Food photography dilemma

Disclaimer: This photograph was taken as part of a food photography module, the set was not prepared by me.

For photography session this week, we learnt how to arrange and take photographs of food (To be exact, pasta). As mentioned before, photography isn't what it seems on the surface, it takes much more preparation than just snapping photographs of food given to you.

What came to my mind during the session is that when we prepare the food, we try to make it as appealing as possible. Yet, sometimes, what we photograph may not be exactly what you get when you from the stall. But think about it, if you really just shoot what they really serve, it would not look good at all, who would even bother to try the food at such a stall?

So what should the photographs of food look like? How they truly are, or beautified to a certain extent?

Cheers,
aileenfu