Kirby Ip first started her food blog, Eating with Kirby, in January 2011 because she loved eating and wanted to document everything she was trying around Vancouver, never expecting it would grow into what it is today. Now, almost fifteen years later, Ip has built a community where she shares easy Asian-inspired recipes, honest food reviews, and all the food moments from my travels.
Ip creates, films, and edits all of her content herself. Most of her ideas come from dishes that she grew up eating or whatever she happens to be craving at the moment. She makes cooking feel fun, comforting, and approachable, especially for people who don’t have much time.
For Ip, what started as a hobby slowly turned into her full-time job. “I still feel grateful every day that I get to share food with people around the world,” she shares. “At the end of the day, I just want to inspire others to cook more, travel more, and eat well.” We spoke with Ip to learn more about her creative process, her “noodle deficiency,” and her plans for the future of her channel.
What is your channel called and what is it about?
My channel is called Eating With Kirby. I share food hacks, easy Asian-inspired recipes, honest food reviews, and all the places I eat when I travel! It’s all about good food, good vibes, and making cooking feel approachable! Because I’m all about that easy cooking life 🙂
When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?
I started in 2011 as a simple food blog because I was obsessed with trying new restaurants and telling my reccos to my friends (in real life). I loved reading food blogs myself, so one day I decided to make one of my own. Little did I know, it would lead me to becoming a full-time food + travel content creator in 2026 & running her own business with her husband!
Who were you inspired by? Any influences?
I’ve always been inspired by OG food bloggers (like Foodologyca, Sherman’s Food Adventures) and Asian home cooks on YouTube. I also love watching genuine food creators who you can tell actually EAT the food and enjoy it off camera.
How would you describe your audience?
My audience is full of food lovers who love to cook (simple meals), travel the world, and live a healthy lifestyle. Many of them grew up with Asian home cooking, so my content feels familiar and maybe even cozy to them.
What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?
I plan, cook, film, and edit everything myself. From buying the groceries to recipe testing to voiceovers! It’s a one-woman show, really. My husband now works with me full time, so he has been able to take a look of the admin/HR/accounting/tax tasks off my plate, which has been a LIFESAVER.
How do you monetize your content? Do you also have another job?
I monetize through brand partnerships, sponsored videos, AdSense, and the occasional travel or restaurant collab. I also worked in marketing for 10 years before I went into content creation full-time, so I also have some clients on the side where I help them with influencer and social media marketing.
What is your favourite piece of content you have created?
One of my favourites is this parody video about my ‘noodle deficiency medical condition’. It was super playful, super unrealistic, but totally captures how much I TRULY love eating noodles 🤣 It really resonated with people because it’s close to 5 million views on Instagram!
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is the time freedom. I will never take for granted being able to choose my own schedule, work on my own time, and not having to do 1-on-1s with my boss anymore. The worst part is probably not having steady paychecks and medical benefits. Being my own boss will never be or feel as secure as having a corporate 9-5 job. I don’t have medical benefits from the company, I don’t have vacation days, nor sick days! So you really have to have that mental grit to get through the months where you’re making less money, and you have to be ok spending on your own medical bills, working through your vacations, etc.
What are your future plans for your channel?
I want to create more unique recipe series, share more travel content, and expand my brand with merch and long-term projects. I might also have something physical in the works… but I won’t be able to talk about it till 2027.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?
@breanneallarie and @justin.veenema! I had to include both because they both spread positivity through every video, and they’re the sweetest people in real life, too!
