In food paradise Singapore, it’s no secret that the locals love their food. Singaporeans constantly look to food blogs for ideas on where to go for delicious fare and DanielFoodDiary is one of the trusted sources and a leading food blog in Singapore. We caught up with Daniel Ang, the face behind DanielFoodDiary, who took time out of his busy schedule as a lecturer in a tertiary institution (and blogger, of course) to have a chat with us.
Asia 361: How did you get started on blogging?
Daniel: It must have been at least 10 years ago. I started with a movie blog called “The Movie Club” and moved on to food after omy.sg invited me to guest-write as a “celebrity blogger” back in 2008. I only officially started DanielFoodDiary.com in 2011 though. The blog is actually quite “new”!
Asia 361: Name 3 bloggers whom you follow. What makes you follow them?
Daniel: Too many. Though I enjoy reading “Miss Tam Chiak”, “Camemberu” and “RubbishEatRubbishGrow” for various reasons. Maureen (of “Miss Tam Chiak”) is strong in her photos and always inspires me to pick better angles, Catherine (of “Camemberu”) is detailed in her writing, and brings out the virtues of food through her writing, and Nat (of “RubbishEatRubbishGrow”) is just straight-in-your-face frank and funny. I value different styles.
Asia 361: You mentioned that you started with a movie blog first before moving on to food. Why not continue with movie blogging?
Daniel: I think it is safe to say movies as a whole have taken a decline in quality, most choosing effects over stories. Also, there is a pressure to file the story as soon as possible, say within one to two days from screening to keep the review relevant.
Asia 361: You have a popular blog with a large following. Mind sharing with us your secret for success?
Daniel: Having been through journalism school, I still firmly believe content is king. Therefore, I try as far as possible to review restaurants and cafes which has news-values – new in the market, selling unique items, or have that X-factor that could attract people to come.
There has been numerous offers from non-food companies to sponsor write-ups, from travels, credit cards, beauty salons, luxury cars etc. But if it has nothing to do with food, I would decline as I need to keep the Daniel’s FOOD Diary brand consistent.
I know of friends who stop reading blogs after they become too commercialized. Therefore, I try to keep advertorials to a maximum of 10% of content, even though it brings in money. Even if it is an advertorial, I would work closely with the client to provide them feedback to work on their weaker areas. At the end of the day, we need to be responsible to our readers.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Ang
Asia 361: Blogging can help you earn tons of money. Myth or truth?
Daniel: More myth than truth. The number of bloggers who make real good money to sustain a living in Singapore is only that handful. Most would need to supplement that income with other jobs, may it be a side-business such as consultancy or blogshop. Again, I need to emphasise, do not go into blogging for money. If your content is good, readers would come, and advertisers would come.
Asia 361: If a blogger newbie were to walk up to you and ask for your advice, what would you say?
Daniel: Blog for passion, not for money. I must have told this same thing to many, many newbie bloggers.
Asia 361: Have you ever blogged about something and regretted having done so?
Daniel: Actually, never quite. Each entry reflects my opinion and mindset at that stage of time. So I hope readers understand that. There are always dates on the blogpost. The food could have been good one year ago when I visited, but not quite anymore in current situations. Therefore, the comments column would help.
Daniel: Being able to make many like-minded friends to share food. The food blogging community in Singapore has been a small one, and I am glad to have made friends from there to share food, ideas, and inspirations.
Few people really talk about this, but HEALTH is still of utmost importance. If a person wants to treat food blogging as a career or something to keep going long-time, then similar (or more) investment has to be placed on health and exercising. I can work out three to four times a week for two hours each, and I still don’t think it is enough.
Health screenings are a must. I go for them at least once a year. Other than weight, we do need to check on other parts which are less obvious, say cholesterol levels.
Asia 361: Some people blog because they want to use it to get out of the corporate rat race. Others blog purely out of a love for writing. What about you?
Daniel: Well, the blogging circle can be a rat race too if you choose to enter that race. I won’t say I love writing entirely, but I love discovering new things and to share.
Asia 361: What’s a question never to ask a blogger?
Daniel: “How much do you earn ah?”
