About:
Hello! My name is Chun Rong (or C.R for short) and I’m a self-taught food stylist and photographer based in the sunny island of Singapore.
Growing up, the art of cooking always fascinated me as I observed my aunt prepare hearty meals after school. Thanks to her guidance and many hours of watching cooking shows, I mastered the fundamentals to develop my culinary skills.
It was through these means that my passion for food grew from a hobby to an aspiration. Losing my mother to cancer at the age of 17 taught me the fragility of life, and served as a reminder to pursue my dreams.
With that, I decided to withdraw from university in 2014 and start this very blog to document my kitchen adventures, in the hopes of inspiring others to embrace home cooking. After all, nothing warms the heart more than seeing your loved ones enjoy the food you’ve prepared!
Philosophy:
My cooking style draws inspiration from various cultures and cuisines, incorporating both classic and contemporary techniques to create comforting soul food. As for recipe development, I aim to keep it simple and true to the heart, so that it’s easily replicable at home.
Photography & Styling:
Shortly after starting my blog, I began my foray into photography and food styling. For my personal craft, I like to combine natural elements with rustic aesthetics to accentuate the raw beauty of my subjects. Nevertheless, I constantly work to push my boundaries, experimenting with various styles and techniques to gain flexibility as a photographer.
My services include photography, food styling, food aesthetics, props styling, food curation, editorials, recipe development, private dining and workshops.
Interested in working together? Drop me a mail at hello@xlbcr.com / or get me through the contact form on the site.
Press:
Singapore Blog Awards - Finalists for best cooking blog & best new blog 2015
Singapore Newspaper - Sunday Times Newspaper - 07/2015 - half page article on how I started home-cooking.
Singapore Food Magazine - The Food Journal - Top 50 food journalist in Singapore
Instagram - Suggested User list - 08/2015
CNN Travel - Top Chefs of Instagram (Asia) - 11/2015
Guest Speaker at TBWA Friday Talk - 02/2016
Nominated for Best Male Digital Influencer - Buro 24/7 Sg - 06/2016
Canon Asia Featured Photographer - 07/2016
WithEating 食帖 - Featured Interview - Issue No. 10: Breakfast, indeed, is so precious!
This Is Glamorous - List of 31 Best Food Accounts to follow on Instagram - 09/2016
SAVEUR - Best 20 Food Instagrams of 2016.
NUYOU Magazine - 2 page spread - 04/2017
Singapore Newspaper - Straits Times Newspaper - Health Section - Fight the flab - 07/2017
National Technological University - WKW Engage 2017 - Invited Exhibitor - 08/2017
Singapore Newspaper - Zao Bao Newspaper - zbNow Section - Food Styling for the Lens - 09/2017
HYPEBEAST - Through the lens of Local Food Stylist & Photographer - 09/2017
Singapore Newspaper - Straits Times Newspaper - Lights! Camera! Food! More taking up food styling as a career - 10/2017
SAVEUR Blog Awards 2017 - Winner for Best Food Instagram Editor's Choice - 10/2017
Food and Wine - 40 Food Instagram Accounts You Should Be Following Right Now -02/2018
Money 89.3 FM - Food Photographer/Stylist Radio Interview - 03/2018
Female Magazine - 1 Page Spread - Chun Tsubaki Studio - 07/2018
Class 95 FM - Muttons in the Morning - Food Stylist Radio Interview - 12/2018
WT+ - Singaporean Instagrammers to Follow - 2018
CLOZETTE - 10 Singaporean Creatives You Should Support - 2020
STRAITS TIMES LIFE - Ready for Phase 2 - 2020
Creative Capital: The food stylist selling doughnuts with a Masterchef Singapore contestant - 08/2020
25 Exceptional Food Photographers in Singapore on Shutterturf - 02/2021