Nothing brings people together quite like good food. When travelling abroad, one of the top priorities on any itinerary is to sample as many local delicacies as possible. Each destination offers a rich variety of delicious dishes just waiting to be savoured by curious visitors.
Even if you can’t afford to travel, you can still enjoy these dishes, as many restaurants offer authentic cuisine from the countries they represent. However, it’s always best to do some research beforehand, just like this UK couple, who were nearly scammed into trying fake Malaysian food by a street vendor. Here’s what happened:
Earlier this week, UK content creator couple Pat and Giulia posted a video of their recent trip to the northeast of London, where they visited several eateries, one of which served Malaysian cuisine. The first restaurant, Raya, did not disappoint. The pair, who have spent time in Malaysia and are in the process of moving here, described the food as being very similar to what they had tasted during their stay.
However, during their day out, the couple decided to highlight a suspicious street vendor who claimed to sell authentic Malaysian dishes but didn’t. While visiting Camden Lock Market, a location well known for its diverse food stalls and eateries, they stopped to check out the aforementioned suspicious “Malaysian” vendor. Pat asked one of the hawkers which dish was a classic Malaysian option. The vendor responded with beef rendang and chilli chicken Manchurian, adding that it was a “traditional curry from Malaysia”.
Sceptical, the influencer decided to expose the stall by asking a question in Malay: “Kamu dari mana?” (Where are you from?), to which the hawkers froze in silence, unable to respond. Pat asked again, “Dari mana? Boleh cakap Bahasa Melayu?” (Where are you from? Can you speak Malay?), but once more, there was no reply from the vendors. He called out the vendors for not even being Malaysian and selling fake Malaysian dishes. The accused vendors defended themselves by claiming that their boss was from Malaysia, specifically, Penang.
Unconvinced, the content creator continued speaking in Malay, telling them that he had lived in Malaysia and wouldn’t be easily fooled by their false claims. “What an embarrassment that was. They claimed to sell Malaysian food, but it wasn’t,” he told viewers. “I was getting a bit annoyed, like, ‘How dare you say this is Malaysian food?’”.
The vlog has since gone viral, with many Malaysians praising the content creators for being able to spot fake Malaysian food after having lived in the country. Others commented that they would have reacted far more strongly if they had discovered someone misrepresenting their national cuisine. What would you have done if you were in this situation?
Watch the full vlog below:
Source: YouTube
