Is it just me or does the rotation make it less appealing?

I think the problem is, with that kind of lighting, you'd subconsciously expect a lot of movement. ( like in this animation: https://kotaku.com/unity-3d-ramen-noodles-art-artist-tech-vf... )

Obviously, there can't be any movement, because it's just a single photograph - and if that were all, then perception would adjust accordingly.

But because of the rotation, suddenly movement is added back - only, the contents of the photo don't follow it, so the whole thing now looks like a plastic replica of a ramen dish instead of the real thing.