Just two weeks ago, I went to this new restaurant named D’Kevin Bar, Bistro and Steak. Did you know that The Belly Clan has closed down for good? Now you do. D’Kevin is the one replacing it right now. And let’s cheers for a promising new comer!

Honestly, I’ve never been to The Belly Clan before. I intended to, but I didn’t have the time yet, till it’s now closed. But well, I consider this is my second chance, so I am happy anyway.

D’Kevin Bar, Bistro and Steak sure looked promising from the outside. It is located a bit shy away, but still at the lobby of Intiland Tower. The peeking light coming from the outside made its facade quite stunning. Step inside and I could feel a different vibe, like a more intimate bistro. The first thing I smelled was the subtle aroma of coffee. It felt good!

Looking closer, the interior is pretty nice, dominantly filled with yellow-ish light and some red touch to create a sense of chic and elegance. Since we highly prioritised natural lighting, we decided to have a seat outside, which has different impression, somehow more relaxing. Plus, the weather was kind to us with a bit of rain drops and soft breeze. When that kind of weather accompanies us, getting all lazy is really easy.

Well, let’s talk about some food and drinks now!

# Hot Mochacino (IDR 39 k)
Since I smelled good coffee (and need one!), I ordered something with a mix of coffee. When it came along with some other coffee-based drinks, I frowned a bit and Darius even mentioned that the coffee was going to be very very light just by seeing the colour of the coffee-based drinks. After a sip, I agreed. It’s way too watery. We told them as it was. So, some improvement is expected.

# Chicken Berries Salad (IDR 55 k)
This salad is one you MUST order when you visit D’Kevin! It’s really really good in terms of look and taste. The salad was all fresh and just tasted so delicious with hints of acidity and sweetness from the berries dressing! The chicken was a perfect addition, creating a sense of savouriness. Eating this is like having a party of flavours bursting in my mouth. I am sure I won’t have any trouble eating the salad every single day!

# Grilled Beef and Blue Cheese Salad (IDR 115 k)
For those who prefer the salad more onto the savoury side, this would be IT! The salad, as fresh as it could be, is topped with delicious grilled beef! The dressing used here is southern style, blue cheese, and it went well with the grilled beef. It was delicious indeed, but to compare it with the Chicken Berries Salad, I’d pick Chicken Berries Salad for sure.

# Grilled US Prime Rib Eye – 350 grams (IDR 399 k)
This steak came out right after the salad, and it initially looked kinda ‘euw’. I even joked about how much this steak does look alike a very big sole of sandals! Blame the plating too. The plate used was grey, the rib eye was brown (of course!), the fries was yellow, the sauce was redish brown. So the only living colour I could see was green from the vegetable! BUT HEY, looks can really deceive! I was in awe when cutting a part of the rib eye. It needed no effort for me to slice it through! Then, I was in total bliss when a piece of the sliced rib eye landed on my tongue! The texture was real tender, the seasoning was perfectly infused, and some chunks of the fat just literally melted in my mouth! LAFF!

# Salmon Sturgeon (IDR 180 k)
Salmon never goes wrong. It’s true somehow, but I didn’t think it could go beyond right! This salmon was goodness, from the outer crispy layer to the moist and buttery layer inside. The mashed potato was on the other hand, all dull and lack of seasoning. But the deliciousness of THAT salmon just single-handedly took the trophy home to my belly. Guess there’s no “Finding Salmon” for the sequel of Finding Nemo & Dory.

# Bourbon US Baby Back Ribs – 500 grams (IDR 199 k)
Baby Back Ribs are pure pleasure for those who love pork. The fun part is always the barbarian way of eating using nothing but your hands! This time around, D’Kevin didn’t do much in the surprising aspect. Yes, the ribs were tender and they were covered in glistening bourbon sauce. But maybe it’s just the sauce that wasn’t really fitting to my liking. I could taste the bittersweetness of the bourbon and I wasn’t too fond of it. Perhaps others might love it though.

# Half Chicken Betutu (IDR 99 k)
I knew very well that this dish wasn’t Chicken Betutu, at least not the Chicken Betutu that I’d come to know all this time. Really, it looked awesome, and when I cut through the chicken meat, I could feel the tenderness. The smoky hint and the spicy chili & herbs combination were delicious. I liked it, really. But somehow, my sense of taste didn’t recognize this so-called Chicken Betutu. It seemed like something else. It might be because of the distinguished style created by the chef. But just my two-cents, D’Kevin needs to change its name. It tasted good really, but a fan of Chicken Betutu such as myself would find this quite disappointing. It’s just a matter of expectation vs reality.

# Balsamic Berries Pork Chop (IDR 135 k)
OMG OMG OMG! The best is yet to come! This Pork Chop was the winner of them all! It’s actually a tight call between this humongous Pork Chop and the US Prime Rib Eye! But since I’m such a dedicated fan for all porky food, I’m declaring this as the winner (I might be biased, though).
Almost all Pork Chop dishes I encountered so far had tenderness issue! If not that, seasoning issue! Here, I found nothing but perfection. The tenderness was undeniable, and the juiciness was REAL! Oh, the seasoning was spot on, and the balsamic berries did one hell of a job in bringing out flavours. I didn’t need anything else other than kilos of Balsamic Berries Pork Chops by D’ Kevin on daily basis!

That day, we weren’t closing the feast with any desserts. But I was HAPPY. The dishes here were really satisfying. Then again, perhaps the presence of good company had something to do with this feeling! I was happy and had some good laugh with them, from Aline and Fachmi, Ci Yen, Darius, Fiona Tjokro, and some other new friends.

D’KEVIN BAR, BISTRO & STEAK | JAKARTA
Intiland Tower, Lobby
Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav. 32, Sudirman, Central Jakarta
Phone: +6221-57903645
Facebook: D’Kevin Bar, Bistro & Steak
Instagram: @dkevinbarbistrosteak
Operational Hours:
Mon-Thurs 07.00 – 22.00 WIB
Friday 07.00 – 24.00 WIB
Saturday 10.00 – 24.00 WIB
Sunday 10.00 – 22.00 WIB