Ramadan is usually a time of giving, togetherness, and good food.
For Indonesian influencer Willie Salim, it was also supposed to be a time to give back, by cooking a massive pot of rendang to feed thousands for iftar.
But instead of smiles and full stomachs, he was met with shock and disbelief when all 200kg of beef rendang meant for the people of Palembang, disappeared before it was even done cooking.
Willie had gone all out for the occasion. He bought an entire cow for Rp 50 million (around RM13,425) with the hope of feeding 20,000 people.
With the help of locals, he got started on the giant cooking session at 7pm, using a huge pot that could handle the scale of the dish.
The team aimed to have the rendang ready by midnight, just in time for buka puasa. Everything was going well at first. The meat was in, the spices were simmering, and the pot was bubbling away.
Feeling confident, Willie and his team decided to take a short 15-minute break and he stepped away to use the toilet.
But when he returned, he couldn’t believe his eyes – the entire pot of rendang was gone. Not a trace of the meat was left and it hadn’t even finished cooking.
Willie said the beef was still raw when people took it, but that didn’t stop them from scooping it out with plastic bags, basins, and even water dippers.
“There were police and a few others helping to guard the pot, but only about 20 people. How could they possibly control such a massive crowd?” Willie said during a TikTok livestream.
We left for a moment, and when we came back, everything was gone.”
According to the police, they did their best to stop the chaos but they were quickly overwhelmed by the thousands of people who had gathered and rushed forward to grab the meat straight from the pot, even while it was still boiling hot.
Willie later took to social media to share the incident, calling it “a first in history” and joking that “200 kilos of rendang vanished in just 15 minutes.”
Trying to keep things light-hearted despite the situation, he added:
Wah, not even a spoonful was left, this is truly the spirit of Ramadan. Just a small reminder, please make sure to cook the meat properly once you’re home, okay?”
Watch the clip here:
