With the kitchen being her playground at such a young age, there’s no doubt that Charmaine has a big heart for food and cooking. Even if her crinkles turned out rock hard or her sweet and sour pork burnt, it was still such a joy for her to do what she loves. And now with the quarantine enabling people to explore more hobbies and interests, she’s now back in the kitchen and experimenting with different recipes day in and day out to create sumptuous dishes.
One of Charmaine’s favorite dishes to cook is General Tso’s Chicken, a hearty chicken meal that tastes like something from an authentic Chinese restaurant. This recipe was actually born out of her cravings for a Lasallian favorite–General’s Chicken in Agno Food Court–and integrated her own touch to it. Like her other recipes, her cravings were the secret ingredients in creating her delicious dishes. Together with her sister, they would bake and cook whatever their tummies desired.
Being the foodie that she is, together with her boyfriend, they would seek for different food hotspots and try out what’s new. Since 2015 up until March this year, they were able to visit a staggering 411 local and international restaurants. This pastime of theirs drove them into creating a food blog where they would share their experiences with their family and friends.
Two years in, This Is Eat MNL became a platform where their fellow foodies can check out reviews and recommendations from the duo. Aside from food reviews, they eventually ventured into food photography as well, and turned it into a passion project where they would give free food photography services for small businesses. This act of kindness enabled her to jumpstart her food photography and styling business while being able to help out those who are still starting in the industry.
Now that her business is gradually booming, she’s fully booked until August which shows how a little goes a long way. From her love for cooking and photography to taking it to the real world, there’s no doubt that Charmaine is off to a great start. She remains passionate about food and that’s definitely the icing on the cake.
Check out This Is Eat MNL at instagram.com/thisiseatmnl
