Ingredient appreciation — what makes Gado-Gado special

What sets Gado-Gado apart is the handling of kecap manis sweet soy. In lesser versions this is treated as a background note. Here it's central and the rich and coconut-forward result shows it. I've started buying it to cook with at home after this experience.

Indonesian cuisine spans over 17,000 islands with dramatically different regional traditions. The a family feast table atmosphere was right for this kind of food. I had kopi tubruk as recommended and it matched well. If you want to understand what makes this cuisine distinctive, Gado-Gado is the place to start.