'Ang moh don't like spicy food': Indonesian chicken porridge beats chilli crab in controversial SEA food ranking

Chilli crab may be one of Singapore's most loved dishes, but according to an online food guide, it's just okay. 

TasteAtlas, founded by Croatian journalist Matija Babic, shared its list of the best and worst Southeast Asian foods on Facebook on March 7 and suffice to say, many locals aren't too happy with it. 

The website touts itself as "a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants" and relies on food critics and its community of users for its reviews. 

Besides chilli crab — ranked 'OK' with 3.9 stars out of five — other popular Southeast Asian dishes also failed to impress TasteAtlas. 

Joining chilli crab in the 'OK' category was nasi lemak, also with 3.9 stars. 

Balut, a Filipino dish made with a fertilised duck egg, was rated the worst dish, with 2.7 stars. Indonesian acar (pickled vegetables) and Thai steamed curried fish were also placed in the 'worst' category. 

But what seemed to baffle many netizens the most was the fact that bubur ayam – described as a "comforting" Indonesian version of chicken congee – was named as one of the best dishes in Southeast Asia.

A more comprehensive list on the website rates 849 traditional Southeast Asian dishes. Among the worst-rated are fish head curry and chicken rice, both with 3.5 stars. 

TasteAtlas' post has since amassed over 1,100 shares and some 600 disgruntled comments.

One major sore point among netizens was the low ratings of some well-loved dishes. Another was bubur ayam's victory over other Southeast Asian dishes, which had many questioning the legitimacy of the rankings.

Netizens also tried to offer an explanation on why the likes of chilli crab and nasi lemak had lost to a chicken porridge dish, guessing that perhaps spicy food was not to the taste of the site's reviewers. 

chingshijie@asiaone.com