In an attempt to satiate my never-ending hunger in my early 20s without having to spend, I turned to blogging. I became a contributing writer for a local online magazine, taking on assignments that allowed me to try trendy restaurants and receive PR packages promoting the latest food products on the market in exchange for food reviews.
It did not go well.
On top of my limited vocabulary that kept me from creatively describing how dishes tasted—which, according to a reader, was such a disappointment, given that my profile said I’d majored in creative writing—I realized that I was not so capable of being objective when it came to food.
Everything was good enough for me. This was no surprise since I’d been hungry almost all my life. Each opportunity to shove food into my mouth was something to be thankful for, and so I’d always approach my assignments from a place of gratitude. It turned out that I was even more appreciative of whatever dish was in front of me if it had been served by someone really nice or if the food came with touching stories.
I noticed, too, that I had more good things to say about the food or the place if it reminded me of something good from the past—dishes my grandparents, uncles, and aunts loved to cook for me, restaurants and fast food chains I had fond memories of, and foodstuff that transported me back to my younger years, when life was less complicated and full of hope. Sometimes I’d even rave about an item on the menu just because it was a dish I’d long associated with comfort.
In other words, I let my emotions rule over me each time.
Now I laugh at that era of mine. I guess I was too foolish to realize that I lacked the objectivity expected of people doing food reviews. I didn’t even have all the technical knowledge necessary to evaluate tell whether a certain dish had been prepared properly.
What was I thinking? Oh well, I was hungy. And at least I got fed—for free.
Eventually, I stopped writing for the said publication, thinking I’d rather try out new dishes and places without having to worry about what to write later. Besides, I already had a stable income at the time. I was beginning to afford things.
It’s been over a decade since, and I am thrilled to share that I have been making great progress in my mission. And it really helps that I’ve lived in some of the most sought-after areas in the Metro when it comes to dining out: Maginhawa in Quezon City in and then Legaspi Village in Makati City.
Over the years, I have also gained a reputation in the circles I’m part of as someone who tends to splurge on coffee and food and loves to try out new stuff, especially when traveling.
It’s no wonder then that friends turn to me for recommendations. They seek tips on where to go and what to get at specific places. They ask me about the coolest date night spots and the most remote worker-friendly cafes. They also raise important questions like how much the food costs, what modes of payments are accepted, whether reservations are required and if so, how bookings are done.
Of course, I also get questions about the food itself: Is it good? Is it worth the price? Is it better than what this other cafe/restaurant? I try to help as much as I can. Yet I also warn them to take my judgments with a grain of salt because while I’ve learned a lot about food over the years, I still lack objectivity. I remain easy to please, and I still get too emotional.
In fact, instead of sharing my technical assessment of the dishes and places I’ve tried, I usually just tell them about what they remind me of and how they make me feel: The place felt like home; everyone was welcoming; the resto made me feel sad, I don’t know why; it reminded me of that person who’d been dead for years; since dining there, I have been reflecting a lot about X; because of that place, I now feel like doing Y; being there made me so happy to the point that I did Z.
Despite my doubts, my friends think I’m helpful. Some of them even insist that I should still consider doing reviews. Everyone’s doing it anyway, they say. But while I know I can provide essential information about such places, it doesn’t change the fact that I can’t really be trusted when it comes to critiquing dishes.
So, I guess I’ll just stick to writing about the restaurants and cafes I visit and the food I try the way I want to and am most capable of: with a lot of feelings.
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