OVER the years I have known Jakarta, 20 in all, I have heard quite a few expatriates intimate that the city is something of a culinary desert. I have always thought this nonsense. To me, there is more than enough variety to satisfy. Now, with Laksmi Pamuntjak’s almost exhaustive The Jakarta Good Food Guide 2008-09 I have a serious weapon with which to din sense into anyone who utters this nonsense.

Covering a wide range of international cuisin