There must be something about Little India at the heart of George Town, Penang that irresistibly attracts me. Like most tourists who come here on foot or via riding a trishaw, we all find this spot uniquely charming. Perhaps, a thousand and one reasons include that Bollywood music being played in its loudest volume by shops that sell audio CDs. Seeing little girls and women from the Tamil community, wearing those unstitched and colorful sarees proudly (on a daily basis) like having their tradition and culture on their skin makes an early morning stroll in Little India nothing less than inviting.
Indian-Malaysian women washing their feet prior entering the temple in the morning of Diwali or Deepavali, the festival of lights; taken at Queen Street, George Town, Pulau Pinang.
My eyes usually go on a feast with the sight of various interesting things…
Lantern fascination
And of course, what tops my list is my young love affair with some Indian dishes.
One has an option to enjoy it via hawker food stalls…
or in my case, from Kapitan…
As of the moment, I am partial to Kapitan, an Indian restaurant with branches all over Penang Island; serving the hungry and craving ones for 24 hours, 7 days a week (read : I rarely eat Indian food here if it’s not from Kapitan. Tina, Gabby and I tried the one in front of our appartment’s building and it’s not worth it). The one that I frequent is located at the corner of Little India and Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street which is commonly flocked by foreigners touring Penang).
My Indian Power Breakfast from Kapitan in the morning of Diwali : Tosai Keju (Cheese Tosai) with dips and chutneys, Roti Telur (Egg Prata with curried eggplant dip) and Mango Lassi to wash down; all for only RM 8.60 (USD 2.75 or PhP 120).
Because I had eaten several times in Kapitan and loved it each time, I was raving about it to Tina and Gabby and wished that they would go with me to Little India to try my favorites too. It came true last Saturday as we had our lunch in Kapitan after I bought Tina and Gabby’s choices of Punjabi dress and shirt (no, not a saree) that they will wear in one of the functions that we will attend in our days off in Manila soon.
Our family's love affair for some Indian dishes at Kapitan begins.
Huge servings, quick and attentive service, best of all, English-speaking staff complimented Kapitan’s tasteful dishes. Those essential qualities in food places are sadly, a rarity in most local restaurants here so one can easily imagine happiness and satisfaction in dining in Kapitan. There’s one wait staff in Kapitan-Little India who doesn’t forget to offer spoon and fork and table napkins –this little gesture, believe me, doesn’t exist in others even in fast food joints unless you ask for them.
Personal favorite : Chicken Tandoori set comes with cheese naan and a burst of flavors -tamarind dip, green mango+chili chutney, fish head curry served with freshly sliced onions and lime.
We chose to eat in the open-air-beside-the-street dining area rather than Kapitan’s second floor that’s airconditioned. Tina and Gabby browsed the menu but they trusted my recommendations.
Tina sampled my usual order from Kapitan : Chicken Tandoori set that comes with chicken delightfully marinated in yoghurt before grilling it with spices and butter. She had Garlic Cheese Naan to pair with it. With my wife’s discriminating-hard-to-please-taste buds, she smiled ear to ear after making the first bite. 
Gabby enjoyed the same set but only with Cheese Naan less the garlicy flavor Tina had.
Although I knew it’s a perfect opportunity for me to try other dishes from Kapitan like their Biryani, Mutton and others, I stayed within my comfort zone of having chicken again but this time not a Tandoori but a Chicken Cheese Kebab.
New found love : Chicken Cheese Kebab with double order of Cheese Naan! Sarap! 
Tender. Flavorful. Loved it. The waiter suggested for me to have 2 Cheese Naan instead of one. I became submissive as resistance was futile at that time.
We did have spoons and forks, but since an area for handwashing is available, Tina opted to eat it traditionally; Gabby and I followed. Look at those fingers pinching those Naan-goodness…
I was in cloud 9 when I saw my family enjoying their meals at Kapitan. It’s a refreshing breather from our usual fast food and restaurant dining.
it was a lovely lunch!
Because they liked it too, it’s definitely not our last time dining together in Kapitan-Little India.
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Have you tried Indian food? What’s your favorite?
I love indian food too especially cheese naan. Tried out New Bombay here and it’s good. Parang may Little India resto dito somewhere in Jupiter ata pero hindi ko pa try.
wow, coffee and the love for cheese naan and photography and blogging are so common among us, marian.
magaling, magaling!
see you on the 21st sa palasyo.
*slobbers*
I wish we have Kapitan or something similar here, Doc. I’m suddenly craving for cheese naan.
For my Indian cravings, I go to New Bombay and/or Legends of India to sate them
we haven’t tried new bombay.
let’s see if we’ll get a chance on our days off soon.
thanks for dropping by again here, dash!
wow! laki ng servings ah..i have an Indian friend here..doesn’t like the smell of the Indian foods..but because of ur cheese naan..hahahah i will try it!! thanks for sharing this knowledge..
it’s affordable too, chari! prices of dishes at kapitan are so reasonably cheap compared to others.
i love kapitan’s menu but eating it daily is another issue.
you’ll never miss kapitan while you’re in lttle india ‘coz your nose will lead you there, no need for maps
tumpak!
but unlike other food places that serve almost the same menu, the aroma for me in kapitan isn’t annoying.
Besides the taste and hospitality, they give huge servings! We have an Indian Restaurant close to the office serving lunch buffet at $7.99 which is a rarity!
Never had cheese naan. It looks so good. I was amazed how big are those portions. It made me hungry.
Hope to go to that place one day.
i haven’t tried indian food. i don;t think we have a sort of “indian town” [much like china town] here in manila [well, not that i know of].
grabe laki ng servings! parang must try nga sya! yum!
nakakataba … ng puso
na amaze din ako sa Indian food sa Malaysia,laki ng servings tsaka exciting yung mga dips!
im actually a fan of indian food though i really havent tried the authentic ones in india but the ones in singapore really taste good. most likely same with this.
and when i get to be there… ill definitely try walking on foot.
I have eaten more Indian food than I ever wanted. I think my soy sauce and vinegar palate is assaulted by the extensive spice combinations that Indian food has. I love biryani, but the Bangladesh version. I enjoy pani puri and dosa too. But I can’t have it all the time.
I have Indian friends and they cook at home, so I get the homecooked versions most of the time.
So nice to see Gabby’s palate going global this early in his life.
Argh! I’m totally craving for Indian food now. Everything looks authentic, doc.
They all look yummy! I have tried the Indian food once with my Indian co-worker but we never been to an Idian resto with my family. The Naan bread looks yummy, hay I hope maka try uli ng Indian food, ayaw kasi ng hubby ko e mabantot daw mga Indian lol
Bollywood music is very infectious isn’t it? Can’t help dance to its pulsating tempo haha!
When I went to India, I was fond of tandoori dishes and naan bread but I’d love to drink lassi again.
This post made me miss all the food I got to eat when I traveled India! Iba ang flavors nila, very aromatic and very distinct.