In the home of San Francisco Bay Area Foodie, Tim Cheung (@bayarea.foodies) there’s something cooking up. It may be a Thai dish or some pho. It may be inspired by his latest brunch, or perhaps the last tacos he ate. Whatever it is, you know it’s going to be good. Tim has been a food blogger within the Bay Area for five years, growing a strong following on his IG and now he occasionally offers his food photography skills to some of the top restaurants in San Francisco. His devoted following keeps coming back to have Tim point the way to the most recent finds, and his favorite dishes.
When he cooks at home, which is fairly likely, he likes to try to recreate some of his favorite dishes that he has tried at local places around the city, or else to get creative and make a challenging new dish, often with friends. Cooking at home most days is a lot different than when he was growing up. As a child, his parents typically gave him money to eat close to school, or at the local taqueria, where he loved to devour their burritos. Perhaps it was there that he first began to cultivate the desire to find the perfect dish, as he wanted to find the perfect burrito.
What types of food is he inspired by when he cooks and that he loves? Any great local place within San Francisco- but especially if they serve up ethnic food and are minority-owned. Tim is passionate about all types of food, but his heart lies with local, mom-and-pop restaurants that many people are not aware of. That was his primary focus when he first began food blogging in 2015 – to highlight hidden gems within the foodie community. But the Bay Area Foodie does have a soft spot for boba tea at the Tea Hut, the Carne Asada tacos at La Taqueria, and the spicy authentic Japanese ramen from Ramen Nagi.
What began as a hobby to highlight the little known places within San Francisco, ended up turning into his career. It’s not anything his friends and family are complaining about, either (especially if they are treated to some of the meals he cooks up). Tim says that many of his friends ” use my recommendations and are appreciative of the content I put out. My parents are proud of what I do and encourage me to continue pursuing food blogging.”
Which is only fitting, since Tim says that he would still be doing something with food, even if he did become a computer programmer, as originally planned. But when he saw the need within the foodie community, and the positive response to his blog postings, Tim’s projection changed. He keeps focused on the types of food he is passionate about (that keeps food blogging fun) but he also loves food that is relatable – in the sense that he wants his followers to easily imagine how they can incorporate the food in their lives, and enjoy it.