I love Indonesian food, and I tend to visit Gado & Grill to get my Indonesian food fix in Singapore.

Gado & Grill has a café-style cum street food atmosphere. The bright yellow wallpaper features drawings of the National Monument in Central Jakarta, and local street food kiosks – bringing a touch of Jakarta to Singapore. Their sleek black plastic plates and cutlery add an edgy touch to their aesthetics. Their tunes tend to be differ from time to time. When I visited a while back, I remember English hits including Selena Gomez’s music (who is one of my favorite singers) being played over the speakers. This time, Indonesian pop music was being belted out – which I reckon added to the ‘authenticity’ of the Indonesian street food theme.

My most favorite dish from Gado & Grill is the Grilled Chicken. This bestseller comprises of a quarter piece of chicken. The sauce primarily comprises of sweet soy sauce. I believe the sweet soy sauce they’re referring to is kecap manis (kecap = soy sauce, manis = sweet). Sweet soy sauce has a thicker consistency than regular soy sauce. As the name suggests, it’s sweeter and less salty that ordinary soy sauce. It’s a common ingredient in Asian food as well.

That flavor from the grill combines with the marinade wonderfully. The chicken I had was coated with a spicy chili sauce, but they do serve the chili sauce on the side from time to time – and it’s not for the faint-hearted. My tolerance to heat is relatively mild, and I find their sauce delicious yet intense. You can request to exclude the sauce if you’re not into experimenting with your heat tolerance level with this fiery addition. This time, I braved the heat and enjoyed the chicken! I highly suggest that you prepare some tissues on standby in case if it’s a tad fiery for your tongue.

The chicken, which is grilled to perfection, is juicy and scrumptious. As the chili was brushed along with the marinade, the flavor had a bit of sweetness with a touch of spiciness.

Shrimp crackers, which have been loaded onto the plate generously, are ubiquitous in Asia. They’re the Southeast Asian version of regular crackers, but with a seafood flavor (obviously!). A whole lot of it is garnished above the dish, and they contribute a crunchy element to the plate.

Whenever I’m craving Indonesian food, Gado & Grill is my go-to. I just love experiencing the flavors of Indonesia in my backyard!