Nigel Ng

Nigel Ng was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 15, 1991. He pursued higher education in the United States, graduating from Northwestern University in 2014 with a major in engineering and a minor in philosophy. Before fully dedicating himself to comedy, Ng worked as a data scientist at Monzo and maintained a GitHub account. His early career also included his television debut in 2018 on Comedy Central’s “Stand Up Central.” He hosted the comedy podcasts “Rice to Meet You” with Evelyn Mok, and “HAIYAA with Nigel Ng” with his producer Matt. Ng further expanded his digital presence in 2021 by uploading his first video to the Chinese video sharing website Bilibili. In the same year, he appeared on the 19th series of the British comedy show “Mock the Week.”

Ng gained widespread recognition for his alter ego, Uncle Roger, a middle-aged Asian character known for critiquing Western interpretations of Asian cooking while speaking with an exaggerated Cantonese accent. The character, initially developed from an idea by Evelyn Mok, evolved through TikTok and Instagram sketches before becoming a YouTube sensation. A notable viral moment for Uncle Roger occurred in July 2020 with his critique of Hersha Patel’s BBC Food video on cooking egg-fried rice. This led to collaborations with Patel and appearances on BBC Food. He also reviewed Gordon Ramsay’s fried rice in September 2020, commending Ramsay’s technique. Ng has consistently critiqued the cooking methods of celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver for their versions of Asian dishes, including egg fried rice, green curry, ramen, and pho. Further expanding his culinary influence, Ng launched his first restaurant, “Fuiyoh! It’s Uncle Roger,” in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on September 11, 2024. This venture was accompanied by a promotion event that set a Guinness World Record for the “Largest gathering of people dressed as Uncle Roger” with 388 participants, and another for “Most fried rice tossed and caught with a ladle in 30 seconds.” A second restaurant location opened in IPC Shopping Centre in November 2024, with plans for international expansion.

His career also includes guest appearances on cooking shows such as the second season of “MasterChef Singapore” in 2021 and the third season of “Junior MasterChef Indonesia” in 2022, where he served as a guest judge. In 2022, he was a guest diner on the 21st season of “Hell’s Kitchen.” Ng has collaborated with various entertainers and food personalities, including Esther Choi, Joshua Weissman, Chef Rush, Andy Hearnden, Nick DiGiovanni, Steven He, Simu Liu, Jimmy O. Yang, Benny Blanco, Martin Yan, and Gordon Ramsay. His comedic talent has been recognized with awards, including the Amused Moose Laugh-Off in 2016 and a nomination for “Best Newcomer Award” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019.