The Onerous Ordeal of Ordering-In #AtoZChallenge

With the advent of coronavirus, apart from the travel industry, perhaps the hardest hit has been taken by the restaurant industry. The last few decades had seen a mushrooming of eateries catering to various budgets, tastes, age groups and regional or international preferences. Unfortunately, the sudden nationwide lockdown left most of these bars and restaurants afloat.

Many restaurants offer meal delivery, but these services will be severely affected by today’s news of a pizzeria in Malviya Nagar in Delhi. A delivery man of this outlet, who delivered to 72 Delhi families, later tested positive for Covid-19, which led to the immediate quarantine of these families. Ordering food in, has sadly, become quite a tedious task. Here’s why:

THE PROBLEMS WITH FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES:

From the Restaurant’s Perspective:

• Implementing strict hygiene and safety measures
• Ensuring their working staff isn’t ill, or hasn’t been in contact with a known case of Covid-19
• Money inflow to pay salaries and buy ingredients, when their business is severely affected
• Trusting delivery services like Zomato and Swiggy to follow the same strict hygiene guidelines during delivery, as the restaurants have presumably followed during production of the food
• Getting the word out about the strict hygiene measures they have adopted without using traditional means of advertising, which cost a lot of money

From the Consumer’s Perspective:

• Trusting that the restaurant has strictly observed hygiene principles while cooking and packing the food
• Not being able to access many favoured restaurants, which don’t have the wherewithal to function under these circumstances
• Being refused delivery by restaurants/ delivery services as they live in certain affected areas of the city, even if they have no specific history of the disease themselves
• Handling money, which is a possible carrier of the virus
• Handling the packages of the delivered food properly
• Retrieving the delivered food from the main colony gate, if the RWA’s (Residents Welfare Associations) don’t allow the entry of outsiders into the colony

We had assiduously avoided ordering from restaurants till last Sunday when we finally gave in, and ordered pizzas from Baking Bad, through Zomato. Despite the extra work involved, it was nice not having to plan and cook a meal. Ordering food from restaurants also helps the economy, so I would recommend ordering in, but being cautious while doing so. Here are some things that you should keep in mind.

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE ORDERING A MEAL FOR DELIVERY:

1. Limit your food delivery orders to once, maximum two times in a week.

This virus is known for its exponential spread through various points of infected contact, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic. Hence, just limiting contact will help in the long run. Order in if you must, but as few times as possible.

2. The same applies to groceries and essential items as well.

We have strictly followed a once-a-week grocery delivery rule so far. Be prepared for this- make lists of exactly what you need throughout the week. Please resist the urge to over-order large quantities that will deprive others of essential items.

3. Go cashless for payment.

Pay using netbanking or UPI. If you really must handle cash, I suggest using hand-sanitiser immediately after exchanging the money.

4. Opt for contact-less delivery.

Delivery services like Zomato and Swiggy offer contactless delivery options, which involve paying online and having the package dropped outside your door, so there is no reason to come in contact with the delivery person.

5. Sanitise the packages.

Use hand-sanitiser on a tissue or a cloth to wipe down the packages as soon as they arrive. Wash your hands immediately after this activity.

6. Put the contents away and wash your hands.

After sanitising the outer packaging, remove the contents of the package into plates/bowls, and immediately wash your hands.

7. Leave the packaging out for as long as possible.

If medicines or other non-perishable items have been delivered to your home, one easy trick to sanitise them is to leave them at a safe place without touching them for a few hours (depending on the material). Research shows that the virus doesn’t last on cardboard and other surfaces for longer than a few hours.

I hope these pointers help you, when you decide to order something in. Now, I’ll list out the places in Delhi that are currently delivering with strict hygiene standards.

RESTAURANTS TO ORDER FROM IN DELHI:

• Check Zomato and Swiggy for the restaurants that are delivering to your area. I recommend checking by cuisine or by area, for a comprehensive list.
• After being assured they are delivering, you can get in touch with the restaurant directly and ask questions about their hygiene practices.
• Mamagoto Fun Asian (+91 8588860204), Noshi (yumyumcha.com) and Namaste Asia (namasteasia.in) deliver delicious Asian cuisines across Delhi.
• Maalgaadi by Dhaba (+91 9599590099) and Koyla Kebab (011-41627744) deliver Indian delicacies.
• Caara delivers on certain days of the week to select areas of Delhi.
• Aku’s Burgers (+91 8826669279) for burgers.
• Baking Bad (on Zomato) and Caffe Tonino for pizzas
• Nirula’s is delivering all across Delhi
• Hyatt, Andaz, Taj Mahal and Taj Vivanta Ambassador are also delivering food from their in-house kitchens

GROCERIES AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS:

• All local chemists and grocery stores are open but if you prefer not to step out, then you can order in for delivery.
• Online retailers like bigbasket.com and amazon.com are delivering, but they are low on stocks and have waiting periods.
• Foodhall is delivering throughout Delhi NCR. Call on +91 7400444647 for Promenade branch; +91 956060412 for MKT branch; +91 7506292093 for Two Horizon Center branch
• ‘The Taste’ (011- 24333733) in Defence Colony market delivers across a significant South Delhi radius.

I hope you find this post useful. If you know someone who lives in Delhi, please do share this post with them too.

As for my tip to beat the lockdown blues today:

Try a recipe exchange with your friends. It can get boring to eat the same ‘ghar ka khana’ every day, but you’ll be surprised at how different each person’s home-cooking is! Start an email recipe chain and you’ll have lots of new dishes to try at home.

The TV shows I highly recommend include:

“The Office” which I’m currently binge-watching on Amazon Prime Video. This show is about a set of people working in a small paper company in small town America. You’ll be surprised at how funny seemingly boring events can be! If you’ve ever worked in a small office, like I have, you will be able to identify with much of what the show talks about.

“Odd Mom Out” is another hilarious TV show about a misfit mother in New York who is forced to fraternise with ‘perfect’ socialite New York moms, because of her husband’s family.

A book that I loved reading with the letter O is:

“One Day” by David Nicholls, which is a love story that replays a single day in the life of two endearing characters, over the span of 15 years. The book is a delight, and surprisingly, so is its movie adaptation.

That’s it for today folks!

Please check out my daily update videos on Instagram Stories for #LockdownWithTheLadyLawyer and follow me there to stay better connected. Also tell me your favourite TV Shows/ movies/ books/ bloggers with the letter O?

O (au) revoir till tomorrow!

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This post has been written for the #AtoZChallenge 2020. My theme this year is #LockdownWithTheLadyLawyer, where I’m journaling my thoughts during the coronavirus lockdown, and sharing numerous recommendations that will help keep your spirits up. Read my other posts here:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

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