Malaysia's rich culinary heritage continues to capture hearts from all over the world, and one British man's food journey here is proof of just how irresistible local dishes can be.

Darren Cronian, a British national, recently turned heads on social media when he revealed how a seemingly unfortunate situation during the Covid-19 pandemic led to a full-blown love affair with Malaysian food, particularly the humble karipap.

In a post shared on Threads, Darren recounted being stuck in Malaysia when international borders closed and flights were grounded. What started as a temporary stay turned into a 14-month experience that would change his palate forever.

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"Not many people know this, but during the pandemic, I was stranded in Malaysia," he wrote. "I tried to get flights, but they were either cancelled or countries closed their borders."

With travel plans on hold, Darren embraced local life, and more importantly, local food. He shared that his mornings quickly revolved around one thing: karipap and coffee from a nearby MyNews outlet.

"It became my routine. Every morning, I would go to the MyNews at my condo and buy two karipap with a coffee," he said. The routine became so predictable that the shop assistant started prepping his order before he even walked in. "The lady would see me walking toward the shop and would have the karipap and coffee ready for me."

And while many would debate over the best version of the classic snack, Darren crowned IKEA's curry puff as his personal favourite.

Darren's obsession with Malaysian cuisine didn't stop at karipap. In a separate post, he confessed to taking a spontaneous flight from Europe to Kuala Lumpur just to satisfy a craving for nasi lemak.

"Not many people know this (yes, it's another Malaysian food craving story ), but I once flew 6,000 miles for nasi lemak," he admitted. Originally planning a trip to the Greek island of Kos, Darren changed course and instead booked a flight to Malaysia, all in the name of food.

Darren's posts quickly gained attention online, with fellow food lovers jumping into the comments to share their own love for Malaysian cuisine. Whether its crispy karipap, fragrant nasi lemak, or any of the country's diverse dishes, one thing's for sure, Malaysian food has a way of turning visitors into lifelong fans.

And in Darren's case, it turned a stranded tourist into a devoted foodie who flew across the world for a taste of home, or rather, his second home.