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    Kapitan

    4.3 (163 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Kapitan Reservations

    Order Kapitan Takeout or Delivery

    Kapitan Photos

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    KAPITAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Kapitan

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    Reviews With Photos

    Teh Tarik
    Jay S.

    My friends and I visited here for some good food and good times, and it ended up being just that. The menu contains many traditional Malaysian and Singaporean food items, ranging from nasi lemak to sambal eggplant to chicken satay, and pretty much everything tasted great with good flavor. The sambal flavor defined the eggplant dish and since you can't really go wrong with sambal, the dish was just great. The chicken satay had good sauce that helped enhance its flavor. The nasi goreng was seasoned very well, with all the seasonings infused into the rice. The rendang beef had very tender beef in terms of texture, and the curry lemongrass sauce evidently defined the flavor, making it an overall very enjoyable experience. Finally, the lamb shank that came with the nasi lemak was also very tender because it was slow-cooked, and together with the nasi lemak, the combination worked well. If there was one thing I wanted to see improvement on, then I would've loved it if the roti pratha included even more roti, simply because it'd be common pratice to eat it in relatively larger quantities. Otherwise, everything was just great. Even if the menu was huge, I couldn't see a possibility of choosing a wrong dish, not only because Malaysian food is bomb in general, but also because the dishes all used the correct types and amount of seasoning to provide good flavor. I would gladly recommend this place to those looking for this cuisine type in Chicago.

    Sarina Z.

    I've driven by so many times and finally stopped in, so glad I did! The space feels homey and welcoming, and the Malaysian menu has all the comforting classics. The curry laksa was flavorful and packed with a variety of seafood proteins. The beef chow fun hit the spot, and the Hainan chicken was poached to perfection tender and comforting. Service was great too--attentive and genuinely friendly.

    Kaya toast
    Matthew H.

    It seems Serai closed and reopened, and now shares a location with Kapitan, so I guess this is a review for both restaurants. Interesting. Anyway, my friend and I came last Thursday for dinner -- really big (and no-frills) restaurant and it was not very busy. Our server was friendly and helpful with our questions, and service was prompt and efficient. We ordered the kaya toast and roti canai as appetisers. The kaya toast was yummy (and honestly a bit rare to find in the US), but I think the portion size was definitely a bit small for the price. Roti canai was yummy -- I loved how fluffy and flaky the roti was -- and the curry was delicious, if not a bit too salty. We also ordered the mee goreng, which was a bit more disappointing. The underlying flavour of ketchup was really just too strong and drowned out all the other (sweet or savoury) sauces. The noodles were also too soft / soggy, but I thought the other ingredients (veggies, tofu) were good. Finally we had the curry laksa (the serai recipe - apparently the toppings are different), which I would definitely recommend. The egg noodles were very well-cooked to a great chewiness, and I really liked the variety of tasty toppies it came with (loved the chicken and char siu, and the fish balls were soft and very flavourful). I wish there were more broth because the noodles did get dry very quickly. Overall a pretty good meal -- I'd be keen to come again :)

    Cendol
    Shannon W.

    This is the most authentic Malaysian place I've been to since Malaysia. There are so many street foods to choose from, some I didnt even know about. Truly so amazing and they don't skimp on flavor- the components of coconut, shrimp paste, pandan and sambal are all there. Bring friends so you can try everything. My favorite was the murtabak- the egg flatbread with onions. You can also buy the Kaya toast in a jar to take with you. Definitely try their drink menu both alcoholic and non alcoholic-- those are creative and authentic as well.

    Roti - Curry Chicken
    Shu O.

    Difficult to find a Malaysian restaurant but Kapitan does it well - coming from a Malaysian. We tried the roti canai, beef rendang, char kuey teow, and Hainanese chicken rice. All the dishes are flavorful and authentic, with good portions for the prices. My favorite was the beef rendang, which was super tender. Overall super comforting meal and the service was great!

    Jason H.

    This place was a hidden gem! We ordered the randang beef, the Panang chicken and the Kapitan chicken. They were all magnificent. Service was friendly and prompt. Very comfortable space! We will be back!

    Kids' play area

    Loved having all the classic Malaysian dishes I miss -- char koay teow, mee goreng, lamb rendang, satay, and ais kacang. Also, they are set up for young kids really well -- a great play area with toy cars, books, a magnetic wall with gears and letters, and durable colorful plastic cups and bowls. Great experience and we will definitely revisit whenever we're in Chicago.

    Curry Vegetables
    Rahima J.

    This was my first time trying Malaysian food and it was SO good. This restaurant has so many options for everyone to enjoy. We shared family style and honestly that was the best way to do it. A lot of similar dishes to South Asian and Thai food but such different flavors. My favorite was definitely the Kapitan chicken and the drunken noodles were to die for. Would love to come back and try more things here!

    Mango sticky rice
    Jennifer D.

    I came here to celebrate graduation with family and were easily accommodated on a weekday. The space is huge, making it a great spot for larger parties. We also happened to catch happy hour and took full advantage! The drinks were Asian-inspired and came out quickly. I'm not too familiar with Malaysian cuisine, but overall, the food had great flavor. The rendang lamb had a nice kick of spice, and we ordered a variety of authentic dishes like nasi lemak and mee goreng, which were both solid choices. There's a wide selection on the menu, and the portion sizes were generous for the price.

    Roti canai
    Jay D.

    Pretty yummy Malaysian food -- huge 3 story restaurant so seems like there would likely never be a wait and a good place for a group. Not the best I've ever had but solid choice if you want a nice ambiance and easy seating.

    Kapitan chicken
    Soup B.

    Everything was amazing. Large portions for entrees and delicious all around. Will be returning soon!

    Penang cendol
    Nicmas C.

    Super nice Malaysian food, it is better than in Malaysia. Boss also friendly, must come again!

    Chong S.

    As a Malaysian, i really loved their dish, authentic even dish even i am far from home ! i wish i found out this restaurant sooner !

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Terrific food and great service. First time having Malaysian food. The Chili Shrimp was delicious. Definitely going back!

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    5 years ago

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    Page 5 of 5

    Ask the Community - Kapitan

    Are walk ins allowed or are reservations necessary?

    Walk ins are welcome too

    Do they have any gluten free options for celiacs?

    Yes - we have a gluten free menu

    Is the restaurant byob?

    Hi. We have a full bar

    Do they have any halal items?

    View All 6 Questions

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    Penang Malaysian Cuisine

    Penang Malaysian Cuisine

    3.8
    (451 reviews)
    19.9 mi
    $$

    I have been to Penang many times, and it has always been for a special occasion. Today, I missed…read morethe taste of Malaysia so I came to dinner by myself. I ordered enough for two, which means I would have something for the next two meals. The restaurant has been around for a while, and it is a stand alone building. The menu, like what you will find in Malaysia - a mixed of Chinese, Malay, and Indian. The service is always prompt. Here's what I ordered: 1) Roti Canai served with Malaysian chicken curry - the curry is unlike Indian curry. This is a typical Malaysian style curry. You take a piece of the crispy yet a little chewy pan fried dough and dipped in this curry broth. That combination will kick off your appetite. 2) Seafood and Tofu clay pot - a mix of fish fillet, squid, shrimp, vegetables and homemade tofu served in a clay pot. The tofu is delicious - crispy outside with soft and silky center - chef's kiss! 3) String bean mixed with balacan - balacan is a Malaysian sambal sauce made with shrimp paste and chili. It has this savory, sweet and lightly spicy flavor mixed with crispy string beans. It was a delightful dinner! There are many other dishes that I'll come back for, especially other dishes with their homemade tofu.

    It's been about 15 years since I've eaten here, the last time was for my graduation party!…read more Party of three, we went in on a late afternoon Sunday dinner. We ordered fried calamari, nasi lemak, roasted 1/2 duck, tofu and shrimp, coconut pudding, mango stick rice. The calamari was light and crunchy, really delicious My dad has had a so-so appetite, but he absolutely demolished the food. I haven't seen him eat this well for a long time. I'm glad to see Penang is still around, the staff are so nice and attentive.

    Photos
    A very clean and nice decorated place.
    A very clean and nice decorated place.
    Roti Canai Satay Chicken
    Roti Canai Satay Chicken
    Amazing chili sauce to spice it up!

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    Phat Phat

    Phat Phat

    4.2
    (531 reviews)
    22.6 mi
    $$

    From the moment we saw pictures of the noodles, we knew we had to try Phat Phat. We really enjoyed…read moreour first visit two weeks ago. We loved it so much, we drove from the city to have it again today. This is such a great restaurant. It's clean, spacious, and busy...and rightfully so. The staff is super nice and they remembered us from the first visit! On our first visit, we had the orange chicken xiao long bao, sichuan wonton, kwetiaw with chicken (asked for spicy) and hongkong mee with chicken. On our second visit, we had the orange chicken xiao long bao, sichuan wonton and two kwetiaw with chicken (spicy again). We had to have the our own kwetiaw because we loved it so much. The wide noodles (looove wide noodles) are perfectly cooked and the savory sauce coats the noodles and chicken just enough to make it balanced and delicious. All the dishes we had were wonderful. We can't wait to go back and try more items...and have all the same things!

    Location had ample parking. A bit difficult to see from the Main Street and entrance was tough to…read morefind for parking lot. Eventually arrived and even with no reservations, we were able to get a table rather quickly. The dining room had clever decor, ample space, and had an inviting atmosphere. The food photos only show a portion of the menu, so look online before going although choices are plenty, there will be discussions about the food. A nice quaint place that you gotta try if you're a local or simply looking for a different flair.

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    Crispy Fish
    Crispy Fish
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    Veggie Dumplings
    HD Cuisine

    HD Cuisine

    4.7
    (241 reviews)
    21.3 mi
    $$

    The cuisine here is amazing! My husband loves the nasi lemak!…read more The service is personable and kind. The owners are friendly and amazing! This restaurant is homey and inviting... Like you're sitting in your grandma's kitchen.

    I wanted to give a proper review. Don't believe some of the low rated reviews. If you look at their…read moreprofiles, they give every place a bad review. To clear things up about their dining area, they have 2 small tables outside and 1 small and 2 big tables inside. Small tables - 2 chairs. Big tables - 4 chairs. On weekdays, you don't need to make a reservation. On the weekends due to their limited dine in area, I would recommend a reservation to be safe. You can make a reservation through Google/Yelp or phone call. Parking is easy since it's in a strip mall. There is also a 3% charge if you use plastic. Just a note, I tried looking at their food pictures on their website, but it kind of runs slow. Sometimes it would freeze. I think they need to fix it. I would return here to try other items. I would highly recommend ordering off their Malaysian menu instead of the miscellaneous. Don't order orange chicken or General Tao's chicken. Very cringe because you can get that literally anywhere. Get the Malaysian food because it's hard to find in Illinois. The owner is very sweet and the service is attentive. We ordered lor bak, nasi lemak, Hainanese chicken rice, hokkien mee, and kuih talam. Just a FYI, the portions are very generous. For 2 people, I would recommend ordering 2 dishes. Prices are reasonable for what you get. A pot of tea is $6. -lor bak 5 - I highly recommend this appetizer. It has crispy pork sausage with shrimp fritters, beancurd, and cucumber. It comes with two sauces. Everything was delicious. -nasi lemak 5 - I love the chicken rendang. The meat is very tender and it has a deep flavor. You can taste the spices that went into it. -Hainanese chicken rice 3.5 - I gave Penang Malaysian Cuisine a 4 because the rice was delicious. HD's version, the rice was not as moist and flavorful. The chicken was not bad, it's about the same as Penang's. It could be a bit more succulent without the sauces. -hokkien mee 4 - this won't be as tasty as in Malaysia. I liked the big pieces of shrimp, an adequate amount of sliced pork and hard boiled egg. The broth is still very good. If it's your first time having this, I still recommend it. -kuih talam 5 - I would suggest this if you like pandan. It's not sweet. It has a soft and bouncy texture.

    Photos
    HD Cuisine
    Hainan Chicken Rice
    Hainan Chicken Rice
    Malaysia National Dish, Nyonya Nasi Lemak Biru with Chicken Rendang

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    Malaysia National Dish, Nyonya Nasi Lemak Biru with Chicken Rendang
    Phodega

    Phodega

    4.3
    (419 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    We had the oxtail pho it was flavorful. You get a lot for how much it is. Priced reasonably. The…read morepho noodles are thick. The broth was fresh. My only problem with the oxtail is that it was very tender... it didn't fall off the bone. It should've been cooked a bit longer. The dish itself did not look how I expected it to. It was underwhelming aesthetically. I wouldn't order the oxtail pho again. However the taste of it was pretty good! It made me want to try different kinds of pho. The service was okay, the girl server had an attitude, it wasn't that busy and she told us she was having a bad day... for whatever reason. The ambience was really nice. I really like the decorations in there. My only issue was the booth area. The table was not leveled for a suitable pho experience. The table sits very low to where you have to hunch over while you eat. The water, napkins etc. are right at the entrance. Where people are passing by, not very sanitary. But aesthetic makes you forget about that. The food was good though so I definitely come back to eat a seafood pho.

    I thought I was boarding the plane to leave Chicago, but after getting delayed for a couple hours,…read moreI decided to head back to the city for an extra day. After smelling the chemical fumes that's always present at airports, I tend to always crave something soupy and comforting. Phodega was near where I was staying, and my friend and her roommate also heard positive reviews on the food here. We arrived closer to 8 PM last Monday and were seated immediately. Their menu is a hodge-podge of popular Asian street food and snacks. It was a bit random, but I guess that's why it's... Phodega. PHO BO (BEEF) - 16.95 +3 for extra ribeye The broth was really strong and flavorful, very meaty and beefy. However, the noodle to broth ratio was a bit too high for me. I really liked the broth too, and there wasn't much of it after the noodles sucked it all up. Adding the extra ribeye beef helped balance it out, which was a good call for me that night. My friend got the "Not BBH" and didn't really like it, and her roommate absolutely despised the Korean Style Dumplings. Definitely get the beef pho at Phodega because it did the job for me besides the overwhelming amount of noodles.

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    Inside
    Inside
    The Viet Dip
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    JJ Thai Street Food

    JJ Thai Street Food

    4.4
    (567 reviews)
    1.7 mi
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    Instantly one of my new favorite restaurants in Chicago. And probably one of my favorite Thai…read morerestaurants of all time. As a street food spot that's popular for lunch, you get different offerings here than a lot of your other neighborhood Thai joints. Sat on the outdoor patio so didn't get to see the inside much but I liked our atmosphere and service. Split the papaya salad and the Laab Moo Krob (crispy pork belly salad) with a friend and both were outstanding. From the first crispy bite of the pork belly I was in love with the texture and flavors. We added a side of sticky rice with that which was perfect. I wish I could've tried everything on the menu that day but looks like I'll just have to return as soon as possible.

    Lots of Thai food spots in West Town but what distinguishes JJ Thai is their street food-focused…read moremenu. I advise straying away from the noodle classics like Pad Thai or Pad See Ew and opt for a soup, chicken, or rice plates! Pretty small inside so you may have a bit of a wait but overall really quick service. Jina's Fried Chicken (E7): Thai southern style marinated leg quarter topped with fried onion and cilantro served with sweet and sour sauce and black sticky rice Braised Pork with rice (R5): Braised pork hog and ham in Thai and Chinese herb with hard-boiled egg, Shiitake mushroom and pickled mustard green served over Thai jasmine--rice with spicy-sour sauce on the side. Chicken with ginger rice (R4): Poached chicken served over ginger-garlic rice with soybean ginger sauce on the side. Pork Belly with Fish Sauce (SP6): Fried marinated pork belly cubes served with spicy dipping sauce

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    JJ Thai Street Food
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    R5 KHAO KA MOO

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    Kapitan - asianfusion - Updated July 2026

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