A MUCH-DESERVED ROMANTIC INTERLUDE
OUR ONE-YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WAS FAST APPROACHING AND I HADN’T EVEN BEGUN TO MAKE PLANS FOR OUR ROMANTIC WEEKEND ESCAPE.
Frantically, I reached out for advice from all of our single friends, the ones who actually have time to stay on top of Asia’s hippest restaurants. One after another, the same restaurant was suggested: Chez Gado Gado. With an unbeatable location on Seminyak beach, a world-famous sunset view and an enduring reputation as one of Bali’s timeless fine dining destinations, Chez Gado Gado seemed like the perfect place to impress my better half. With today’s reasonable airfares and The Breezes Resort & Spa located within walking distance, Chez Gado Gado was an irresistible choice. Greeted by the sight of Chez Gado Gado’s iconic gold seahorses at the entrance, an impeccably dressed hostess led us to an outside table on the covered patio, a perfect vantage point from which to enjoy the magic of Bali’s beachfront ambience. Boasting an impressive 14-year tenure at Chez Gado Gado, we entrusted the evening to our Balinese waiter’s quintessential smile and flare for hospitality, not to mention his extensive wine and menu knowledge.
From his attractively priced wine suggestion (a crisp New Zealand Marlborough) and our first course (one-dozen of the most succulent oysters we have ever enjoyed in Asia) to the fresh crab salad, dressed with a heavenly Bedugul strawberry coulis and topped with mixed greens sourced directly from the restaurant’s very own farm, every recommendation was spot on. While savouring the sweet and sour perfection of Chez Gado Gado’s signature chocolate melted cake and mango sorbet, we noticed that all of the tables around us were filled with couples just like us, enjoying a much-deserved romantic interlude in a world-class culinary destination. The combination of flickering candlelight, relaxed sophistication and an intimately charged atmosphere left us with only one thing to do; plan our next Bali getaway.
