COMMENTARY, Nov. 6 -- On Wednesday, November 4, the Michelin Guide unveiled its 2027 selection for Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and for the first time, nasi kandar made the list.

It was the latest in a string of improbable events that day: a rare Manchester United win, and a historic blue wave in the American midterms, with Democrats flipping long-held red states like South Carolina, Texas and even Kansas.

The last time Kansas had a Democratic senator, Dorothy had yet to be swept out of the state by a tornado; The Wizard of Oz reached cinemas the year that senator left office.

It all felt as if the stars had aligned.

And while most of the attention will naturally go to the christening of a new star, it is the belated arrival of nasi kanda...