Uncle Roger debuts restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian YouTube personality Nigel Ng, better known for his online moniker Uncle Roger. Photo from Ng's Instagram

According to The Straits Times, the restaurant, situated in the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur mall, celebrated its grand opening this Wednesday.

Social media was abuzz with images and videos showing long queues at the venue, with some patrons reportedly waiting up to three hours for a meal, as per AsiaOne.

A 22-year-old university student named Sugi shared with Malay Mail that he had been in line since 9:50 a.m., well before the restaurant’s opening time at 1:00 p.m., eager to sample the cuisine.

At the grand opening, Ng was on hand to welcome fans and take photos.

The menu at his restaurant includes various versions of fried rice, priced between 16-18 ringgits (US$3.7-$4.2). In addition to the main courses, guests can also order side dishes such as gyoza, fries, and pickled cucumber.

Ng teased the restaurant’s opening back in July through a video in which he reviewed an episode of the late American chef Anthony Bourdain’s series "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations."

Ng, 33, rose to global fame in 2020 with his comedic response to a BBC Food tutorial on preparing fried rice. Through his character Uncle Roger, a stereotypical middle-aged Asian uncle known for critiquing people’s cooking techniques, he often contrasts authentic Asian culinary methods with their Western adaptations in his videos. He has attracted over 9.6 million YouTube subscribers as of September 2024.