FRIED rice is a universal comfort food—simple, versatile, and beloved across cultures.
But what happens when you pit three global versions of this classic dish against each other?
New Zealand chef Andy Hearnden set out to find the answer, and in the process, Malaysia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung emerged as the undeniable winner.
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In a recent video shared on his Facebook page, Andy Cooks, the chef known for his laid-back yet authentic cooking style, tested three iconic fried rice dishes; Malaysia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung, Peru’s Arroz Chaufa and Vietnam’s Cơm Chiên.
In just under 10 minutes, Andy prepared each dish from scratch, following their traditional recipes.
After tasting each, he crowned Nasi Goreng Kampung as the top choice.
Praising the dish for its bold, balanced flavours, he noted the perfect spiciness and the satisfying crunch of crispy fried anchovies.
He also highlighted how a sunny-side-up egg added an extra layer of richness.
“Wow, that is so good! The spiciness is amazing, The amount of umami is through the roof, with creamy egg yolk, I can’t get enough of that,” he said.
When it came down to picking the winner, there was no contest: “Out of the three (fried rice dishes), the Nasi Goreng Kampung wins this for me.
“This is delicious. It’s spicy, it’s full of umami, it’s got great texture from the fried anchovy,” he said.
Andy, who has previously praised fried rice from Korea and Thailand, was excited to include Malaysia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung in his growing list of favourites.
The video quickly gained traction, with Malaysian fans flooding the comments section to express their pride and excitement.
“For the nasi goreng kampung, I know you got it right the moment you were about to cough when you were frying the shallot, garlic, chili, shrimp paste due to the pungent smell. Respect from Malaysia,” Zul D Iskandar wrote.
“No msg? Uncle Roger won’t be happy,” Michelle Asquith commented humorously.
Meanwhile, netizens from neighboring Indonesia couldn’t hold back from claiming that fried rice is, in fact, theirs.
“Fried rice originates from Indonesia, not from Malaysia, Peru or Vietnam. We are entitled to this. Done claim,” Azzam Zahir wrote.
The video has garnered over 340,000 views, 8,200 likes and 1,100 comments.
