Nestled in a cosy corner of Lebuh Melayu in George Town, Penang, D’Loovi’s is well known among musicians and music lovers, locals and expatriates alike.

When it first opened its doors in 2015, D’Loovi’s was located on Love Lane, a dimly lit street that did not have much going on.

“In a short time, more people started showing up as they were drawn to the live music at my place. Some would dance on the street – it injected life into this area,” D’Loovi tells FMT.

However, following the drastic increase in rent over the years, he moved his gastropub to its current location in 2019.

D’Loovi, an engineer by training who has previously worked in advertising, says opening a restaurant was something he always wanted.

“I love making food that brings a smile to people’s faces,” says the 49-year-old, who was inspired by his grandmother’s cooking as a child.

“I used to watch her grind spices using a millstone. She would then use the spices to make this amazingly delicious rasam.

“I was fascinated by the entire process,” he says, adding that he eventually started cooking for friends and family.

D’Loovi has also always had a love for music and, fuelled by this, he made it a point to feature live music at his establishment.

Many of his musician friends have supported him by performing at D’Loovi’s over the years and renting their instruments to him at low cost.

“My dream is to find the next Sudirman or Alleycats. I want to provide the platform for local independent musicians to showcase their talent,” he says, adding that D’Loovi’s has the potential of hosting big names and was designed with that in mind.

D’Loovi’s, incidentally, was one of the first venues that encouraged local musicians to play their own compositions, as “lots of musicians write their own stuff but have nowhere to play them”.

“My bar is the only place in town where ‘Hotel California’, ‘Zombie’ and ‘What’s Up’ are banned from being performed,” he adds laughingly, referring to the fact that these songs have been overplayed ad nauseum.

Like most other F&B outlets in Malaysia, D’Loovi’s was not spared the effects of the pandemic. Grappling with overdue rental payments and a mounting pile of bills, D’Loovi came very close to throwing in the towel late last year.

“I couldn’t afford to keep the place going. But I also couldn’t afford not to, because everything I had was in here,” he shares.

Following a suggestion by one of his longtime customers, Kelvin organised a crowdfunding campaign that helped keep his business afloat.

“I was then able to cook and deliver food again. My loyal customers were, and are, instrumental in keeping me going.”

D’Loovi’s currently operates from 5pm to midnight daily, except on Tuesdays. It will return to its regular noon-to-midnight operations in the near future.

Popular dishes include mutton rendang with ghee rice, nasi lemak, chicken and pork rib rendang, sweet and sour prawns, and fish head curry, which are available for delivery throughout Penang island.

“We also deliver our rendang dishes and sambal to the rest of West Malaysia,” D’Loovi says.

Now that business is slowly returning to normal, D’Loovi’s continues to draw customers who create a magical atmosphere, while the man himself is dedicated to offering food and music from the heart.

“I’ve put so much of myself into this,” he says. “But it’s not even about the money, time or effort.

“This is the place that makes people happy, me more than anyone else, and I’ll keep running it as long as I am able.”

For food deliveries and enquiries, contact Kelvin at 016-2724689. Also follow D’Loovi’s on Facebook and Instagram.

D’Loovi’s
24, Lebuh Melayu,
10200 George Town,
Penang