This street food with eggs and mince slathered on French bread is ‘a joy to eat’

Victorian-based cooking expert Tony Tan has spent more than four decades cooking, eating, teaching and writing about the foods of Asia. Now he shares his lifetime of expertise and experience in Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class , a collection of more than 150 of his most popular and personal recipes from Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and beyond. From stir-fries to noodles, street foods to sweets, Tan’s recipes are known for their generosity, warmth and deliciousness.

“Among more contemporary flourishes there are also everyday dishes from across Asia,” he writes in the introduction. “Some are simple, requiring no more than a few ingredients and only a short time to prepare, while others are meant for occasions when you have a bit more time.” Here are three recipes to try at home.

Roti John This street food of minced beef or chicken with eggs slathered on French bread and fried is popular in Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia. This simple and delicious sandwich made its debut back in the 1960s when there was a British naval base in Singapore. Apparently, while the soldiers were stationed in Singapore, they would stop at a stall selling bread and omelettes.

According to legend, as the stallholder saw all British soldiers as more or less the same, he would ask them this question: ‘Roti, John?’ Every British serviceman was referred to as John. Regardless of its origin, it really is a joy to eat. I’m surprised it hasn’t caug.