@eatwithspoons

Food is more than just food. It’s culture, art, sensation and sometimes even emotional labour bundled up into a neat edible package. Rahel Stephanie – who runs @eatwithsp00ns, an Instagram food account and supper club you should really know about by now – is someone who understands that innately. Whether it’s via recipes for luminescent coconut pandan pancakes or supper clubs and pop-ups at popular venues like My Neighbours The Dumplings and Carousel, Rahel has made a name for herself by championing Indonesian cooking and schooling the internet about what makes Javanese cuisine so special.

Yes, her content looks delicious but it does far more than just lounge about sitting pretty for your eyeballs. A scroll through Rahel’s Instagram is an education in the subtleties of Indonesian cuisine – a cuisine which rarely gets the spotlight it deserves in the mainstream media. I’ve personally learned more about the vibrant dishes of Indonesia through Rahel than just about every other news source or media outlet out there. Which, admittedly, might tell you a lot about how ignorant I am, in general, but I like to think it speaks to the clarity and quality of Rahel’s content.

I hate using a word like “content creator” to describe a talent like Rahel because what she’s creating isn’t just “content”. A plate of gulai kol (charred cabbage in west Sumatran curry sauce) or bolu kojo (a dense baked coconut pandan cake) isn’t “content” – it’s sustenance. And while education is definitely one of Rahel’s primary motivators, it’s not like she plays the role of a dry and fusty university professor. Rahel is funny. Like, genuinely funny. A lot of Instagram accounts fail to get across a proper sense of personality in their food-packed carousels or reels and, as a result, end up lost in the noise. Despite the number of people uploading food content onto the internet, I can always spot Rahel’s posts from a mile off. The @eatwithsp00ns brand is strong and unwavering. She is relentlessly herself. I’ve always been of the belief that honesty is the best policy and you can be assured that Rahel uses her platform to call out bullshit when she sees it. You’d expect nothing less from Instagram’s self-proclaimed “local Indonesian auntie”.

I’ve probably gushed enough here to get the point across: you should really follow @eatwithsp00ns. There’s no higher compliment I can give than to let you know she’s someone you’ll desperately want to be your friend.