Last Updated on May 27, 2026
Fuiyoooh!
4.0 out of 5.0 starsKawan by Uncle Roger is the first restaurant bearing the branding of the eponymous YouTube star. But who is Uncle Roger and why has he opened his first restaurant in London’s Chinatown?
Uncle Roger is the alter ego of Malaysian influencer, stand-up comedian and now restaurateur Nigel NG. He has achieved a global audience of 5 million for his Uncle Roger videos in which he critiques celebrity and online chefs’ attempts to cook Asian food. They are very funny if repetitive, and his catchphrases, Fuiyoooh! (a sign of approval) and Haiyaa! (the opposite) have embedded themselves into youth culture.
Jamie Oliver is a particular bête noire, whereas Gordon Ramsey gets off easily. Chefs who get it right are labelled ‘uncle or auntie’ and young pretenders ‘nephew or niece’. Why does any of this matter? Well, the restaurant’s menu and branding are full of in-jokes which you will miss if you aren’t up to speed.
MSG proselytiser Ng has taken the plunge, putting his own culinary reputation on the line with the opening of Kawan, which means ‘friend’ or ‘companion’. Sensibly, for the 58-cover restaurant, Ng is collaborating with experienced restaurateur Keng Yew (co-founder of YiQi, SanHao, Dozo and The Eight) and Malaysian Executive Chef Daren Liew (Nanyang Blossom, San Hao, Duddels and Hakkasan Group), who was very present the day I went. Unlike Uncle Roger’s video takedowns in which Asian cooking wannabes are shredded for their lack of authenticity, the Kawan menu ‘draws on a wide range of Asian cuisines and family-style dishes, reinterpreted through a modern British lens’. The signature dish is an ‘Uncle Gordon Ramsey’- inspired Chinese Wellington, puff pastry crusted duck leg, tomato chilli and Teochew butter olive mushroom.
We went in for an early lunch a couple of days after the restaurant opened, so there was only a limited menu on offer, but still plenty to choose from. There’s a well put-together cocktail list that, for no good reason, I wasn’t expecting. In a bitter twist on the classic, ‘Aunty’ Esther’s Paloma blended gin, grapefruit juice, tonic water and Campari, the latter giving the classic Paloma more bite whilst retaining freshness. A non-alcoholic Lychee Spark, a mix of lychee juice, orange juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup, lemongrass, Bottlegreen ginger & lemongrass cordial and lemonade made a refreshing Asian-style fizz.
Auntie’s Seafood Pot was a generously portioned mixed seafood pot laden with king prawns, chunks of white fish and tofu in a mild curry sauce. Deep-flavoured and garnished with green herbs and dried shrimp, I would come back just for this dish.
Silky Hot Mess is Uncle Roger’s take on the classic Sichuan dish Mapo Tofu. It had the softness of a 72 Celsius onsen egg, the crunch of kimchi, the saltiness of vegan pork and the silky tofu.
I’m a huge fan of Asian aubergine dishes. Uncle Roger’s Garlic Bomb Aubergine brought together garlic and chillies, tossed aubergine with fermented soya, vinegar and sesame oil, creating a soft and warm mouth feel laden with fragrant and umami notes.
Fried rice is Uncle Roger’s signature dish, so the Kawan version had a lot to live up to. Uncle Roger’s Chinatown Fried Rice is a high concept fried jasmine rice pimped up with crispy XO chilli and Cantonese lap cheung sausage. Served in long-handled pan, it was a theatrical and taste triumph.
Sizzling Blue Milo Dumplings were hot little dumpling pockets filled with an Australian chocolate malt powder ‘Milo’ filling and doused in hot butter. Tinted with a blue colouring taken from the Butterfly pea, a plant native to Uncle Roger’s hometown, the dish was a satisfying end to a hearty meal.
Other Kawan ‘Signature Dishes’ include Sarawak Pepper Belly Delight, Wasabi Boom Boom Sausage, Hainanese Chicken Chop and Haiyaa Touch Fish n Chips. It could be argued that Kawan is more of a media event than a restaurant. Fortunately, the food is excellent, and if you can’t be bothered with watching YouTube videos, you will still eat well, even if you might miss out on some of the jokes. Impress the kids and grandkids and take them.
12 Macclesfield Street, London W1D 5BP
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