TBC: The Belly Clan

TBC...Tuber Culosis?     To be confirmed?    No, it's The Belly Clan.

Pan-fried Norwegian Salmon Served with Turmeric Rice & Tomato Salsa

The Belly Clan is located at the lobby level of Intiland Tower

The Belly Clan is a new restaurant & bar in Jakarta that was open quite recently (a few months ago). The concept was conceived from the love of eating out, shared by 5 Indonesians who are friends and spent sometime living in Melbourne. The menu line up at The Belly Clan consists of pan-Asian fusion dishes conjured by Executive Chef Hengky Efendy, who has long experience working in Gordon Ramsay's kitchen.

2 of the 5 owners, Amanda and Rendy, hosted our private lunch session and shared insightful stories behind the conception of The Belly Clan. (Always) curious me, asked Amanda why they chose a relatively old office building to anchor their premier venture. Amanda explained: the strategic location (Sudirman and KH. Mas Mansyur junction) and the untapped potential of white-collar executives and expats working around this area, are among the primary reasons that attracted them to open The Belly Clan here.

The interior is sleek and clean, with neutral colours and clean spaces that look soothing to the eyes. Besides private rooms, the main dining area features an open kitchen concept and a well stocked bar. There is even a separate menu for the drinks, which features an extensive list (I'd say around 90-95% of the drinks menu) of alcoholic beverage. Pity, smoking is allowed inside, as such, I would either avoid coming at busy hours, or request for a private room.

The lunch started off on a high note with one of the signature cocktails here: Golden Monkey (gin, campari/Japanese cucumber, orange & kiwi. When the food came to our table one by one, the rest was history.

My personal favourite was actually a side dish, baked macaroni with truffle oil. (on the topic of truffle oil, we discussed about how much Gordon Ramsay hates truffle oil in cooking, as he considers it cheating). Besides the baked mac, I liked my Pan-fried Norwegian Salmon Served with Turmeric Rice & Tomato Salsa. The turmeric rice was buttery and rich, think of it as a slicker version of your Nasi Kuning. You should try the Mini Asian Sloppy Joes, which is mini sliders with minced beef, sunny side up egg, lettuce, mayonnaise, and tomato ketchup, served with hand-cut crispy potato chips, which I could not stop eating!

Golden Monkey IDR 95,000

Nachos with dip

Mini Asian Sloppy Joes IDR 45,000

Stir Fried Ox Tongue - served with garlic rice, sliced red chilli, scallions and sesame oil

Crab Fettucine in Singapore Chili Crab Sauce IDR 75,000

Korean Beef Tortillas - marinated beef with Gochujang paste, lettuce, sesame seed & oil, grated parmesan cheese in flour tortilla wrap

Vanilla Pannacotta with Black Sesame Sauce

As far I know, I have not come across any pan-Asian fusion restaurant in Jakarta yet. Until its unique offering is challenged, The Belly Clan is a newcomer worth checking out. Will it impress the diners and evolve into a black hole that attracts people from far and wide? You be the judge. In the meantime, I'm planning to return to try its signature side dish: Creamed Spinach.

The Belly Clan Restaurant & Bar
Intiland Tower Lobby
JL. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 32
Ph: +6221 57906000 / +628111588585 (for reservation, enquiries and delivery order)
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Opening Hours: Weekdays (10AM - 11PM)   |  Weekends (10AM - 2AM)