It’s true that Malaysians are the kindest and nicest people around, but let’s be honest, when you mess with our food, get ready for the wrath of makcik bawangs and keyboard warriors to fall upon you.
Remember that one time CNN listed our beef rendang as a type of curry dish, and Malaysians weren’t having any of it?
Photo via National Geographic
Gordon Ramsay, the world-renowned chef with 16 Michelin stars under his belt, still has a lot to learn and has yet to master how to make the perfect rendang dish.
In the second season of National Geographic’s Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, Gordon travelled to the countryside of West Sumatra, Indonesia in late January this year to master the rendang, a dish characterised by tender, caramelised beef infused with aromatic spices.
According to the Malay Mail, he was grateful to be mentored by none other than William Wongso, an Indonesian food legend who wasted no time in schooling Ramsay about rendang!
“I knew I was going to get my arse kicked by William Wongso. He’s 73 and he’s been cooking for six decades,” Gordon said.
“I’m very lucky to become a student under someone like him. Some people think because you have all these Michelin stars and 37 restaurants, you can’t become a student again.”
Wongso was pleasantly surprised that the British food icon did not turn out to be the hot-tempered chef he saw on TV, “Before I met him, I thought of him as a chef from hell.”
“But that’s not true, that's just his personality on certain TV programmes. He is very spontaneous, lovable, and enthusiastic to learn,” he added.
The second season of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted will premiere on National Geographic (Astro CH 571/551) this Monday, 8 June at 10 AM. We're excited to see how his rendang turns out!
We’re so proud to be able to share some of our traditional dishes with a country as lovely as Indonesia, and it’s about time the rendang gets the attention it deserves!
Just don’t try to make it crispy, okay?
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
