Nigel NG, aka Uncle Roger on stand up comedy, his new restaurant, and India tour

The first time I learnt of Malaysian stand-up comedian Nigel NG was in 2021. My father was watching a YouTube video on his smartphone, laughing away as the internet sensation exclaimed ‘Haiyaa’. Little did I know Nigel’s online persona (or alter ego) ‘Uncle Roger’ would grow on me!

His affair with comedy began during his engineering days at Northwestern University in Chicago. He then moved to London to work as a data scientist, but continued performing at open mic nights. In 2019, he decided to pursue comedy full-time.

But Nigel became a viral sensation after his reaction to a BBC Food tutorial on making egg fried rice in 2020, at the height of Covid-19. Nigel’s video ‘Uncle Roger’ Disgusted by This Egg Fried Rice Video’ unabashedly trashed the dish, pointing out all that was wrong with it in a comedic style.

What’s more, he has opened his first restaurant, Fuiyoh! in Kuala Lumpur–taking his love of fried rice to a new level. 

In the last few years, the Los Angeles-based comedian has come to be known for his strong Cantonese accent and unapologetic take on Asian culture. Nigel has a large following on social media, with 4.5 million people on Instagram and over 9.6 million subscribers on YouTube.

He’s also known for his podcast Rice to Meet You with UK-based Swedish comic Evelyn Mok.

From online videos to live shows, Nigel has been humouring audiences across the world with The Haiyaa World Tour. After shows in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver and other cities, Nigel is set to roast audiences (and give them laughter attacks) at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on September 21, 2024. The show is organised by BookMyShowLive, the live entertainment division of BookMyShow.

Ahead of the event, YS Life speaks to the popular comedian to know all about his journey, his favourite fried rice, and what’s cooking in his new restaurant.

Excerpts from the interview:

YourStory Life (YSL): How did you become the internet’s favourite, Uncle Roger?

Nigel NG (NNG): I came up with Uncle Roger’s character during the Covid-19 lockdown. At the time, I had just become a full-time stand-up comedian. The pandemic hit, which meant I lost all my work and live shows.

I had this character stuck in my head, but never had time to do anything with it until Covid. Since I was unemployed, I thought of ways to use this character and do something for the internet. Out of the blue, a friend of mine sent me the BBC video. I was like “it would be cool to have this character react to this video” and show his disgust and surprise. That’s how Uncle Roger was born.

YSL: How would you describe your brand of comedy?

NNG: This is hard. As Uncle Roger, I play an ancient boomer, so I am always thinking how would this ‘fish out of the water’ person react? By this I mean, he’s so out of touch and stuck in his ways. That’s his brand of comedy.

But as Nigel, I am more observant and draw from everyday occurrences. I know it’s a very vague, generic description but that’s the best I can describe.

YSL: How has your comedy evolved over the years?

NNG: I think I’ve become better over the years of doing stand-up. At first, I wasn’t so confident on stage. My jokes weren’t as authentic and truthful. But now that I’ve gained some skill set in comedy, I talk about my life more because that’s where I draw from. Uncle Roger-wise, the comedy is more food-related. That’s his main thrust.

YSL: Do you believe the expression ‘Haiyaa’ and your take on Asian culture has made you more relatable within the Asian community? 

NNG: Oh, yes! That’s the beauty of different cultures and languages. ‘Haiyaa’ is a Malaysian slang but it also exists in many Asian cultures. It’s Aiyaa in Hong Kong and Aigoo in Korean. I think there’s also a similar phrase in India. While English is a universal language, it’s the slang words that bring in more familiarity and relatability.

YSL: What’s your ideal fried rice like?

NNG: This is a great question! Because of my work, I have eaten a lot of fried rice. I also just opened a restaurant in which fried rice is one of the main dishes. My ideal fried rice leans towards the Southeast Asian style. It’s very flavourful and packs a punch. It should have sambal, chilli, and maybe some fish sauce for a punchy flavour. I also like it darker in colour. It needs a lot of wok hei (translated into breath of a wok) and is prepared on a high-powered gas burner. Each rice has to be a separate grain and not all mushy together. And a little bit of MSG goes a long way!

YSL: Like other Asian geographies, India has a lot of rice dishes. Have you tried any?

NNG: I haven’t tried too many yet. But I enjoyed the biryani, which I have had outside India. It’s a big celebratory dish. From my understanding, every region has a different biryani. I haven’t been to India before but I am very excited to see what you guys have to offer!

YSL: Tell us about the time when Uncle Roger met Gordon Ramsay.

NNG: The first time I met (Gordon) Ramsay in person was in 2022. I was in LA and he invited Uncle Roger to be a part of a taping for Hell’s Kitchen. He’s such a nice guy, hospitable, kind, and gentle. I know he plays a mean character on TV, but he’s not like that in person. He also has a great sense of humour!

YSL: Why did you decide to open a restaurant in Malaysia?

NNG: I work in the food space and making these videos is fun. But I’ve always thought of ways to reach more of my country's people while I live in LA. Food is the way to go. I will admit I’ve never run a restaurant before, which is why I paired up with a skillful restaurant operator group and they’ve been great. 

Of course, there is fried rice, and of four kinds! That’s the main engine of the restaurant. You can have toppings on it and the sides are equally delicious.

YSL: What’s the Haiyaa tour in India about?

NNG: It’s a stand-up comedy show where the first half is dedicated to Uncle Roger. He will do some jokes and roast some people–it’s a bit of a crowd work. The second half is me as myself, doing stand-up for an hour. I’ve done this tour all over the world in many countries and everyone always has a good time. Even if you are not a fan or unfamiliar with Uncle Roger, you will still enjoy the show.

YSL: Besides comedy and seeking the perfect fried rice, what are your other passions?

NNG: I work a lot so I am a bit too busy to have another serious hobby. But any time I am on a tour, I make sure to travel a little, check out the local food and talk to locals. It’s my first time in Delhi, so I have to take a day trip to see the Taj Mahal.

I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to do a bit of sightseeing all over the world.