Private chef Lilian Hiw of Lilian’s Kitchen tells the story of Roti John – Singapore’s take on a burger

Published: 05:00, 03 May 2025

Ready for a little story? There are different versions to the origins of this popular hawker dish.

Two facts remain the same: The word ‘roti’ refers to bread in both Indian and Malay cuisine.

‘John’ was a name commonly used to address a Western man all those years ago. In the 1960s, the older generation of Singaporeans were not fluent in English and found it difficult to remember or pronounce names like Albert, George, Eugene, Ricky etc, so John was the generic name and any Western man was called ‘John’ then.

I love the sentiment in this story: The British used to rule Singapore. One day, a home-sick English serviceman told an Indian-Muslim hawker (a street food vendor), in Sembawang how much he missed a burger. The kind hawker decided to try to replicate a burger for him using what available ingredients he had at his food stall.

He cooked some minced mutton, poured over some eggs beaten with chilli sambal, threw in a handful of chopped raw onions and pan-fried these under a split French loaf.

When it was cooked, he squeezed some tomato ketchup over the sandwich he created.

People dining in a hawker market in Singapore

He then scanned the crowd for the young man and upon seeing him, shouted: “John, John, your roti is ready, Roti. . . John”.

The name ‘Roti John’ caught on. The rest, as they say, is history.

Over time the dish has evolved, with hawkers adding their own twists. Today, Roti John is enjoyed with a variety of fillings, including chicken, beef, lamb, sardines and even cheese for a fusion twist. The dish is often topped with sauces like tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and mayonnaise and condiments such as cucumber and tomato slices.

When you are next in Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia, look out for this delicious dish.

Until the next time, take care of yourself.

ROTI JOHN (ASIAN ‘BURGER’)

Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 teaspoon chilli sambal/chilli powder
1 small baguette
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
100g minced lamb
Half a teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, chopped

Serving suggestions:

Cucumber and tomato slices
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

Method:

1. Whisk the eggs with the chilli in a bowl and set aside.

2. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, do not slice through the bread, keep one half connected to the other.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, cook the lamb on a medium high heat until brown. Season with the salt.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the lamb and give it a stir. Cook the mixture until the eggs are almost set on the bottom but still moist on top. Add the onions.

5. Open the baguette and place the cut side down onto the lamb and egg mixture, tuck any overflowing mix under the baguette and press the bread down firmly with a spatula to glue the mix and bread together. Cook for another minute until golden brown.

6. Flip the baguette over carefully to brown the other side. Fold the two halves back together and cut baguette into four pieces.

Serve: Drizzle the Roti John with the mayonnaise and ketchup. Place the sliced cucumber and tomatoes next to the Roti John.

CHEF’S TIP

You can add grated cheese for a fusion twist.