish was a letdown.

Actually, almost everything about the dish was a disappointment. The ribs had been pre-braised, and therefore I could literally shake the meat off the bones, so loosely attached it was. Instead of a marinade, the ribs had a strange topping that did not affect the taste much, except adding a bit of fake “juiciness”. Below the topping, the taste of braised pork was very strong. Hexenhäusl served French fries as a side dish and offered mayo or ketchup for them (amazingly, at extra cost of 60 cents for each!). No dips were provided for the ribs themselves. The only good side was a tiny salad bowl with different finely cut vegetables including red beet.

I finished the ribs in under ten minutes and, when asked whether I wanted a dessert, went for gyōzas instead. These were, incidentally, very enjoyable. 

Hexenhäusl is centrally located – though considering the size of Niederau, almost everything in it is centrally located – and unlike other restaurants, has a quiet outdoor area with a nice view. Most of the customers are Dutch, and even the waitress was Dutch, so the quietness was occasionally disturbed by conversations in their horrible hoarse language. Despite the disappointing food experience, I nevertheless went to Hexenhäusl twice again, mainly because of the sitting comfort and cold beer. The quality of dishes leaves quite a lot to be desired, though.