Concerned about how your food ends up looking and tasting after delivery? You should be! To help you learn about getting your dishes to survive the delivery ride without losing too much of their quality, we compiled a short video of 3 chefs sharing their solutions for common food delivery problems.
Here are their quick tips on how to improve the preparation of these 3 different dishes:
Dish 1: Meatball Pasta
“I think if I was at the restaurant, I might have more room to mix and stir my noodles, but in this takeaway box, I don’t have ample space.” — Kelly Wong, Founder of Wong Kee Wanton Noodles
Chef Hack 1: Use the right shape and materials for packaging. Flat, shallow boxes work well for pasta dishes. Compact boxes make it difficult to stir the sauce and cause uneven dissipation of heat that overcooks certain parts.
“Even though we don’t intend for condensation to happen, it is a by-product of the delivery process. It tends to dilute and affect the taste of the dish.” — Choo San Quek, Founder of Qi Philosophy Café
Chef Hack 2: To reduce condensation, try a concentrated tomato sauce like Knorr Pronto Tomato to ensure the flavour stays rich and intense, without the additional moisture from whole, peeled or chopped tomatoes.
Dish 2: Chicken Wings and Fries
“With melted cheese on top, everything becomes soggy.” — Lucas Ter, Chef-Owner of The Pipe District Bistro
Chef Hack 1: Paper boxes are more absorbent than plastic, reducing the amount of moisture fried food will absorb. Add-ons and sauces should be separated. Give your customers an extra zing with this Chili Lime Dip!
“The flavour of the chicken wings is still there, but the texture is compromised during the travel time.” — Lucas Ter, Chef-Owner of The Pipe District Bistro
Chef Hack 2: To ensure crispiness, dry out the crust further by cooking for longer or double-frying. Add a tablespoon of vinegar—some chefs swear by it. For added consistency and a glossy sheen, try coating with Knorr Rock Sugar Honey Sauce.
Dish 3: Noodles
“As I was trying to toss the noodles with the sauce, I can see there is a lot of clumping.” — Choo San Quek, Founder of Qi Philosophy café
Chef Hack 1: Add extra oil after cooking to prevent noodles from clumping. Include side dishes like soup for customers to add when noodles are too dry.
“Noodles tend to get soggier for takeout.” — Kelly Wong, Founder of Wong Kee Wanton Noodles
Chef Hack 2: To ensure that the noodles stay firm, shock them in cold water to retain texture and stop them from cooking further. Then, package soups and sauces on the side.
