Step Inside Sophistication
Chez Gado Gado may be renowned for its prime beachfront location and front-row view of the famed Bali sunset, but step inside the shimmering and sophisticated dining room and your casual seaside supper becomes a glamourous evening banquet.
When the sun is shining and the cocktails are flowing, Chez Gado Gado’s laid-back beachfront deck oozes with seaside chic, attracting sun worshippers and gourmands alike to this buzzing Seminyak hotspot. But with Bali’s rainy season still in full swing, it is Chez Gado Gado’s breathtaking dining room that is luring the in-crowds, dazzling with its chic vibe and fine dining feel. It glimmers with elegance and crystal chandeliers, and the floor-to-ceiling windows soak up the all-important coastal view to keep the Bali spirit alive.
Not only is the ocean vista in full view, Chez Gado Gado has made sure to bring the sea inside, recently introducing Executive Chef Quib’s outstanding six-course fish degustation dinner. The menu includes a handful of Chef Quib’s scrumptious new recipes, and they are as innovative and moreish as we’d expect from this kitchen genius. Quib has always had a knack for balancing the flavours of each dish, and this new menu demonstrates the full range of his finesse. No flavour overpowers another, nor does one linger on the palate longer than it should. Sweet is matched with sour, zesty lightens hearty, and unlikely combinations are perfectly suited. A great example of this is the sea bass ‘rogan josh’. The Indian flavours of rogan josh are typically paired with lamb, so to hear of a fish being doused in this rich and aromatic sauce might seem rather strange. And yet, the flavours work together superbly. The subtle taste of the delicate and crumbly fish lightens the hearty spices and lets each flavour introduce itself to the palate one by one. Reduced with yoghurt, the pepper curry is served with sauteed fernheads and an Indian-style coleslaw to pep up the robust flavours. Pair with a glass of Pinot Noir, and the whole dish just seems to round itself off. Of course, red wine and white fish are typically never suited, yet this delicious match shows just how unusual Chef Quib’s combinations are and how well he can make them work.
Another dish with delightfully odd pairings is the crab cocktail, sprinkled with fresh local strawberries, tomato and a strawberry gazpacho. Strawberries and crab are rarely ever seen together, but the local strawberries from Bedugul offer a slight sourness that provide the perfect amount of tang to the creamy crustacean. The mound of shredded crab meat is then shaped like a tartare, topped with fresh green leaves and layered above the cool and refreshing strawberry soup. The dish uses just a handful of different ingredients, but the taste says otherwise as each bite is a mélange of deliciousness, an explosion of creativity.
And that is what Quib’s menu is all about – simple flavours with perfectly cooked fish, enjoyed in an exquisite setting. The next course of silky smooth gindara embodies this concept flawlessly. The fish is poached in a coconut oil and served atop a bed of pickles. It is impossibly soft, to the point that it falls apart with the touch of a spoon and seems to melt away in the mouth. It is then topped with a ‘seroendeng’ crust – a mix of Indonesian coconut, shallots and crumbled peanuts. The flavours are clean and fresh, jazzed up by the pickles and rhubarb but never overpowered.
Quib also incorporates a couple of his signature dishes to the menu, including the grilled Atlantic scallop with foie gras raviolis, as well as the seared octopus alongside an olive purée. The octopus tastes as if it is slightly chargrilled with a perfect amount of charring on the tender edges. It is then paired with a thick and textured tomato vierge, almost like a salsa, then propped atop a bed of potato mille-feuille.
To finish the ocean feast, the menu concludes with a choice of desserts from the a la carte menu, such as Chef Quib’s twist on the classic strawberries and cream. It is a more innocent version using a light cream, whipped until airy and innovatively infused with an elderflower aroma. Together with fresh Bedugul strawberries, it is paired with a strawberry sherbet; less creamy than ice cream and as fruity as a sorbet. Just like the seafood dishes, it is an expression of simple flavours with big tastes; a celebration of local ingredients and international delicacies. Each course is flawlessly put together, bringing the essence of the ocean into the glimmering dining room, until the rains withdraw and we can once again return to the sunny seaside deck.
(www.gadogadorestaurant.com)
