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JUMPSTART
JUMPSTART
TOP FOOD BLOGGERS OF HK
JENNIE CRANHAM
scarletscorchdroppers.com
SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON HONG KONG FOOD SCENE
BONNIE CHU
bonnie.chiba78.com
Tell us about your blog
Well, first off, it’s awesome! Haha.
Seriously, my blog is a place where
I share with people my passion for
cooking and for life. I enjoy cooking;
Chinese food especially, but with
my own twist and I think people
appreciate the creativity. Additionally,
the blog gives my readers a small
window into different parts of my
life, including being a new mother,
investment advice and even how to
name your baby so that it’s Feng Shui
appropriate.
that have popped up in the last year.
Whilst fusion is nothing new, we’re
seeing the trend trickle down to
street and fast food. And when I say
influence, it ranges from décor, service
and marketing, to how the food is
prepared. For example; Taiwanese
“Bao”s and Beijing pancakes being
served in a chic, bar setting or clean,
fast food style establishments. No
more dirty street carts… which I
personally think has its charms.
CELIA HU
girlmeetscooking.com
Tell us about your blog
I started bout 5-6 years ago. But how
I got into it was really to use the blog
as a way for me to keep a diary of my
recipes. I can pull up the articles if I
forget the steps and my friends want
to know how to cook the dishes I share
on social media.
Is it possible to earn money as a food
blogger in HK?
Is it possible to earn money as a food
blogger in HK?
It’s definitely a hobby for me. I know
some bloggers that can make a living
writing about food, but mostly they
use the blog as a marketing platform
and they get paid writing for print
publications. I do have a job as an
investment manager, so I don’t rely on
the blog for my income.
How has the food scene evolved in HK
in the last year?
I think there are a lot of new Chinese
restaurants with a Western influence
Bloggers
How has the food scene evolved in HK
in the last year?
The food scene has really flourished in
the past few years. When I first arrived
in Hong Kong, the best restaurants
were in the 5-star hotels. Today,
restaurateurs are taking more risks,
and stepping out of the conventional
“box”. They are more daring with
unique restaurant concepts and
there’s also a sizable influx of investors
streaming out of the banking sector to
endorse new projects; as finance loses
its lustre in the post-2008 era.
What are some of your favorite food
businesses in HK?
Girlmeetscooking.com is a personal
blog, documenting my adventures with
food. I develop my own step-by-step
recipes, as well as give my personal
opinions on restaurants I’ve visited.
The most important criteria for my
restaurant reviews is an honest voice,
because I personally stand behind
every comment I make.
How / when did you get into food
writing?
writings and viewpoints. I hope one
day, Hong Kong’s blogging scene will
be sophisticated enough to rival those
of North America and then we’ll be
able to afford to give food bloggers the
credit they deserve.
Food blogging paved the path to
my job as a food journalist. Having
said that, I think the HK blogging
community is still too juvenile to
fully comprehend the importance of
reputable bloggers. A balanced voice
should be encouraged, rather than
cheaply executed fluff pieces that are
written for promotional reasons. With
Hong Kong’s high rent, I don’t think
it’s possible to earn a living solely as
a food blogger, but blogging is a great
way to build up a portfolio of your
I like to support the small, grassroots
vendors who are running a food
business with passion and heart.
The F&B industry is not for the fainthearted and can be brutal and highly
competitive. Some of my favorite local
food businesses include Twins Kitchen
and Sook. I’m also working on a
restaurant concept with a few friends,
opening this summer, so I guess I can
also say I’m dabbling in the restaurant
business!
Your favorite cuisine / your view on food.
My favorite cuisine has to be Chinese,
because of its diversity and range.
China spans a massive, diverse
geography, reaching across various
climate zones, with cooking techniques
and ingredients specially adapted to
each unique environment. Throw in
the cultural diversity of the country’s
56 ethnic tribes and you’ve got a
pretty interesting mix of cuisines. Also,
I am in awe of how Chinese chefs can
do the most intricate knife work with
only a simple cleaver.
Tell us about your blog
Scarletscorchdroppers is predominantly
a baking blog, mostly filled with
sweet treats and often far too much
chocolate! If you’re looking for a recipe
for Fererro Rocher Cupcakes, gin and
tonic cake, or creme egg brownies,
you’re in the right place! I started it
several years ago on a whim, but I only
really got into it when I settled down
into Hong Kong life and found myself
wanting to get more involved in the
kitchen. Initially, it documented my
struggles with a little oven and tracking
down good quality, but reasonably
priced baking ingredients. Now it’s
more a space for me to try out new
ideas; and sometimes share a little bit
about my life in Hong Kong and travels
around Asia too.
How has the food scene evolved in HK
in the last year?
Is it possible to earn money as a food
blogger in HK?
The Hong Kong food scene was already
very international, it’s a place where
you can track down cuisine from all
over the world and if there’s something
you’re craving, you’ll find it if you look
hard enough. Over the past year I’d
say it’s really become an even bigger
player on the international dining
scene. More and more big name chefs
seem to want to come to the city. From
a baking perspective too, I’m finding it
increasingly easy to find the ingredients
I need. It seems more people are
interested in making use of their
kitchens, no matter how tiny!
I’m sure it’s possible to earn money
as a blogger through advertising,
assoc