What happens when a data scientist quits his job, loses everything to COVID, and accidentally becomes one of the biggest food creators on the internet? In this episode, Samuel Goldsmith sits down with Nigel Ng, the man behind Uncle Roger, to talk about his journey from broke comedian microwaving £3 curries to opening restaurants and publishing his debut cookbook. Nigel shares how a lockdown reaction video turned into a global phenomenon, why MSG is the most misunderstood ingredient in your kitchen, and what it took to import an $80 flower from Ecuador for a single recipe. In this episode, you'll hear about:

- The origin of Uncle Roger and the viral egg fried rice video

- Why Nigel quit data science just six months before the pandemic

- His new London restaurant Kawan and the design philosophy behind it

- The truth about MSG: what it is, why people fear it, and how to use it

- His debut cookbook with Simon & Schuster and the painstaking process behind it

- Malaysian street food culture vs. British pub culture

- His pitch to Jamie Oliver (Jamie, ball's in your court)

- Quick-fire round: truffle is a waste of money, Wagamama's is the worst thing he's eaten, and he'd dine with Cloud from Final Fantasy VII

🎙️ Listen now and subscribe to the Good Food Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. For more recipes and inspiration, visit goodfood.com or download the app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices