Loving Husband Prepares Beautifully Symmetrical Breakfasts Every Day for Himself and His Partner

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Kiribath, a Sri Lankan coconut milk rice with mini mangoes, honey and edible flowers, served on banana leaves.

As an “online phenomenon that incorporates world cuisines, contemporary design and a story of love over the meal of breakfast,” SymmetryBreakfast continues to captivate connoisseurs of food, art, and photography alike. Created by Shanghai-based food photographer and doting husband Michael Zee, the now-famous Instagram account features photos of delectably designed meals with a twist: each pair of plated creations is not only undeniably appetizing, but beautifully balanced, too.

Each photo has a similar layout: 2 main plates (or, depending on the meal, bowls, boards, skillets, and even leaves) are symmetrically situated and surrounded by equally balanced drinking glasses, soup bowls, and side dishes. The arrangements are shot from above, which emphasizes their matching positioning. In addition to a focus on symmetry, the photographs also showcase the creativity of Zee's cuisines, as well as the color-coordination of his tableware!

While the page began as a visual record of Zee's (literally) balanced breakfasts, it has since morphed into an all-day extravaganza. Morning meals, such as syrup-slathered waffles, swirly cinnamon rolls, and fruit-filled puff pastries, still regularly feature, but, now, so do lunches, dinners, and even desserts. Just like his celebrated breakfasts, Zee's other meals are inventive and eclectic. One look through his Instagram account, and it's clear that Zee and his husband enjoy a diverse daily menu!

If you're interested in emulating Zee's creative breakfasts, be sure to check out his unique cookbooks, SymmetryBreakfast: 100 Recipes for the Loving Cook and SymmetryBreakfast: Cook-Love-Share.

Food photographer, cook, and doting husband Michael Zee creates a diverse selection of matching meals for himself and his partner.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Smoked salmon, caviar, dill blinis, and Demi-Sec.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Peanut butter, banana, and oatmeal pancakes, soft and fudgy with soft fruits, edible flowers, carrot & orange juice, and a cup of tea

Symmetry Breakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Grated beetroot, apple, maple and cinnamon bircher made with gluten-free oats, topped with toasted coconut and a side of oven roasted plums and apricots cooked in OJ with an espresso.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Popped Beans and Eggs with hot sauce, cannellini beans, cherry toms, eggs, balsamic glaze, goats cheese, fennel seeds, basil and toast.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Curried Paneer Tacos, a chia and quinoa tortilla with oven roasted paneer topped with a lime yoghurt dressing, avocado, grated carrot, rocket and lime. Washed down with a Mellow Yellow smoothie (apple, orange, parsnip and turmeric) and a cup of tea.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Takoyaki (simple waffle/pancake batter poured into a sea bream fish shaped pan) filled with chocolate and salted caramel. Served with crushed raspberries to resemble some fish guts for added theatre and a cup of Moriuchi Koucha.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Miso salmon, rice with disco topping, tamagoyaki rolled with layers of nori, deliciously sweet tomatoes and blueberries, and hot miso soup with tofu and laver.

Symmetry Breakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Tapioca Pancakes, delicately colored with purple dragonfruit, spinach, and cucumber juices, amlou (a Moroccan nut dip and chocolate spread from Alain Ducasse in Paris), everything expertly balanced out with a green and slightly green with envy matcha.

Symmetry Breakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Steam buns in the shape of pandas and pigs! The pandas are filled with custard and the pigs are filled with red bean with a side of Nan Wong Bao with some added coconut, finished off with homemade black sesame soy milk and a cup of tea.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Sunflower and walnut bread with yellow mango, mulberries, barley yoghurt and purple dragon fruit and a cup of Emperor's Breakfast.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Red bean buns, one dusted with matcha, the other with purple yam, local organic strawberries, mulberries, grapefruit juice and Cloud Tea.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Pandoro, lightly toasted, with some crema spalmabile al latte from Maglio, mascarpone, and freshly toasted hazelnuts.

Symmetry Breakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Baked beans with cheese and sour cream with cactus-shaped cornbread.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

Homemade cinnamon rolls with a tahini and maple cream cheese frosting, fresh fruit, rubyberry juice and a cup of tea.

You can find his recipes (and drool over the food photography) in his cookbooks, SymmetryBreakfast: 100 Recipes for the Loving Cook and SymmetryBreakfast: Cook-Love-Share.

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

SymmetryBreakfast Food Photography Food Photographer Michael Zee

SymmetryBreakfast: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

All images via SymmetryBreakfast.

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Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
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