Indonesian restaurant Lima's Kitchen sits at shop 2/36 Clyde Road in Browns Bay, Auckland, entered from Inverness Road next to the hospice; it holds a 4.9 Google rating and shares its news on Instagram.
Indonesian cooking starts with rempah, a fresh spice paste pounded for each dish, then simmered long in coconut milk or fried down hard — a proper rendang should be dark, almost dry and deeply savoury rather than soupy. Sambal is the other constant, and heat varies wildly between kitchens, so taste gently and add from there. Meals are typically shared, rice at the centre, dishes arriving together rather than in courses. Regulars usually ask what has been on the stove longest, because the slow-cooked curries and stews are the heart of any good Indonesian menu.
Lima's Kitchen brings that slow-cooked tradition to Browns Bay, just off Inverness Road on the North Shore.