Most of the time, people gush how awesome it must be to eat great food
every single day (firstly, it's not always great; secondly, it's not
every day; third, Appetite magazine nor Gastronommy are focused on
only reviewing restaurants--I try to be more 3-dimensional than that).
But occasionally, someone will ask me, "Isn't it terrible? Doesn't
it make eating less enjoyable because you're forced to do it as a
job?"
To answer that question...
There's something inherently wrong about calling it "terrible". We can
all think of at least a hundred worse job-requirements. As for
eating, it doesn't make food any less appealing. But I AM
getting sick of restaurants... then being watched expectantly, as
whoever I'm eating with waits and hopes for me to verbally pick apart
the meal.*
*edit: I should clarify that it is mostly the latter bit that I am sick of--the pretension of it all. I suppose that's the price I have to pay when I "went to the dark side," as one chef friend put it.
And when I wrote this, I had just experienced weeks of restaurants that were mediocre at best. I was getting jaded with Singapore's minuscule (but growing) Western dining scene. I'm warming back up to it though.
I recently told Adrian (whom I've affectionately named my
unpretentious FoodNoob), if somehow he plans to take me out between
our impossibly busy schedules, PLEASE don't take me to a nice
restaurant in Singapore. I swear that was the biggest grin I got from him that
day--he was thrilled to hear it for a good number of reasons.
On multiple occasions, my FoodNoob has wondered aloud why I would date
him instead of some fellow food-enthusiast. I'll tell you why: I
actually don't enjoy verbally dissecting food or one-upping each other
in who got to meet the latest greatest celebrity chef every last
minute of my day. Some self-confessed foodies drive me nuts--they're too over the top and try too hard to pick out what's not there. Multiple
hobbies are a good thing, people!
With all that said, don't get me wrong. I do discuss food and I still
and will always get excited about ongoings in the industry. And I always will love to
noms.
As a side thought, why did no one ever ask me that when I was in F&B
back in Hong Kong? Man, was I tired of burgers and pasta for a good
two years after I started those projects.
