Haldiram’s Delhi has a fan in Uncle Roger

One wonders if customers at a Haldiram’s outlet in Delhi noticed a fair-skinned, orange t-shirt-wearing man savouring chole bhature, pav bhaji, papri chaat, paneer paratha, and lassi less than a week ago. Those who did may have been left in shock, as it’s not every day—or any day—that social media’s viral food critic and lover of meat dishes, Uncle Roger, drools over and praises vegetarian cuisine.

“Uncle Roger in Delhi, India, and I try my favourite local food place,” he says, pointing to a Haldiram’s Delhi signboard in an Instagram post. “This is the only vegetarian food Uncle Roger likes,” he remarks while devouring the eatery’s dishes.

Uncle Roger, one of the most popular food creators on social media, was in the capital for his debut tour of India before flying to Dubai. Haldiram’s may not need the endorsement of a creator in India, given its legacy—its origins date back to 1937, before India’s independence.

What Uncle Roger’s post offers Haldiram’s is international exposure, the kind that the snack and restaurant brand could not have generated on its own. Since its upload five days ago, the Instagram video has received over 480,000 likes, 3,800 comments, and over 600,000 shares.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nigel Ng (Uncle Roger) (@mrnigelng)

Uncle Roger, a character created by Malaysian comedian and YouTuber Nigel Ng, has 4.6 million followers on Instagram and over 9 million on YouTube. Known for his no-holds-barred critiques, Uncle Roger has become a global sensation over the past two to three years.

His fame skyrocketed after he mocked British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s attempt at fried rice, a video that has amassed 28 million views in the past four years. He also ridiculed Oliver’s version of butter chicken in a video that has gained over 11 million views on YouTube in two years. Meanwhile, Uncle Roger’s own butter chicken recipe has attracted nearly five million views in a year.

Such is his popularity that he frequently calls out real chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay, with whom he has collaborated, and bestows the honorary title of ‘uncle’ on chefs whose dishes meet his high standards.

Uncle Roger is also known for his catchphrases, including "Fuiyoh"—Malaysian slang to express admiration—and "Haiya" to convey disgust.

Unfortunately, Haldiram's praise was not met with a "Fuiyoh."