Yes, the pandemic has been devastating for restaurants in Chicago, but for some reason it’s been a very good time for the food of the Malay Archipelago, encompassing the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and more; and by extension, that’s good for everyone. (The awful demise of Lincoln Park’s Rickshaw Republic notwithstanding.)
But three years ago Low took issue with a passing comment from a customer that Malaysian food would never overcome its association with cheap street food. On a trip back home to Kuala Lumpur, he dined in a Peranakan restaurant serving the food of the Chinese merchant diaspora that spread and intermarried across the islands beginning in the 1400s. Over the centuries a sophisticated cuisine developed, employing Chinese cooking methods with local ingredients.
Kapitan dabbles in a few non-Peranakan items like the ubiquitous street-cart, omelet-encased Ramly burger seasoned with Maggi and black pepper sauce, as well as notable Muslim dishes like roti and the eggy, beef-stuffed pancake murtabak, each served with a potato-mung bean dal for dredging.
2142 N. Clybourn 773-661-2281 kapitanchicago.com
