I left my well paying MNC job to take up blogging and that is proof enough that blogging is definitely a full time career now! It is well paying if you are patient, creative and passionate about what you are posting.
1.
Tell us about your background and journey.
A
true Delhiite since since 1991 born to absolute foodie parents. We ate out or
ordered in 3-4 times a week and that developed my taste buds a lot!
In 2014, I discovered that I could recommend
places to others through a platform in terms of restaurant reviews and started
writing regularly there. It gave me recognition as I was very regular and after
a point, I decided to write for myself rather than for any third party platform.
Within three months of that, I launched My Food Project on Instagram, blog and
Facebook. No looking back since then!
From
2015 to 2019, I pursued blogging as a passion alongside my job as a data
analyst at ZS. In 2020, I decided to take up blogging as a full time career. Other than being a food lover and food
influencer, I am an MBA graduate from Indian School of business.
2. Which is your favourite cuisine and dish?
My favourite cuisine
changes with each day! My all time favourite non-veg dish is Mutton curry with
boiled rice by my dad and in Vegetarian it is Sindhi kadhi with boiled rice.
3. Should food blogging be just a passion or can it become a regular career?
I
left my well paying MNC job to take up blogging and that is proof enough that
blogging is definitely a full time career now! It is well paying if you are
patient, creative and passionate about what you are posting.
After
you have achieved a decent number of following, you can earn through brand
collaborations, restaurant collaborations and through YouTube / Facebook views.
4. Which restaurants/food joints would you recommend to food lovers?
Fine Chinese cuisine:
Empress of china at Eros hotel, Royal China, China garden, Kylin premiere
Thai: Neung Roi, Thai High
Desi Chinese food: Culinaire, Daitchi, Hong's kitchen
Buffet: K3 at JW Marriott, Tamra at Shangrila, Spectra at The Leela
Indian: Singh Sahib at Eros, Balluchi at The Lalit, Punjab grill, Made in Punjab, Soda Bottle Opener Wala
Romantic: Olive bar and kitchen, Bo-Tai, Sevilla, The Roseate, QLA, Tonino
Cafes: The Big Chill Cafe, Diggin, Social
Bars/Breweries: Molecule, Downtown, Prankster, Social
South Indian, Carnatic Cafe, Padmanabham
Thai: Neung Roi, Thai High
Desi Chinese food: Culinaire, Daitchi, Hong's kitchen
Buffet: K3 at JW Marriott, Tamra at Shangrila, Spectra at The Leela
Indian: Singh Sahib at Eros, Balluchi at The Lalit, Punjab grill, Made in Punjab, Soda Bottle Opener Wala
Romantic: Olive bar and kitchen, Bo-Tai, Sevilla, The Roseate, QLA, Tonino
Cafes: The Big Chill Cafe, Diggin, Social
Bars/Breweries: Molecule, Downtown, Prankster, Social
South Indian, Carnatic Cafe, Padmanabham
5. What makes you appreciate a particular dish or a restaurant and talk about
it on your blog?
The
over experience from the time I see the signage to the time I exit. The service
should be polite, clean and fast.
Pricing should be in sync with the portion
size and taste.
Dishes should be full
of flavour and not over powdered by any one element such as you shouldn't be
able to taste only spice in Indian food or vinegar/soya sauce in Chinese. I
don't mind spending extra for good taste and service.
Also, I appreciate the
experiments chefs do with good. Not all experiments are successful but we
should also keep innovating! I like to let my followers know of such new
dishes.
6. Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?
I
associate myself with a lot of homecooked non-vegetarian food such as biryanis,
mutton curry, chicken Rarah, beetroot chicken, mutton Pasanda, Saag meat etc.
Have grown up eating
Amazing non-vegetarian food by my kyastha
father and that's where my foodie soul belongs.
Instagram - MyFoodProject
Shagun Malhotra - Food Blogger
Interview by - N.MURALI KRISHNA
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