A student’s recent Shangdong obsession has created a niche community of food lovers on social media who eagerly await the next feast.
Food review account @rafeeatsshangdong has changed the recipe of Instagram, reaching a population of students through his promotion of Okuma Sushi, a Chinese restaurant located at the University of Wollongong.
UOW engineering student Rafe Jolley has been famed for his ratings of Shangdong, the crispy chicken and rice combination that has been deemed the ‘most popular’ dish consumed on campus.
“We weren’t intending for the account to blow up, ” Mr Jolley said. “But now we have a community of people who love Shangdong,”
UOW student Bridie Walsh said she loves the restaurant and page.
“My friends and I love @rafeeatsshangdong. We think it’s so funny, we talk about it all the time,” she said.
The account has gained traction, gaining a niche community of students who collaborate with Rafe and his friends on his weekly reviews.
Niche social media accounts have become popular on campus, initiating a new era of sociality to university life.
Mr Jolley has reached almost 150 followers since launching the account only five weeks ago.
Engineering student and manager of @rafeeatsshangdong, Campbell Wearing, hopes that there is a chance to collaborate with other UoW platforms to share the love of Chinese cuisine.
“The owner of @uowstudents has reached out to us to discuss student welfare and student life,” Mr Wearing said.
Mr Wearing and Mr Jolley do not ration when it comes to the integration of community in their posts, doing giveaways when they reach milestone follower counts.
