Restoran Kapitan – George Town Indian Food

Back in Cameron Highlands, I met an Indian couple from Texas who recommended Restoran Kapitan

So as I wandered around George Town, lo and behold, I found it. It wasn’t actually difficult to find, I suppose, as I’m pretty sure I could’ve asked anyone and they would’ve pointed me in the right direction. But I wasn’t really looking and just happened to stumble upon it.

I ordered the tandoori chicken and naan with an orange Fanta and have to admit that it was delicious! The chicken was spicy and moist. I felt a little awkward eating alone though, because the place was slammin’ during lunch hour. There were lots of business people dressed in nice long-sleeved shirts and slacks (I don’t understand how they weren’t dripping with sweat like I was) enjoying the food as well. Most of the patrons were men, with a few groups of women with their young children. I was the only single woman, which got some stares, but, having been in Malaysia for a while now, I was getting used to it.

I’ve found that it’s a bit different traveling alone in Asia than it was in Australia or New Zealand. It seemed more acceptable to be a girl on your own in the latter than it is in the former. I observed that more people (mostly men) tended to stare at me in Malaysia (and to a lesser extent Singapore) when I walked around the town on my explorations.

It’s not as if I felt physically threatened or anything, but I did find it a bit disconcerting at times. It’s as if I’m an insect under a microscope or an oddity of some sort because the men just blatantly look at you. Even if you catch them looking and stare right back at them, they don’t take the subtle hint (even when I sometimes wasn’t so subtle and glared back at them).

Oftentimes I could feel my American upbringing bubbling near the surface, and I wanted to snap at the guys by saying, “what the hell are you looking at?” But I didn’t. Why should I condemn people from another country for breaking the societal pleasantries and customs of my country? After all, we weren’t in my country.

After a while, I just tried to ignore them. But, I can only imagine the attention that Caucasian girls drum up in Asia. I assume it’s a pain in the butt most of the time.

Alfresco Dining in Malacca

My first meal in Malaysia was also my first experience with Indian food as well. My Taiwanese roommate Wendy and I joined Howard, our hostel’s owner, at his favorite local Indian joint. He was born and raised in Malacca and had come to this restaurant all his life.

When we arrived at the restaurant, the workers set up a table and chairs on the sidewalk alfresco style. Despite evening’s approach, it was still really hot and humid. We ordered gigantic, and I’m talking extremely huge, mugs of mango juice to quench our thirst. Wendy and I decided to share a mug as well as an order of tandoori chicken. We also got sides of naan bread with different curries. I think Howard ate a chicken and rice dish but I don’t know what it’s called.

As we waited for our food, Howard told us a bit about the area. He was really passionate about his hometown and his thriving hostel business. He said the area was undergoing a major cultural revival, and the government was actively trying to preserve and promote Malacca’s historical value.

However, while this brought more worldwide awareness to the colonial city, it also increased the commercialism of Malacca. Large hotels were coming up all around to accommodate the increased tourist traffic. Howard felt at odds with this because even though this could have a positive effect on his hostel, he was afraid the small-town feel of Malacca would disappear. He wanted travelers to have an authentic experience of Malacca and not one that was packaged for them in a group tour.

While I can definitely understand his sentiments (after all, I’m from Hawaii, one of the most commercialized “dream vacation” destinations in the world), once a place is “discovered” by tourists and the local government decides to capitalize on this there is no going back to what was once considered quaint or charming. This may be a sad notion for purists or those who are deeply sentimental, but it is also a sign of progress and has happened many times before. And while I agree that a sudden rise in popularity can sometimes be harmful, I also believe that it creates new opportunities for locals. It can increase cultural appreciation, promote religious acceptance and foster technological advancements in addition to any financial rewards gained in the process.

Sometimes development is a good thing. Maybe the next time I return, this small Indian joint will have expanded into a franchise that tourists can enjoy all throughout Malaysia. The naan was extremely soft and the chicken pieces were juicy with just a hint of heat. And the mango juice . . . simply delicious and necessary for such a hot and humid environment.

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