The blogger, social media celeb, and cookbook author shares the secrets to her immensely popular Instagram account
Our momma always told us not to play with our food. But as Shirley Wong (aka littlemissbento) demonstrates, the results can sometimes be nothing short of amazing and delicious!.
Inspired by her love for Japanese culture, the avid food Instagrammer is a total pro in putting together stunning bento boxes and styled meals. She’s even launched her second cookbook, Kawaii Deco Sushi, following the success of her previous book, Kawaii Bento. And who said food doesn’t pay? CATALOG catches up with littlemissbento to talk about her Insta success and how to put together the perfect bento box. Read and learn.
Hi Shirley, tell us more about yourself and what you do.
I am a bento artist, a blogger and cookbook author. I call myself a bento artist because creating bentos is something I really enjoy and it’s counted as one of my fortes.
How did you get started in crafting bento artworks?
It started out of necessity more than anything. Because at one point, I had to pack food, so I thought, why not do something different since I’m already spending so much time cooking and packing? I really like Japanese culture and cute things, so I combined these elements together into something creative.
Walk us through the process of doing up one of your usual bento sets.
I will usually plan a day or two in advance in order to purchase and plan the ingredients and styling. There might be some sketching, so I know the rough placement and additional decorations I need to use. On the day itself, I do the cooking and plating, and the whole process takes about an hour. There are times though when I wake up and suddenly be inspired by something else, so I completely change my idea!
What sets you apart other food-related Instagram accounts?
I think for me I am very consistent in creating food art that’s not just visually appealing, but also a meal that can be consumed. It’s very different from creating food for a photo, which is fine, but It’s also the challenge of how you retain its visuals, yet having to make it taste fairly okay, since I have to eat it. I think because of that, people have found my work to be genuine, and maybe people see that as having a personal connection with me.
Read the entire interview in CATALOG magazine Issue #128 here.
Source: CATALOG Magazine