Eats by Anya

Pinch me. No, really. Pinch me. Is this really happening? I’m forever in awe with the opportunities and experiences brought to me by Eats by Anya. An idea, a project, that was both started on a whim, that too on a rainy Singapore afternoon during height of quarantine in May 2020, yet had been meticulously planned and thought-out prior. I had no expectations. Zone. To be quite honest, I needed something to focus on to distract myself from the fact that I had newly graduated, given up my initial job with Teach for India due to COVID, toying between graduate school and starting a full-time position in Singapore, living in an entirely new city, leaving my friends…shall I go on? Needless to say, it did just that. For years, starting from my very first iPhone in 2012, my camera roll has boasted more photos of food than of my actual friends and family. I can’t quite think back to the first time I started to take photos of food, or what led me to that, but from the very beginning, food has always been the focal point of my life.

My love for food comes from my family. Our love language is food. Sitting at a table together for dinner. Chatting over a cup of chai while nibbling on biscuits. Eagerly waiting for my Nani’s gajar ka halwa during those wintery Delhi days. Being forced to drink whatever concoction of bitter gourd and other formidable vegetables my mother is convinced will prevent illness. The most precious moments, my most loved memories, the times I’ve felt low…there’s somehow always been food around. I’ll seldom take photos of who I am with when I’m eating said food, but the photo of the food itself is a reminder of the day, time, occasion, company I was with, the conversation that took place…

Food celebrates all of what I love, and brings everyone together. Eats by Anya encapsulates that very feeling. Simply by sharing photos of foods I enjoyed, what I was eating at the moment, foods I was craving, I was able to gather this incredible community. What do we have in common? Food. Through the ups and downs of the past few years, I’ve leaned on this community, and it has been nothing but supportive, loving and welcoming. My most meaningful friends and relationships have started simply because of a reply to an Instagram story, someone asking for a recommendation, sharing a dining experience, expressing their shared love for oatmeal (this rarely happens, I’m still waiting)…A conversation as easy and effortless as that has given me the most wonderful friendship, which have progressed, and strengthened through time but all began because of a shared love for food. It’s more than I could have ever imagined, and more than I could have asked for.

The same goes for every media and restaurant invite I have received. I remember my first event, merely a year ago, and I was just overwhelmed, and confused. At first, I thought the email invite was spam. I kid you not. I was that caught off guard, and in shock. Eats by Anya has always been just for me, and I never thought it would be recognised as anything but a casual food appreciation account. I’m no food critic, nor do I claim to be. Nor am I a professional photographer with an actual camera, and subscription for Adobe anything. My iPhone 11 Pro, and now 14 Pro, along with my annual VSCO membership are all I need. And all I can manage, to be frank. I had accepted the invite, quite reluctantly. Many don’t believe this, but I’m quite shy, and often describe myself as an extroverted introvert. It takes the right setting, the right people, a particular environment for me to feel comfortable in. A media invite with professional food bloggers was far from my comfort zone. I felt even more out of place once everyone’s equipment was whipped out, and I sat there feebly with my iPhone. It took me a few moments, and more than a few sips of liquid courage - thankfully it was a whiskey event and there was no shortage of that - and I slowly crept out of my shell, and managed to introduce myself to those sitting around me. And by doing that, I introduced myself to one of my now closest friends. Even if your craft, your technique might not be the norm, that doesn’t take away from its value. If anything, it enhances your contribution and your merit even more. I realised this at that moment, and instead of shying away with my iPhone, I did what I do best - took photos. Hundreds of them. I didn’t need any lighting, or any additional equipment. I was invited for my own unique style, and I honoured that. I thought the event was a one off, until miraculously another invite landed in my inbox. And then another a few weeks after. Along with the excitement and joy that comes with receiving an invitation to a restaurant, there always seems to be a shiver of doubt that continues to linger in my mind. I’m hoping that doubt withers away, and I feel it diminishing slowly. There’s always that hesitation when I introduce myself and Eats by Anya, especially to crowds of professional bloggers, writers, editors, and photographers. But slowly and surely, the introduction is spoken only with conviction, pride and humility. Eats by Anya is what I am most proud of. It was what my Nani was so proud of. She would tell me nearly every time just how proud and happy she was I found my passion with Eats by Anya. Eats by Anya is more than just an Instagram page. It represents and celebrates all that I love, and I thank you for celebrating with me.