Arguing about the best Final Fantasy is a risky, often fiery business – they’re a nebulous group of games, each offshoot and strand having devotees and detractors in equal number – so let’s argue about something a bit more straightforward instead. Where can you find the best cuisine in the world? There’s only one real answer: Malaysia. It’s not even up for debate.
You’d know that if you’ve ever sampled the food, of course. Achat! Assam pedas! Laksa! Nasi lemak! Rendang! Or that perennial favourite, roti canai; a dish that consists of a flatbread whose dough is rolled and re-rolled so that when it’s fried it’s deliciously flaky and soft, served alongside a curry. It’s an Indian dish that’s been given a flourish in its journey to Malaysia; like so much of the cuisine there, it blends aspects of different nearby cuisines to create something proudly Malaysian.
Still, it was something of a surprise to see roti canai make a cameo as a dish in Final Fantasy 15, appearing as part of its succession of exquisitely-modelled food as it was served up in the in-game city of Lestalum. That cameo came courtesy of one proud Malaysian on the team who found himself heading up the design of Final Fantasy 15’s cities – a key part of the game, given their absence in the last mainline entry, Final Fantasy 13.
