Sydney food bloggers taking over social media
Being a food influencer isn’t just about scoring freebies. Meet some of Sydney’s busiest foodies inspiring their followers on social media and supporting small businesses.
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They never go hungry and are up to date with the latest food trends and items to hit the shelves — meet the faces behind the hashtags of some of social media’s most popular Sydney accounts.
PETER ARRAJ
Where Do I Eat Pete
He might be a human resources officer but it’s no surprise Peter Arraj also devotes a lot of his time to fuelling his love of food, despite no “desire to be an influencer’’.
“We come from a family where food is a big, central part of our life,’’ he says.
“If dinner was for 12, my parents catered for 50 people.’’
The youngest of four children growing up in a Lebanese-Australian household, Arraj, 42, wielded some of the influence he has on his social media account Where Do I Eat Pete on his parents long before his posts encouraged his 15,000 followers where to eat.
Especially if that meant a trip to Flemington Markets on Fridays.
“The only way I could get my parents to take me shopping was for them to promise I’d eat this or that, McDonald’s, fish and chips, or doughnuts or doner kebabs so food was the equaliser to drag me out and about,’’ the Ashfield resident says.
Before mobile phones had cameras, Arraj was snapping photos of his tucker from the late ’90s.
“ … People were telling me do a blog and I thought ‘I can’t be bothered’ and one day my cousin got enough of me talking about food … and said you know what, if you don’t start something, we’re going to do an Instagram food page for you.’’
In 2014, the account’s popularity notched up 500 followers.
“I thought this is cool, this is meant to be amazing and then you get to the 1000 milestone and think this is incredible,’’ he says.
Some of the highlights the blogger has attended include sailing into the sunset aboard a super yacht when Magnum released new flavours. “It was the most lavish, phenomenal event,’’ Arraj says, adding there were cocktails and canapes.
Now the blogger is inundated with invitations from restaurants and marketers keen for him to showcase their cuisine on Instagram, the passionate foodie can be discerning about which invitations he accepts.
“To be honest, I probably decline a good 50 per cent of invites I get,’’ he said.
“For me it’s not about the invites. I think if I would pay for that restaurant I get invited to, I’d be willing to go for that free invite.’’
For the record, like most bloggers, he does not get paid for the restaurant meals or products he promotes on social media but is happy with the complimentary meals in return.
“I really do my research before I accept an invite,’’ he said.
“At the end of the day, I just want to eat food.’’
And if you’re wondering which food is his favourite, it’s Italian.
“Italian’s fantastic,’’ Arraj says.
“You can go to a different region in Italy and you get the pastas and it’s just variety and so specific, so different to other regions of Italy.’’
JULIA TRUONG
Blondeasian
Julia Truong aspired to be a fashion photographer and while her job is an insurance liability claims adviser, her other gig as a food influencer enables her to flex her creative muscle.
“I’m more of a person who loves to style food,’’ she says.
“There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it because we aren’t briefed on their (restaurants’) expectations so we research the background of the business, the style of their photography, their demographic, what kind of food so we can reach their audience.
“I also look into other influencers’ creativity on styling and also how to pose, you also have to practise on it.’’
Posting her photogenic dishes at a restaurant usually means far more than using iPhone, but ensuring lighting, tools and cables are on hand to capture eye-catching pics.
The Wollstonecraft woman began her account @blondeasian in 2019 after winning a competition on the Hungry Diner and began to meet like-minded foodies including MasterChef contestants.
A typical week sees her dine at two or three restaurants, filling her Instagram account with pretty tiles promoting decadent dishes and spruiking products.
She loves supporting small businesses and socialising, and it’s another bonus that 40 per cent of the promotions are money in her pocket.
“It's all about networking with the PR people so they understand what I’m like as a personality and my style,’’ she says.
“I can be a bit ‘blonde’ but also creative and caring about giving small businesses, and doing whatever I can to be a great role model to help people in the community.’’
Food has long been a passion for the first generation Vietnamese Australian who grew up in Lakemba and nominates dumplings, gelato and Mexican as her favourite food.
“It's always been a passion of mine since I left school,’’ she says.
“I always explore so many places, so many new foods and when social media came out I got excited and always wanted to be the first in line to try new things.
“Pictures are worth more than a thousand words.’’
EATING UP WITH THE HANNASHIANS
Saryne and Jazmin Hanna, and Rochele Politis
If you think grocery shopping is mundane, you’ve never hit the aisles with the sassy Hanna sisters Saryne and Jazmin and Rochele Politis, whose Instagram account keeps over 61,000 followers up to date with the latest products.
Those who go to the cleverly-named Eating up with the Hannashians and their TikTok account are treated to honest opinions on items from frozen chocolate mousse cakes, mango and cream Tim Tams, “next level” four-cheese ice cream biscuits and chocolate pretzels to feed their “abnormal addiction’’ to the snack.
The savvy shoppers also scour the shelves at supermarkets including their favourite Asian grocer Thai Kee IGA in Haymarket and the cosmopolitan SUPA IGA Summer Hill, where they uncovered a jaw-dropping walk-in cheese room, sushi chef and seas of salads, prepared gourmet meals and the iridescent fresh produce section.
The food lovers are not paid for product promotions so purely offer comments out of their passion for fare.
“We do love desserts but we also literally love everything,’’ Saryne, 29, says.
“We’re the opposite of fussy people.’’
When the former Cerdon College Merrylands students are not topping up their trolleys, they love to continue a family tradition of dining out, from munching on KFC doughnut balls to indulging in fine dining establishments such as Seta Sydney and all those in between.
It’s obvious the trio loves to dine out but Saryne estimates just 10 per cent of their content is posting from invitation-only events.
“We do not like events. It takes a very extreme kind of circumstances for me to go to an event,’’ she says.
“We are such different people. Events are awkward and we like to keep to ourselves.”
The sisters run Girls That Print at Yagoona, and while they have sharp business skills, say the Instagram account grew organically, with little effort, when it started seven years ago.
“We didn’t grow heaps but we just have very loyal followers,’’ Saryne says.
“I feel we know them. They all love the little things. It’s literally like a food community. It’s not something we wake up and said ‘we want to start a food Instagram’.’’
Like most social media savvy foodies, Eating Up with the Hannashians is also on TikTok, with it steadily taking over Instagram, which Saryne says is “oversaturated’’, adding how much tougher it is to find an audience on Instagram in 2021.
“It would be really hard to find a voice,” she said.
ALLY BAREHAM, ELLY WAKEFIELD, SARAH SACKVILLE
Sydney Food Girls
From their days at the Pymble Ladies’ College canteen to being wined and dined at Sydney’s hottest restaurants, food has kept 30-year-olds and long time friends Ally Bareham, Elly Wakefield and Sarah Sackville together.
“We all did food technology as a subject,’’ Bareham, of Crows Nest, says.
“We always loved cooking, eating foods, it’s always been a thing for us.
“Food is something that I think the three of us are pretty passionate about. It is our getaway from everything, enjoying food together, enjoying everyone’s company.
“We don’t think of Sydney Food Girls as a job, it’s just for fun but we actually really love it. We get to try new places all the time.
“We’ve learned so much about food. It brings us together.’’
Between them, Bareham, a former hairdresser and now a Sonoma Bakery area manager, Elly, a paralegal and new mum from Leichhardt, and Sarah, an insurance lawyer from Neutral Bay, eat out three times a week and while their 10,000 followers might be a comparatively modest figure, it’s enough to pique the attention of restaurants and cafes.
Eighty per cent of their Instagram and TikTok content is from scoring invites at venues.
That includes taking up invitations or going off their own bat to favourite haunts such as China Doll in Woolloomooloo, Matteo’s at Double Bay or “any” Merivale restaurant, as well as the increasingly popular food trucks and market stalls.
“It’s not all high-end places. A lot of them are food trucks, food stalls, markets,’’ Bareham says.
Last year, they were sent a seafood banquet from Sydney Fish Markets during lockdown.
The bestie bloggers love the opportunity to help smaller businesses while making sure their posts mirror their down-to-earth personalities.
“We’re all about good vibes at Sydney Food Girls,’’ Bareham says.
Even if that means trying some odd food, like the Masterfoods tomato cookie.
“Hmmm it was interesting,’’ Bareham says.
“But that’s what’s fun about this — we get to try things you never usually try.’’
KEVIN LA
Sydney Food Boy
If he never had to venture far from his Cabramatta home in southwest Sydney, 24-year-old optometrist Kevin La would not be fussed.
He loves living in one of the world’s greatest melting pots and exposing the less-celebrated eateries that produce some of the of his favourite meals.
“I think the great thing about southwest Sydney is we have everything,’’ he says.
“There’s something for everyone, even if you’re not looking for it.
“The multiculturalism in southwest Sydney is world class, unsurpassed. I always think about this — you go anywhere around the world and it’s very rare to have such a wide collection of people from different places around the world all collected in one place.’’
La is driven by giving the underrated businesses some time in the sun and showcasing the smorgasbord of delights in the suburbs across Fairfield, Liverpool and beyond.
He recommends places such as Horizon Asian Dining at Cabra-Vale Diggers and Lenny Briskets food truck but has a growing list of place to visit, many thanks to his patients getting their eyes checked and offering suggestions (Ukrainian rabbit, anyone?).
“Obviously the conversation veers towards food a lot, especially if someone comes in and they’re from a different background,’’ La says.
“We start talking about food and then we start talking about the best places to get that food.
“That’s they way I’ve unlocked a lot of places.’’
It’s just over a year since La began Sydney Food Boy, which has attracted almost 14,000 Instagram followers, particularly those who are happy their go-to eateries are finally getting the attention they deserve.
“ … People that I knew that were saying ‘Oh that’s the place that I love eating, that’s the place that I used to go with my family a lot and no one’s ever talked about it before — I thought it was just our family’, so that propelled me forward a little bit and that gave me the momentum to start going to other places.’’
BAZ KOPUZ
Sneakies Kitchen
Many Sydneysiders know Baz Kopuz from his parents’ kebab business at Flemington Markets which they ran for 20 years until 2019 but when he started Sneakies Kitchen at Homebush, he turned to TikTok to get the message out about the eatery, well known for its pizza burger and eating competitions.
Kopuz saw his young customers and daughters, aged 11 and 9, were using the social media tool and soon after 36-year-old Kopuz’s clips were going viral with half a million viewers watching “Sneaky Baz’’ record competitors stuff their faces with the pizza burgers, as well as Kopuz roast them with lighthearted jibes.
“Just my character came through to the youth,’’ he says.
“We’ve had people from all over Australia visit. We’ve got people from Tasmania, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.
“It blew my mind — I didn’t believe it.’’
Carnivores are drawn to the signature pizza burger, which includes four beef patties, two fried chicken breast fillets, salad, barbecue and Sneakie’s secret sauces held together by two cheese pizza bases.
It’s enough to make any carnivore crazy but Kopuz, of Gladesville, also started the business Sneakies Kitchen, which mainly caters for 17- to 35-year-olds, as a place to gather.
There are PlayStation nights, car shows that attracted a crowd of 400 and Uno card games.
“It’s something for kids to do without gambling and drinking,’’ Kopuz says.
“I didn’t want to exploit people for that kind of thing but it was more for kids just to chill, to kick back and play a few games.
“I’ve had my own moments growing up and you battle threw them and realise it’s something you don’t need in your life. I’ve been sober for a few years now and you find enjoyment other things.’’
ISAAC LAI,
Isaac (iFAT),
Marketer by day and food blogger by night, Isaac Lai knows how to showcase his favourite tucker, mashing up his eye-catching meals on TikTok and his well-established Instagram account which has 21,000 followers.
When Lai started his Instagram account, ifat23, the aspiring food critic saw it as a chance to develop his skills to become a journalist.
“I think my first invitation was a burger place at Westfield in the city and I took it so seriously,’’ the 30-year-old now says with a laugh.
His Instagram followers might be a small audience compared with other accounts (including his girlfriend Anna Chan who boasts 116,000 Insta fans) but Isaac is no slave to his social media.
“I get a lot of invitations but I don’t go to as many — not because I don’t want to support the scene or the community — just because I have a full time job now so it’s hard to find time.’’
His Instagram introduction coincided with his job as a marketer where he had to stick to companies’ strict jargon and tone but iFAT gave him the platform to express his own personality.
And that includes plenty of pun-peppered tiles. As his intro says he’s a “glutton for pun-ishment”. The caption with his Tempura Kuon omakase is accompanied by this pearler: “You’re the type of woman that raises the tempura-turre of every room you’re in.’’
By his own admission, when Lai becomes a father, he’ll have the dad jokes down pat.
For the meantime, the Ashfield resident loves sharing his breakfast, lunch or dinner with the online community who can also appreciate the aesthetics of it.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a student of the culinary arts, I just have an appreciation of people who display their skills to the highest level, whether that’s sport or food,’’ Lai says.
JOHNNY BHALLA
Dessertified
Johnny Bhalla admits he is still a chubby kid inside his now-slim 65kg frame — the same weight he was as a doughy Year 6 student.
“I’m a serial cupboard raider so when I came home from school or uni I would hit the cupboards and see if Mum had some KitKats or Snickers bars,’’ the marketing strategist turned photographer and agency owner says.
“I had to ask Mum to hide stuff.
“I was always a chubby kid growing up. It wasn’t until I was in Year 10 that I started getting into fitness.’’
It didn’t help that his creative mum would make “incredible” Indian cuisine and put her twist on mac and cheese by adding turmeric and Indian spices with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Fast forward to his 29-year-old self and he is using that creativity to snap pics for Instagram account @dessertified, which has 32,000 followers.
Confectionary giants Cadbury and Nestle approached the “Oompa loompa’’ to sample their chocolates, which Bhalla happily does, with some willpower thrown in to curb his “massive, massive’’ sweet tooth.
After living and working two years in Canada, the Coogee dweller pressed pause on his Insta account but is looking to restart regular posts now he is back in Oz where he can indulge his sugar cravings far more than Toronto.
“The dessert game over there just doesn’t compare to Sydney in particular,’’ he said.
“They’re not very patisserie-focused and in Sydney we’re blessed to have such an incredible food scene here.’’
Bhalla is paid to promote half his posts on Instagram but refuses to promote anything that doesn’t cut the mustard.
“Dessertified is the cream of the crop,’’ he said.
“My word is everything with my audience. It’s taken many years to build it and I can’t compromise that.’’
RARBIE TAHA
Sydney Brunch Crawler
The chinwags, the casualness, the coffee. It’s no wonder Rarbie Taha chose to specialise in brunch when he started Sydney Brunch Crawler on Instagram in 2014.
“I wasn’t so much a dinner person,’’ the Lidcombe 30-year-old says.
“I found dinner more intimate while breakfast is great for gossip, to catch up, with a bit of energy. I’m more of a morning person.’’
The qualified exercise physiologist is now a hospitality consultant after meandering into the industry where he gained contacts and developed huge respect for baristas, cafe owners and chefs.
“It’s not as simple as whacking some avocado and eggs on toast,’’ he says.
“There’s a reason why chefs go to school.
“They earn their stripes and the top-tier cafes generally have gun chefs who are either partly invested in the business or they’re on very high salaries.’’
The black coffee lover nominates Bread & Circus at Alexandria and Goodfields Eatery in Lindfield as his favourite cafes and loves how Sydney does brunch with aplomb.
“I noticed Melbourne, at one stage, stopped serving eggs at many cafes and they were doing your ramens and they were doing really quirky things, and then they’ve just gone back to old-school so you can’t beat simple, honest food.’’
Taha is also most focused on customer service, probably even more than what or the three partners who run Sydney Brunch Crawler, are eating.
“We made the decision to say we’re not critics, we’re addicts,’’ he said.
“Quite frankly, we’re all about relationships with staff, cafe owners and operators.’’
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