If you know Uncle Roger, you know he doesn’t have much patience for Americans who mess with traditional Asian dishes—you’ve seen him try Jamie Oliver’s pho, right? Well, if you’ve been inside an American supermarket lately, you’re aware that a lot of American brands are taking liberties with Asian cuisine. Honestly, even we can’t explain why microwave pad thai always, for some bizarre reason, seems to contain bell peppers. So, how does Uncle Roger navigate a grocery store here in the U.S.? That’s what we wanted to find out.
We went straight to the source: Nigel Ng, comedian and creator of the Uncle Roger alter ego. Ng, who was born and raised in Malaysia, has been creating YouTube content as Uncle Roger since July 2020 when he posted a video critiquing a BBC chef’s take on egg fried rice. That video has now been viewed 39 million times. Last year, Ng embarked on a world stand-up tour that took him everywhere from Australia to Dubai. During the tour’s Boston stop, Ng recorded The HAIYAA Special, which drops on Hulu on Friday, February 28. In advance of the premiere, we talked to Ng AND Uncle Roger about snacks, celebs, and the best stuff at the grocery store.
What is your biggest grocery store pet peeve?
Nigel: When it’s too trendy and overpriced like Erewhon. I like how a lot of the stuff there is healthy, organic, higher quality meats and produce, but it’s also mixed in with “sea kelp gel drink” for $25 a bottle.
Uncle Roger: Not having good rice brands. No large sacks of rice on the ground.
What is the most underrated microwave food?
Nigel: There are some cool things from Japanese and Korean convenience stores that taste okay microwaved. Chicken katsu curry, that kind of thing. They even have microwaved rice that tastes decent. They just taste a little better than their American counterparts.
Uncle Roger: No such thing as good microwave food.
If one song, album, or artist could score your grocery shopping style, what would it be and why?
Nigel: Bruno Mars. That guy can sing.
Uncle Roger: Maybe Benny Blanco since we have a song together.
What canned food are you bringing to the apocalypse potluck?
Nigel: Indomie. Most instant noodle brands come with one little sachet, one little packet of flavoring. Indomie will come with three packets—little oils, sauces. You get more than what you pay for. It’s very everyday food where I grew up.
Uncle Roger: Rice. Sauces. Chili crunch. Lap cheong (chinese sausage). Some frozen vegetables. These all can last a while and we can cook fried rice on a portable burner.
Some people smell watermelons, some grab from the back shelf, what are you doing in the grocery store that raises eyebrows?
Nigel: Going back to put stuff back on the shelves after finding a cheaper alternative.
Uncle Roger: Never reaching for the first item. We take the newer ones from the back.
Where are you doing your grocery shopping?
Nigel: I like to get the main protein from a fish monger or butcher. They usually have nicer cuts and more variety. Plus, sometimes you can get things that people usually discard (like chicken fat), but they add great flavor to a dish. If I can, vegetables from the farmers market. Then the rest of the meal from any big box chain, ideally something organic, but any big box chain will do.
Uncle Roger: Any real Chinese supermarket is okay. In L.A., Hawaii Supermarket, 99 Ranch is authentic. If I see Asian languages on the box I feel comfortable.
Picture this fantasy: You’re in the produce section. You reach for an onion at the exact same time as someone famous—who is it?
Nigel: Eddie Murphy. He was the first stand-up I saw as a kid. In Malaysia, English was our second language, but his jokes rely so much on the physicality, the expression, the storytelling, and normal, everyday human things we can all relate to. It would be very cool to meet him in real life—I wouldn’t be annoying about it, though.
Uncle Roger: Tony Leung. He’s De Niro-level in Asia.
We’ve taken away your fridge and given you a mini fridge that can only hold 3 condiments, what are they and why?
Nigel: Sriracha, Kewpie mayo, and various kinds of soy sauce. There’s one particular brand called Jammy Chai; it was a gift given to me by Martin Yan. It just tastes richer in flavor. If you really want to make a fancy fried rice, use this soy sauce.
What’s one packaged food that is better than anything any chef could ever make?
Nigel: Irvin’s Salted Egg potato chips. Potato chips are a very Western thing, so it’s cool to see Western-Asian fusion. They’re very salty, a little bit sweet, and very addictive. I’ll take that over any Pringles flavor.
What Malaysian snack do you wish was sold in grocery stores in the U.S.?
Nigel: Pandan Kaya. It’s my favorite spread to have on toast. Mix with a little butter.
Uncle Roger: Heong Peng. From Wikipedia: round pastries that contain a sweet sticky filling made from malt and shallots, which is covered by a Chinese flaky pastry crust and garnished with sesame seeds on the surface.
