Fried rice is comfort food at its best—simple, versatile, and loved across the globe.
But what happens when different countries’ takes on this iconic dish go head-to-head?
New Zealand chef Andy Hearnden decided to find out, and Malaysia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung stole the spotlight.
M’sia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung is the best among 3 iconic fried rice dishes
In a video uploaded to his Facebook page Andy Cooks, the chef, known for his down-to-earth cooking style, put three versions of fried rice to the test—
- Malaysia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung,
- Peru’s Arroz Chaufa,
- Vietnam’s Cơm Chiên
Over a span of 9 minutes and 55 seconds, Andy prepared each dish from scratch, staying true to their authentic recipes, before tasting them and picking a winner.
Spoiler alert: Malaysia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung came out on top
Andy praised the dish for its bold yet balanced flavours, with just the right amount of spiciness and a satisfying crunch from the crispy fried anchovies.
He also mentioned that pairing it with a perfectly runny sunny-side-up egg took it to a whole new level.
“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.”
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.
For someone who has previously raved about fried rice from Korea and Thailand, it was a big deal to see Andy add Malaysia’s Nasi Goreng Kampung to his list of favourites.
‘If the cook doesn’t sneeze while sautéing, it’s not authentic!’
It didn’t take long for Malaysian fans to flood the comments section of his video with pride and excitement.
Many expressed how thrilled they were to see a dish so close to their hearts being celebrated on an international platform.
Some even shared cheeky “pro tips,” saying, “If the cook isn’t sneezing while sautéing the spice paste, it’s not authentic!”
