Who Is Monching?

Q: Would you kindly describe yourself to your readers?

Hi! The name’s Monch (or Monching) and welcome to The Monching’s Guide. I’ve been running this blog since 2013 and writing about gastronomy, practical advice, and general lifestyle – but a majority of posts here are about food, glorious food!

My interests include the British mod culture, 60s music, men’s workwear, Singapore (which I have taken a liking to), history, cooking, long walks, random trivia, a bit of 80s and jazz, reggae and ska, and (albeit rarely) Japanese and Korean music.

Q: Where did you get the blog name?

The blog name was from an early essay I wrote, titled “The Monching’s Guide to Maximizing P200 at Starbucks” which I eventually published under a different title. I took the title from that since I wanted this blog to serve as a sort of a helpful guide for people, not to mention that it was catchy enough to use.

Q: What made you start this blog?

Originally, I set up this blog to sharpen my skills in writing long-form content. Today, I continue this passion project for these three reasons:

• To share my knowledge about things, experiences in food and gastronomy, and opinions about pertinent matters.
• To inform readers about practical tips in living that I personally practice and products that give the best value for money.
• To enlighten anyone lost, frustrated, and tired of this life for that one last push that might change their lives for the better.

Q: How did you get into writing?

I’ve been writing ever since I was an elementary student, only taking it seriously in high school when I started dabbling into poetry. College became a turning point for me as I shifted to writing non-fiction due to practical reasons – until I graduated. Now, eight years in the workforce and writing long-form content has been one of my strengths.

Q: I noticed the Cosplay Portfolio section in your blog. Are you still into the hobby?

I was a cosplayer from 2008 until 2014, and that section of the blog serves as a little corner commemorating that six-year period. I cosplayed 20 characters in all – with notable ones being Albert Wesker from Resident Evil, 15-time WWE Champion John Cena, the iconic James Bond (Agent 007), and Naruto’s Ebisu.

I no longer cosplay, having hung my boots for good in 2014. You wouldn’t be reading this blog if I was still doing so!

Q: Any rules here at The Monching’s Guide?

It all boils down to basic civility. I am stringent with foreigners (especially the weirdo-level ones) and generic content sites heading over this blog, but ASEAN-based (Southeast Asia) visitors get more leeway. I post reviews of products here because I was satisfied with the product and not because of a promised compensation package.

Q: Do you have any social media pages?

Why yes! Do stop by my Facebook page and Instagram profile (which is on private). If you’re interested to do business or collaborate, drop me an email here. Thank you and enjoy looking around!