WS K88

WS K88
Erich's new place where different things will happen, but still the center of the universe and the navel of the world

Dec 19, 2013

New Makansutra report about Erich


The Sausage Chef Keeps It Real

Text and images by Jade Hu @ Makansutra
“When there’s a queue, it means the cook is too slow,” says Erich Pollski, owner of Erich’s Wuerstelstand, with self-deprecating humour, followed by a hearty belly laugh. It is 4pm on a slow and humid day and there is a line of hungry customers eyeing the bratwursts (German pork sausages) on the smoking hot grill. There’s nothing ostentatious about this ‘angmo’ hawker, hailing from Gresten, a small town 100km west of the Austrian capital Vienna. It has been eight and a half long years of hawking sausages in the street, to be precise, at Chinatown Food Street, before he moved to his current Banda Street location. Some might find it mind-boggling that just by selling sausages, a non-mainstream makanan in the Singaporean Chinatown street food landscape, his business and brand still tick.
Behind his ever-smiling and convivial guise is a story of ups and downs. Erich has come full circle all these years. The self-proclaimed sausage chef has been through his fair share of roller coaster rides in the business. He went from offering his own pretzels, dinner rolls and onion buns made in a friend’s production facility until early 2007, to starting his own company when the former option became unavailable. Two years later, he was left as the sole shareholder when his partners could no longer pursue the same business. Since then, it has been a one-man show for him, something that he takes in stride, and embraces good-naturedly. These days, he has newer stuff like sauerdough (sourdough) bread and muffins, and procures the imported German ingredients to produce his bread and sausages here.
So, what keeps this oddball in Chinatown ticking, after all these years? While the sausages, all six different types, make a wonderful afternoon snack, they are not exactly out-of-this-world rockstar-chef material. Holding court in the heart of Chinatown, Erich has now become a permanent fixture in the local community. It is no longer strange to see Westerners in our neighbourhoods from West Coast to Whampoa, but to the Chinatown uncles and aunties whose movement range is limited to the heartlands’ coffeeshops and food courts, he is still considered a welcoming breath of fresh air, and a source of mirth and entertainment (especially when he dresses up for festive occasions, complete with pigtail caps) in their midst. I watched in amusement as an auntie pleaded with Erich to sell her more dinner rolls, when she already has a big bagful clutched tightly in her hands. The sausages may be the stars of the show, but the supporting role offered by the humble dinner roll is a force to be reckoned with, especially in Singapore where people hardly make bread at home. The killer application is his friendly, funny sideshow peculiarity. That his breads and bratwursts aren’t half bad is a big plus.
Finally, the secret of his success could lie in the mere fact that Erich was in the right place, at the right time. He has literally seen it all, having travelled twice around the world as executive chef on cruise liners. Late 2004, he jumped on the opportunity to be the only Western stall at the Chinatown Night Market, jointly run by Chinatown Business Association and Singapore Tourism Board. His location at a high foot traffic area also meant that people could find and patronize his sausage kiosk easily, all at a time when Singaporeans have begun to embrace their identity as world citizens and began to open up to welcome new flavours and cultures to the land. The best part is, he tops it off with the one thing money cannot buy – that is, his infectious vibrant personality, which is not hard to see why he has been around for as long as he has been.
Erich’s Wuerstelstand, Blk 5 Banda Street, #01-52 (Stall 5), K88 Coffee House, Hours: 11am-9pm (Open daily)
Makansutra, since 1997 celebrates Asian food culture through food guides, online content, food courts, events and consultancy services. articles and reviews provided by Makansutra are fully independent and are never solicited. We review independently, arrive unannounced and pay for all our reviewed meals. We share it with you as it is, warts, glory and all. For more details on Makansutra’s operations and review policies, click here.

Dec 5, 2013

AIDAura Season 2013-2014

Port of call: Singapore
How fast a year goes by can be measured by the returning events like a Cruiseship comes back to Singapore.
On 4.Dec.2013 AIDAura called on Singapore en route to Bangkok.
Every two weeks we will see passengers stroling trough Chinatown and also visiting Erich's Wuerstelstand-because they want to see the last Sausage kiosk before the Equator and perhaps take a photo with Erich.
Cora scouted the area and made sure no one was left behind



From the days event a few pictures of passengers visiting
4.12.2013










Nov 22, 2013

The Season to be Jolly at SANTAS Bakery

Hohoho..Merry Christmas,
Get the party started and stock up on your Christmas Goodies from Santa's Bakery at Erich's BACKSTUBE Singapore right in the heart of Chinatown











 for orders pls contact Erich at 96274081 or erich@backstube.sg

Sep 16, 2013

James& Me

Sep 6, 2013

ErDoMo 2013

Yesterday we kikstarted the tradition again

Jul 23, 2013

First Muffin Baking by Elle at Erich's Backstube Singapore



On 15.June 2013,Elle was baking the first batch of Original MUFFINs Austrian Style at
Erich's BACKSTUBE Singapore
The Chocolate Mint Muffin is just out of this world