Lima’s Kitchen

At this compact, charmingly decorated spot in Browns Bay the focus is, for the most part, Indonesian street food. Bowls of soup with clear, herbal broths or cloudy, coconutty brews, brightened with turmeric, ginger, lime and a foliage of fresh greens. Some come with skinny rice noodles, or lumps of slow-cooked beef, or springy fish balls. There are plates of sweet-savoury-umami rice encircled by cheerfully hued prawn crackers, and hefty portions of deep-fried chicken liberally smeared with the pungent sambal called cabe ijo, essentially pulverised green chillies. One of the best things to eat here is the lemper, a snack which looks like onigiri but is really a block of coconutty chicken-filled sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, which is then grilled on an open fire, lending it a delicate smokiness. Basically, what we’re trying to get across is that there is a lot to love here. And while the Harbour Bridge can feel like a major obstacle for those on the wrong side, it’s really not as far away as you think — promise.