Viral vadai: Newly-opened Singaporean food joint in KL divides netizens

Singapore's The Original Vadai has recently opened its flagship store in Kuala Lumpur. 

Its first Malaysian outlet, located in Bukit Bintang, was thrown into the spotlight by news media MalaysianSpeaks. 

@malaysianspeaks Ngilu tengok orang gigit cili, tapi lepas try, sumpah min nak repeat lagi lepas ni kat @theoriginalvadaimy #theoriginalvadaimy #fyp #bestfoodinkl ♬ original sound - Malaysian Speaks

In the 90-second TikTok video, a winding queue of customers eagerly awaited their turn to try the vadai.

Much like its Singapore menu, the store offers a diverse array of vadais with unique flavours, including prawn, onion, shrimp paste, ikan bilis (anchovies), chilli, and vegetarian.

In addition, the stall also serves up delectable chicken skewers, featuring choices like gizzards and liver.

According to the video, the reviewer found the vadais fluffy and brimming with flavour.

Netizens have differing opinions

The viral video has garnered over 289,000 views and 600 comments so far.

However, the comments section revealed a divided opinion among netizens.

On one hand, some are convinced that what's being served is actually cucur udang, commonly known as prawn fritters.

One user even emphatically stated, "That [is] not vadai; it is cucur udang. Do not misinterpret and modify our original recipe."

Conversely, there were quite a few comments likening the vadais to donuts.

In the midst of it all, some users stood firm in their support of the brand's vadai.

One user wisely suggested that people should taste them first before passing judgment.

What is vadai and cucur udang?

As for the definition of vadai and cucur udang, a quick internet search reveals that vadai is an Indian fried snack typically made from legumes or potatoes, and sometimes sago.

The legumes most commonly used for this savoury snack include black gram, green gram, pigeon pea, and chickpea.

Cucur udang, however, is a fried snack popular in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. 

It is traditionally made by using all-purpose flour with a mixture of vegetables like carrots, chives, and beansprouts folded into the batter.

As the name implies, this snack showcases udang, or prawns, as its key ingredient.

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venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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