Wednesday 11 July 2012

The Joy of Instagram

I love Instagram, the photo-sharing app with the quirky filters, and I'd even go so far to say that it's my favourite social media. That's because it's the most fun and, in general, it's a better place to play than, say, twitter. I use it mainly to share photos of food, and it's where I increasingly chat to others about what and where I'm eating. For those of you not yet on Instagram, here's a taste of what you've been missing.



Exmouth Market
- one of my favourite streets in London, where the joys of pecan pie at Medcalf and duck egg with morcilla at Caravan can be found.



Japanese yakitori - two places where I enjoy eating it are Soho's Bincho, which serves a good value set lunch, and Sticks 'N' Sushi in Wimbledon, where they also knock out a great seaweed salad.



Chinese patisserie - these exquisite pumpkin pies and walnut buns (named for their appearance) were the most memorable dishes from a meal at South Beauty, a Sichuan restaurant in Beijing.



Eggs - an oozy Scotch egg and the eggy heart of a Gala pie from Egg Boss and Eat My Pies respectively. Incidentally, these guys are two of my favourite street food vendors.


Northern Chinese food - I adore the multi-coloured buns from Datanghong in Beijing, but northern Chinese food, like the dumplings by Mama Lan in Brixton, can also be found closer to home.



Street food - I love snacks from all over the world, and I'm lucky to live in London where I can sample Indian pani puri (from Horn OK Please at Eat St) as well as Spanish tortilla (from Jose at Maltby St Market).



Fried dough sticks - known as you jaa gwei 油炸鬼 in Cantonese, or you tiao 油条 in Mandarin, these treats are eaten for breakfast, usually as an accompaniment with juk (congee), and increasingly so with noodles.



Vietnamese treats - I love stuff like green bean cakes or a take-away bowl of pho. But you don't have to travel all the way to Vietnam to get this stuff – the pho is from Banhmi11 (various London stalls)

If you would like to see more photos like these then please check out my Instagram feed on your iPhone or Android smartphone. My Instagram handle is @eatlovenoodles

15 comments:

  1. Aside from the really crummy (and sooooo 2005) filters, what differentiates it from Flickr or any of the other bazillion photo apps? It's an honest question, as I've never used it. I use one of the other bazillion apps that let you edit photos and auto-upload to locations where comments are allowed.

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    1. Anon - each to their own. I enjoy Instagram, and I enjoy interacting with other people on it.

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    2. Allow me to repeat myself. What makes it different?

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    3. Anon - I have no idea of the technical specifications of Instagram that differentiate it from its rivals. To be honest, I don't really care. But if it really bothers you that much, why don't you do a comparative study and get back to me with the findings?

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    4. I wasn't looking for a full tech spec, Mr. Snarky-pants. I'm not well versed in these things and was looking for something that would tell me why I'd elect to use Instagram on my new phone as opposed to the alternatives that other people I know use. You've taken my curiosity as a personal attack somehow.

      But thanks, I'm sure I'll use something else now. Bitter taste and all that.

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  2. i LOOOOVE that you love instagram. I remember a time when you werent on any social media (besides your blog). Oh how times have changed :)

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  3. Haha! Yes, what Catty said. It's been so much more fun with your Instagram photos and tweets around :-)

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  4. everything does look amazingly yummy and nostalgic all at the same time. my friend hates it though, thinks it makes everyone's photos look all the same.

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  5. Catty / Charmaine - I realised my love for the 'gram (I've even given it a nickname) when I was in Mainland China, as unlike twitter/blogger it isn't banned!

    Shu Han - not sure about your friend's theory. There are loads of options, and photos would only look the same if people used the same filters and fx.

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  6. I love that you love Instagram too - it makes me so happy that you posted this bog post! its so nice to see what people are seeing/ eating. Its so much more of a friendly place and always so nice to see you LIKE a photo! xxx

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    1. Leluu - you've hit the nail on the head, as Instagram is a much more friendly place compared to other social media.

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  7. Instagram rocks and is becoming slightly addictive ...... A good or a bad thing ?

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    1. Mzungu - I often think the same thing! One thing's for sure, it's turned me into a lazy blogger!

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    2. Me too! My twitter (and other social media) usage drops as my Instagram picks up. I really like the interaction.

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  8. Haha! You are addicted to Instagram.... It's one of my guilty pleasure. I followed a lot of food lover so there's a constant series of food porn on my timeline whenever I'm on it :)

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