We had the good fortune of connecting with Elysia Sangel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elysia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well for starters, I grew up being obsessed with food. As a child, I had a big appetite. Fast forward 20 years, I’m still a big foodie. I was that person taking pictures of food even when everyone was annoyed with it. The colors, the textures, the sight, everything about food is literally beautiful. I already had an album of food pictures on my phone and I thought why not just create an Instagram with all the pictures that I’ve taken. So that’s basically where it began. Little did I know how big the food scene in Houston was. It was like a whole new world I just discovered, and luckily two of my friends were already a part of it. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say them but @Nkmedeats and @Houandmefood helped me out a lot.

 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I guess you could say I’m pretty proud about how I’ve built my following in a little over 5 months. I started February 18th of this year and I’m already at a little over 1.7k followers. Of course, I probably could have a lot more if I posted and engaged more, but I’m pretty happy with how the journey has been so far. It wasn’t easy though. It’s more than just posting a picture on social media, it’s engaging. It’s trying to find a caption that best describes your experience. It’s finding the right hashtags and posting at the right times. It’s making sure you’re supporting other pages and giving other foodies the same energy they give you. But it’s so worth it. I’d like people to know that I’m not a page that JUST takes pictures of food, but a page that actually wants you to get the same joy out of eating at restaurants and places as much as I do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh that’s easy, I’d take them to our very own Houston Chinatown. I’m literally there every other weekend. I’m also Filipino, so I grew up eating in different Asian restaurants that my parents would take me to in the various places we’ve lived. If it was a Friday night, first, I’d probably take them to Ohn Korean eatery to eat their yangnyeom wings and drink soju. Then, I’d take them to a dessert place, probably Twisted Love for ice cream or Nu Cafe for shaved ice. Lastly, I would probably end the night drinking boba at Kung Fu Tea. And if it’s not too late, stop by Kamalan Bakery or 85C Bakery for some breads and desserts to go. Really, anywhere in Chinatown is great for someone who hasn’t been to Houston and wants to try some delicious and decently priced food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely @Nkmedeats and @Houandmefood! They both helped me out when I first started my page! I literally owe it to them!

Instagram: TheOkayFoodieTX
Email: elysia@epicenter.life

Image Credits
Elysia Sangel