Nigel Ng, better known as his straight-talking, orange-polo-shirted comedy alter ego, Uncle Roger, built a huge fan base through making fun of other people’s cooking abilities. He first came to fame during the Covid-19 pandemic when he posted a video playing the part of his now-famous stereotypically opinionated Chinese “uncle” ridiculing BBC Food presenter Hersha Patel for using a colander to drain and rinse her cooked rice – a cardinal sin in Chinese cooking culture. Ng’s video went viral, racking up more than 38 million views on YouTube.
Since that July 2020 post, Ng has made many more videos, many of which light-heartedly criticise food influencers and chefs – most notably Gordon Ramsay, with whom he has an ongoing friendly feud – particularly about how they prepare rice. He has become a global phenomenon, with 11 million followers on Tik Tok, 9.6 million YouTube subscribers and 4.5 million followers on Instagram and Facebook.
But now his fans are criticising him in return, particularly about his own rice. Ng opened his first-ever restaurant, Fuiyoh! It’s Uncle Roger, in his hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 11 September 2024. It offers a range of fried rice dishes with optional toppings, sauces and sides. A billboard in the city advertises the restaurant as offering “the best fried rice in town”.
But some fans have left feeling disgruntled after visiting the restaurant, located on the 7th floor of Pavilion Elite of the high-rise luxury shopping mall Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, and have taken to social media to vent their frustration.
Comments on the restaurant’s official Instagram account, @fuiyohitsuncleroger, include remarks such as: “Just doesn’t taste good. Not worth the wait. He is just milking the cow”, and, “This hype won’t last long. Wait for the shop to shutter and file for bankruptcy. I tasted it – absolutely sucks.”
In a Google review, a local diner makes a more targeted complaint about the food: “The crispy sunny side up fail. The egg yolks already flat. Kimchi not the best kimchi. It tastes not spicy, sour and not nice. Pan seared salmon was overcooked. Special fried rice with sunny side up and kimchi fried rice with pan-seared salmon no wok hei. Overall the food too oily and salty.”
Other diners grumble about what they believe are high costs for the dishes, with one critic stating: “Downstairs mamak is better than this”, referring to casual food stalls on the streets outside.
It is not the first time Ng has come under attack. His Uncle Roger persona has sparked debate online on social media and in forums such as Reddit with some users claiming that his over-exaggerated portrayal of traditional Asian stereotypes, including his strong Chinese accent and mannerisms, further discriminates against the culture rather than celebrates it.
But many do not agree; despite the naysayers, the restaurant, decked out in yellow and orange and featuring a statue of the internet sensation himself, continues to attract throngs of people wanting a taste of Uncle Roger’s rice.
Diners at Fuiyoh! It’s Uncle Roger (“fuiyoh”, Malaysian slang for excitement or surprise, is a slogan of Uncle Roger’s) first choose a base of fried rice, ranging from tomato fried rice and kimchi fried rice to the classic Uncle Roger’s Fry Rice, available in both spicy and non-spicy versions.
Other toppings are then added on, such as grilled unagi (eel), pan-seared salmon with mentaiko (pollock roe), garlic shrimp, and eggs. The dish can then further be customised with additional sauces, including Uncle Roger’s Secret Sambal (essentially a sambal belacan, or spicy shrimp paste), pineapple mayonnaise, or makrut lime chilli Thai sauce.
Diners can pair the fried rice with a wide selection of small snacks and bites, such as the “YSoWeak” mala (Sichuan seasoning) popcorn chicken, crispy chicken, white corn, fried dumplings, and the popular item, mala okra fries. Drinks include a range of traditional beverages commonly served at local Malaysian coffee shops, such as iced lemon tea, white coffee, and a selection of soda and hot drinks.
The comedian said that he chose his hometown as the location for his first restaurant rather than the UK, where he now lives, as it provided him with a “good excuse to return to Malaysia more often.”
Having grown up in Cheras, southeast of Kuala Lumpur, Ng spent his formative years surrounded by the very culture that inspired the character of Uncle Roger. He left Malaysia to pursue a degree in Engineering and Philosophy at Northwestern University in the US. Stand-up comedy piqued his interest, but he went on to work as a data scientist in England. It was only much later, when Ng was attempting to switch careers during the pandemic, that Uncle Roger was born.
Contrary to his detractors, Ng has stated that he feels that with his Uncle Roger persona he is in fact shining a spotlight on Chinese culture, raising awareness as a person of Chinese descent and reaching more people than he would be able to through his standup comedy.
Either way, Fuiyoh! It’s Uncle Roger is only expanding, with another outlet slated to open soon and more to come thereafter.
