Kawan by Uncle Roger, on Macclesfield Street, is a collaboration between Uncle Roger – the comic creation of Nigel Ng – and restaurateur Keng Yew, co-founder of Chinatown restaurants YiQi, SanHao, Dozo and The Eight.
The kitchen will be led by Malaysian chef Daren Liew, whose CV includes Nanyang Blossom, SanHao, Duddell’s and Hakkasan.
The name Kawan means ‘friend’ or ‘companion’ in Malay, a nod to the restaurant’s focus on sharing plates and sociable dining.
The team describe the concept as informal and energetic, designed to reflect London’s multicultural food scene rather than adhere strictly to one regional tradition.
The menu draws broadly on Asian flavours and techniques, interpreted through a modern British lens. Fried rice – a dish closely associated with the Uncle Roger persona – forms the backbone of the offering, acting as a base for a number of variations.
Alongside it will sit dishes such as Sarawak pepper belly; wasabi ‘boom boom’ sausage bao; Hainanese chicken chop; and a chicken wellington with what the team describes as a ‘Haiyaa touch’. Elsewhere, familiar staples are given playful twists, including a ‘black magic take’ on fish and chips.
Ng says: “I’m so excited to be launching Kawan by Uncle Roger. Of course there will be fried rice on the menu, but with a partnership with chef Daren Liew there’s going to be so much more than that. I can’t wait to show people what we’ve been working on.”
Uncle Roger, who has more than five million followers across social platforms, first gained attention in 2020 with a reaction video critiquing a BBC Food egg-fried rice recipe.
The character – a parody of a middle-aged Chinese uncle – is known for catchphrases including ‘Haiyaa’ and ‘Fuiyoh’, and for championing the use of MSG while poking fun at what he sees as inauthentic interpretations of Asian cooking.
He is perhaps most infamous for critiquing Jamie Oliver’s inauthentic take on fried rice.