Top 55 Melissa Leong Quotes

Elevating baked eggs to exotic, spice-laden heights, Australians have come a long way since the days of only knowing Middle Eastern cuisine to be dried-out pucks of falafel, or the occasional late-night kebab.

When you go through things like burnout you learn what to do and what not to do in the future.

I have a confession to make: my name is Melissa Leong and I am a former food blogger.

I’ve really missed my Reformer Pilates sessions during lockdown because I’m someone who likes to workout with a lot of toys!

If the experiences in my childhood have helped me become strong, then I can articulate those experiences and perhaps tell people out there that have gone through the same thing that they’re not alone.

Perceived value is paramount for most diners; a feeling of satisfaction that what you’ve paid for is commensurate with what you’ve received. That is, provided your expectations are rational.

Milkbars were not only a crucial part of Australian food culture for nearly half a century, but also influenced the way many of us connected with neighbours.

My journey into the world of work after that was a bit more piecemeal than I would have liked, and it took a while to find the place in the world where I truly felt I belonged.

Our shelves are groaning with the amount of cookbooks, it’s scary.

For me, a big part of anxiety and depression was not knowing how to say ‘no’ and wanting to please too many people… part of this process is learning to draw the line and slow down.

Singaporeans are food people, period. My first memories, let alone of food, were of sitting on the floor of the kitchen with my mother, watching her pound aromatics to make sambal and later on, learning to stuff wonton pastry.

Our favourite restaurant, cafe, noodle joint or eating house is always there for us when we need them, from morning coffee to major milestone, hump day or Fri-yay.

Knowing how much was sacrificed to give me the opportunity to find the thing that lights me up isn’t lost on me, and it’s something I know a lot of people can relate to, whether their parents arrived here in Australia recently or not.

You don’t have to follow every recipe to the letter.

I have a huge workload. I don’t know how to say no sometimes.

Growing up in a Singaporean Chinese family, for me food is almost the primary means of communication between family members, both immediate and extended… hey, it beats discussing which cousin did better at end of semester exams, or who’s getting married next, right?

The great thing about discovering all the food treasures that Box Hill has to offer is that most of them are packed into an area small enough to wrap your arms around.

Fast casual is a wonderful way to eat. The casualisation of fine dining has allowed everyone to feel comfortable, but at the same time you do sacrifice a sense of occasion.

A key feature of Macedonia’s protein dishes is the mix of meat, so you’ll often find a stew of pork and chicken, for example, rather than a singular beast.

I’d like to see a return to old-school values, classic service and the old-world glamour of what dining – going out – is supposed to be.

It’s amazing that you can use your own body weight to exercise, and it’s something everyone can do with no need for a huge budget.

I always want to be – and appear to be – competent. When I don’t achieve that, I don’t respond well.

To be a white man calling out racism is important.

I have spent a lot of time in L.A. It’s sort of like my third home – Sydney, rural Tasmania and then L.A.

Whether your job puts you in the public eye or not, being able to leave your work at work and come home to a different pace of life seems to me not only logical, but sustainable.

I am a huge fan of so many Indian regions and dishes, but if I had to pick one, as simple as it is, ‘dal’ will always have my heart.

Everybody deserves to be seen and to be heard. Regardless of whether that is your culture, your language, who you love, your ability, or the way you chose to live your life, everybody deserves to be seen and be heard.

Bangkok’s street food culture may have recently been forced to clean up its act but personally, we think there’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of noodles eaten within tripping distance of traffic, washed down with a cold beer, of course.

I do love fashion as a mode of self expression, and I appreciate it for being wearable art.

I always set out to be open-minded and open-hearted in everything I do.

I’ve been mentored by editors who encouraged me to be constructive and never cruel.

Laos is considered by many as the dark horse of Southeast Asian cuisine, a culmination of the rich food heritage of neighbouring countries China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Australians do love a good food festival. From regional gems like The Taste of Tasmania to Margaret River Gourmet Escape, diehard eaters have a litany of opportunities to revel in Australia’s great produce and chow down on food made by some of the brightest culinary talent from here and abroad.

It’s hard to comprehend a hot brunch menu without a shakshuka.

A reasonably new theme in the western world, Indian culture has known how to heal the body through food for thousands of years.

First and foremost, if you want to be a good writer, you need to be a good eater. You need to be fearless when it comes to eating, you can’t show predilections or bias.

I think as a kid, you just want to be accepted by the people around you and largely I was.

It’s about learning how to slow down… I think this Covid environment that we’re in there’s a lot of sadness and a lot of pressure going on in terms of the uncertainty, but what it is teaching us or forcing us to do is appreciate the small things: be grateful for a slower pace of life.

I like showing people I can do something they wouldn’t have pegged me as being able to do. I’ve always wanted to defy expectations.

The idea of eating one kind of food day in and day out, for some, is sometimes the only option.

Every so often, the hospitality industry gives us a champion – a bright spark that lights up a room and makes everyone feel that little bit extra special just by being around them. Simon Lay – aka. Charles Bronson from the East – was such a man.

Freshly grated nutmeg over fresh pasta with truffle oil is simple perfection. It’s also integral in any good bechamel or chai mix.

Eating matzo ball soup for the first time was akin to a religious experience because of how deeply contemplative it was. It made me realise that something as simple as chicken soup – in any culture or religion, or through any perspective – can be very symbolic, nourishing and meaningful.

I don’t really like being asked how I feel about being a ‘household name.’

As a ghost writer, many words I have written have been for someone else.

My job involves sharing food and the stories behind the plate, in part, via social media.

It seems like our first food memories, no matter how unpleasant, often end up making their way into our hearts anyway.

I live a very straight forward life and my job is public, my life isn’t. That’s a very clear delineation I’ve made from the beginning and will always tread that line.

India’s obsession with food and its cultural importance in nourishing not just the body, but community and spirituality too, goes some way to explaining why Indian home cooking is hard to beat.

Chinese dumpling and noodle trainspotters know that the best versions usually come from obscure hole-in-the-wall joints where personal space and flattering lighting isn’t a consideration and splatter-proof menus are customary.

I believe in spirituality more than I believe in religion. But I like the idea of there being something bigger than us. What that is, I can’t say for sure.

The symbolism of certain foods trip the nostalgic wire in all of us, whether the context is cultural heritage or geographic location.

I am a tiny lady with curves… that’s who I am.

Country town to the city heart, in every corner of the globe you’ll find a Chinatown, a Chinese restaurant or an Asian grocer. From this vast and ancient culture, we credit noodles, dumplings, rice, countless spices and cooking techniques to have enriched every culture that they’ve landed in.

As Australian palates continue to be curious and enquiring, so does the variety and regional specificity of cuisine options.