Food Blogger

It’s funny…my family, my friends will introduce me as being food blogger, and I’ll subtly rephrase and repeat, “Well…I have a food blog (and am a full-time Engineer but that doesn't sound as cool)”. Now this is where the controversy lies. You’ll probably ask, “But aren’t they one and the same? Being a food blogger and having a food blog?”

Not to me, they aren’t.

By being given the title of a “food blogger”, I always feel as if I’m obligated to provide some sort of elaborate review of what I’ve eaten. Whether it is by equating each bite to that of reaching nirvana or outwardly being hideously negative, everyone seems to expect something more than my standard praises. To be frank, I’m in no position to criticise on actual merit. I’m not a chef. I know that my peanut butter jam sandwiches and instant oatmeal are stellar in their own right, but by no means do I have the proper training, or knowledge to say anything other than if I, me, Anya, liked what I was tasting or not.

Flavours are most important to me, and that’s what stays with me after a meal. What did I taste? How did it taste? Did it remind me some other dish I’ve had? Bring back a memory? I’m lucky enough to have rarely had an unpleasant dining experience. A meal is always the happiest part of my day. Whether I am with my family, or a group of friends, meeting someone new, or just having a quiet lunch alone, food is my happiness and I never think to tear it apart.

Starting a food blog was purely just to share what I love. I use it to share some of my happiest moments, which just always happen to revolve around food. There’s so much for me to be grateful for, happy about, thankful for when I’m seated at the dinner table. And yes, the camera eats first. For as long as I can remember, I have loved to take photos of my food to serve as a memory of that exact moment. I look back at all of the photos I’ve taken over the years, dating all the way back to 2014 when I was 16, and I can still distinctly hear the conversation that was being had, I can feel the atmosphere around me at the time, and I can almost pretend to be back in that moment and be taking that photograph all over again. Remembering each bite, and revisiting every emotion from that moment is incredibly nostalgic, emotional and most importantly, allows me to escape from whatever reality I’m facing.

I started Eats by Anya in May 2020, at a time of doom and gloom, growing uncertainties and a blanket of negativity huddled over us that even baking banana bread wasn’t fixing. During lockdown, it was just my parents and me here in Singapore. While we weren’t sure of what the future held for us, we were sure of one thing: what to eat, and drink. Food and that cheeky 5 o’clock swift half was all we looked forward to. We tried new recipes, and hopped on the charcuterie and cheese board trend. My parents even infused their own gin with saffron, while I learned, many failed banana bread attempts later, that I am not a good baker. Or a baker at all. But that’s besides the point. Over those two months of being locked in, we kept ourselves busy, and happy and merry by talking about what we would eat next. I documented every moment, and decided to share what was making us happy, in the hopes that maybe it could make someone happy too.

No, I’m not a food blogger. I simply just love food, and I love to share what brings me the most happiness. Perhaps don’t ask me how “al dente” a restaurant’s pasta is, or how authentic their coq au vin is, because all I’ll be able to tell you is whether I liked it or not. But I will say this, when I love something, a particular dish for example, or a restaurant that treats me like family, I won’t shy away from showing, and telling just how much I love it. Why not share a good thing, right?

Eat well, I know I will.