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Ever since Singapore separated from Malaysia and declared independence in 1965, the two neighbours have argued over who has stronger claims to aspects of their shared heritage. And one of the most argued about topics is over food. And most recently, we got to know that Malaysian-British actor Henry Golding’s favourite food is the potent Klang bak kut teh. Sorry, Singaporeans.
The Crazy Rich Asians actor was recently invited as a guest to speak at one of the sessions at the 9th annual Milken Institute Asia Summit. Moderated by Curtis Chin, Chair of the Milken Institute Asian Centre, he posed a question to Golding. “What is your favourite Singaporean dish? If you don’t want to do Singaporean, you can do Malaysian or Indonesian.”
Before Golding had the chance to reply, Chin reworded the question “What’s your favourite cultural diplomacy food?”. Without skipping a beat, Golding replied bak kut teh. He then followed with this comment “But, the Klang version.”
Right after this statement, Golding turned to the audience to ask if there were any Malaysians, to which, he received cheers. When asked why Klang bak kut teh, he explained, “Singaporeans like more pepper or garlic, but Klang’s has broth that’s been brewing for generations. If it stops boiling, it’ll grow this thickness of fur and bacteria. But, it’s delicious!”
Clips of his comment has been widely circulated on social media platforms, where netizens praised Golding for not forgetting his Malaysian roots. Sorry Singapore, I’ll chalk this win to Malaysia! After all, how can you resist the scent of Klang bak kut teh?
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