Dancing Fish with Hanim

Saturday night, Hanim took me out to dinner at the Dancing Fish Restaurant in the fancy Bangsar Shopping Center. Since there was a long wait, we had coffee and a good conversation about Malaysian politics. I had heard a lot about the racial dynamics between the Malays and Chinese in Malaysia, but not much about the Indian population. She informed me that many of Malaysians Indians had been around since the 11th century. There was also an influx of Indian “indentured servants” brought into the country in the 1900s to work in the rubber plantations. Malaya (as it was known under British rule) was the largest producer of rubber latex to support Western industrialization. Currently, many Indians have lifted themselves into a middle class standing. Their meritocracy-based politics mirror their Chinese counterparts, while their wealth does not.

When our table was ready, Hanim made it very clear that I was her guest and that she was treating me. Although I didn’t argue, I thanked her profusely. I insisted that she order for both of us after telling her that I do not eat beef or pork, unless it has already been prepared for me. She ordered:

• Chicken satay (grilled chicken on a stick with a sweet peanutty flavor)
  
• Chicken rendang (the marriage between spicy and coconut nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes)
  
• Dancing Fish & their homemade dip (which is the restaurant’s signature dish - it’s crisply deep fried on the outside and very moist and tender on the inside of the fish)
• Kankung belacan (veggies)
• Seafood in coconut milk soup (served hot inside of the coconut…very refreshing, yet spicy)

All these were accompanied with rice. Every time I finished a glass of wine, Hanim would ask me if I wanted another. I tried to be polite, but I ended up having 3 glasses of white wine to accompany it all. The dinner conversation was my introduction to Hanim’s children, their significant others, and her grandchildren. We also discussed her 4 years in Australia earning a bachelor’s degree in social work—a mid-career change.

After dinner, she took me to the Selangor Club Sports Annexe (comparable to a country club, but for cricket instead of golf) in Bukit Kiara. A few decades ago, only British people were allowed to be members. It felt strange being an African American there. We chatted about her husband, my family, and New Orleans music while I drank multiple rum and cokes.