Around Jalan Lamandau, on serene, tree-lined streets filled with stunning, million-dollar homes, are some hidden street food gems. This peaceful oasis of upmarket real estate seems an unlikely destination for curry but that’s exactly what I’m on the trail of. I’ve been told about Pak Lasimin’s kari sapi (beef curry) and the very sound of it makes me want to a grab a bike and peddle the wide and quiet streets to find it. He’s known as the pioneer of this particular dish in Jakarta so locating him is, for me, like seeking the Curry Holy Grail. And then I see his stall... or rather, I see his enormous, signature clay pot, the size of a 50-litre stockpot. Inside it is a thin, almost broth-like sauce, emitting the combined smells of cumin, nutmeg, galangal, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom and star anise. And chunks of melting beef. The flavours are rounded and gentle, softened by coconut milk, and that chunky meat, fall-apart tender. Pak Lasimin’s stand occupies an intersection, and to the right and to the left of him are areas filled with plastic tables and chairs where his happy punters sit and dine. It’s an incredible place in Jakarta that you need to check out when you come.