NUTRITION AUTHOR
Emily Metzger
FROM THE TABLE TO TIKTOK n AFM speaks with foodstagrammer and TikTok star Mimi Le about the food scene in ATX.
R
ecently, we’ve been hearing the phrase, “Oh my gosh, we have to try this restaurant. I saw it on TikTok!” more and more. As social media continues to evolve, people are looking to more platforms, such as TikTok, to check out hip and trendy restaurants before their visit. Because of this, a new wave of “foodstagramers” and TikTok food reviews is gaining popularity from their presentation of photogenic, mouth-watering dishes. Mimi, or better known as @feedmi_, is an Austinbased food TikTok star and Instagrammer who shares her favorite up-and-coming restaurants. AFM had the opportunity to speak with Mimi to discuss how her platform began and what she hopes to accomplish by showcasing her exciting eating adventures.
AFM: Do you have a preferred platform (IG, TikTok, new website) and why? MIMI: Since I started on Instagram, that’s the platform I’ll
always prefer. However, I do think that TikTok is really giving Instagram a run for its money! TikTok is really changing the game in the food scene. It has the ability to reach far more people than other social media platforms. I’ve had multiple restaurant owners contact me and tell me that people have visited because of my TikToks. A few hours of editing can be a lot, but it’s messages like this that make me want to continue. Austin wouldn’t be a great city to live in without all our amazing restaurants, and I would hate to see my favorites shut down.
AFM: What inspired you to start a food blog? MIMI: I’ve actually always taken pictures of my food since
AFM: Your TikTok account has gained a massive following. Was there a specific TikTok that blew up? Or did you gradually gain a large following?
I was in high school. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago when my mom questioned what I was doing with all my photos of food that my platform began to take shape. After I finished grad school, my life was moving slower and I had more free time, so I was like, why not start an Instagram and see how it goes?
NOVEMBER 2020
MIMI: My first TikTok to break a million views was a
video of when I traveled to Vietnam and showed chefs making a crunchy rice dish. This is another reason I
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