It’s too hot outside. It’s pouring. There’s so much work to do. It’s just not worth getting out of your pyjamas today. Here are five meal delivery services to the rescue.
You may have seen the bikes zipping around town as this international food delivery service touched down in 2015. Deliveroo brings high-quality dinners to your door, from the likes of Grassroots Pantry, BÊP, Jinjuu, The Pawn, and dozens more. It’s a hyper-local service, so the available restaurants will be based on where you live. Most of the meals arrive within 30 minutes of order, and Deliveroo’s pretty good about calling you if it will be late.
Delivery: $20 flat fee. Daily noon-11pm. Currently serving select areas in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
If Ikea got into healthy home-cooking, this would be the result. Secret Ingredient puts together no-brainer gourmet recipes, featuring everything from free-range chicken with Moroccan quinoa to pan-seared barramundi with wilted fennel. The offerings change weekly, according to season, and there’s also lunch, dessert, soup and craft beer options. You can follow the clear-cut directions and make all of the meals at home within 20 minutes to surprise that special someone or just treat yourself.
Delivery: Delivery free for orders over $400. Otherwise, standard delivery charge $25. Same-day delivery for orders before 4pm. Available to most locations, but check online.
Secret Ingredient also runs NOSH, a healthy meal delivery service that cooks up daily meals such as Australian grass-fed steak quinoa bowl, free-range chicken cobb salad, bento boxes, and seared Pacific tuna with avocado. All meals are less than 550 calories, and include nutritional data so you can keep track of what you’re eating. For those who need a little more help, NOSH also offers more comprehensive meal plans for $240 per day (including breakfast, lunch and dinner).
Delivery: Free delivery for orders of $400, otherwise $25 delivery charge. You can pick up at one of the Central locations, or have it delivered to home/office on the northern side of Hong Kong Island.
You’re probably already familiar with foodpanda, which actually merged with good old Dial A Dinner not too long ago. The dinner-delivery service delivers food all day from the likes of MANA! Fast Food Slow, Jaspas, Pizza Express, Nosh, Viet Kitchen, Linguini Fini and La Rotisserie. Though it can take more than 1.5 hours to get to you, Foodpanda delivers pretty much everywhere except the outlying islands. Sorry, Lammaites!
Delivery: Free, no minimum charge. Check your neighborhood for availability.
If you are looking for a healthy alternative but don’t have the time — or talent — to cook for yourself, then look into Invisible Kitchen. Run by Chef Tom Burney, the catering service offers “daily healthy salad” plans ($1,200), which deliver a portion of colorful greens, a snack and a juice to your desk five days a week. Alternatively, you can opt to simply buy premium ingredients from the site, which include salmon fillets, English bacon, English black pudding, hormone-free chicken thigh, and more.
Delivery: Daily Healthy Salad plan available in select areas of Hong Kong Island. Ingredient delivery in select areas. Delivery fee $100.