Jul 30, 2024 - Food and Drink

Restaurant review: Indonesian fare at Gado Gado

Meira Gebel

Photo of a dining table with a few dishes. — The beautiful tableware at Gado Gado is complemented by some very flavorful dishes. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios

When craving something elaborate and out-of-the-ordinary, Hollywood's Gado Gado, from the same folks behind Oma's Hideaway, comes instantly to mind.

The menu: The Indonesian-Malaysian fusion restaurant features a choose-your-own-adventure a la carte menu that leans heavily on eccentric pairings. There's the dry-aged steak tartare with squid-ink chips, charred bok choy with a fermented chili jam and chicken satay with a shrimp-paste peanut sauce.

For those hungry and ailed by choice, the $85 "rice table" feast, which includes most of the menu, is always an option.
My group stuck with two dishes for a late-night dinner: The roti canai, coconut-tomato curry with Malaysian flatbread, and the Char Kway Teow, stir-fried rice noodles.

The bite: I've never met a rice noodle I didn't like. Here, the noodles come out in tight, chewy rolls slick with an umami-heavy sauce and accompanied by oyster mushrooms, shrimp cakes and a thin omelet on top.

The curry was sweet, yet spicy, and complemented by a splash of garlic oil and thick slices of tomato. The roti is perfect for dipping — easily tearable and sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

The bottom line: If you've exhausted all your go-to spots, here's a suitable contender for your new favorite.

Add Axios on Google

Restaurant review: Indonesian fare at Gado Gado

More Portland stories