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When Malaysian comedian and internet star Nigel Ng, fondly known as ‘Uncle Roger’, first opened his very own fried rice restaurant, FUIYOH! It’s Uncle Roger, in Malaysia in late 2024, it was a hot topic on social media. However, around 1.5 years later, its IPC Shopping Centre outlet has shut down permanently.
According to an official statement on Instagram, the brand’s struggles stemmed from trying to grow too fast and securing leases in poorly suited spots. It also stated that the outlet at IPC was mostly al fresco, and with Malaysia’s weather being so hot and humid, there were several complaints from customers about the atrociously humid and unpleasant dine-in conditions.
The announcement came as no surprise to many Malaysian netizens, who had plenty to say about the brand. The comments section of a recent KL Foodie Instagram post was flooded with complaints about the high prices and lacklustre flavour of the fried rice. Netizen A commented, “Food was decent, but the prices were honestly ridiculous. I mean, fried rice without any meat was 18,.99RM for a small portion. Add Chicken and it jumps to RM24+, then throw in a drink and you’re easily spending RM30 to RM32. No surprise it didn’t work out.”
I’ve personally been to KL recently and visited its Pavilion outlet where I tried the spicy Uncle Roger’s Special Fried Rice for RM16. Being a Singaporean, the price was alright for me as it came to about S$5. But if I were a Malaysian, paying RM16 for a plate of fried rice with a sunny side-up is daylight robbery. Taste-wise, it was decent but not mind-blowing — definitely not a place I’d go out of my way to revisit just for the fried rice.
The team at FUIYOH! It’s Uncle Roger has issued a statement on Instagram, acknowledging that several customers felt they were not getting enough value for the price paid. Moving forward, they will introduce a protein and a side to make the meal more complete, with details to be announced soon.
There are 5 outlets remaining in Malaysia, including one at Mid Valley, SouthKey at Johor Bahru. What are your thoughts? Is it too late for the brand to recover, or could its new menu turn things around?
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