Business Times - 14 Feb 2009
For your dining convenience
In addition to innovative deals that offer better value for money, restaurants are also turning their attention to home delivery options as a complementary service
Maru Food
www.marufood.sg
TWENTY per cent cheaper. And possibly more. These are the magic words being dangled by an online Japanese grocery store which offers sashimi air-flown twice a week and delivered to your door any day you want.
Maru Food began as a small-scale supplier providing Japanese foodstuffs to restaurants in 2007 before branching out into online retail last August, says director Wendell Chua who has a day job as chief executive of intellectual property specialists OPS Consultants.
After almost a year of competing with bigger and more established suppliers, 'we decided to go into retail, where we can offer relatively cheaper prices because we don't have a retail front'. Prices, whether for sashimi or Japanese groceries, are lower than, say, Meidi-ya or Isetan, he says.
Mr Chua is not directly involved in the operations, but has a team in place which includes a former rival supplier whom he hired to establish their seafood sources in Japan, as well as a chef from Sushi Tei to prepare the sashimi quality seafood for delivery. 'We bring in things that are not the norm, like lobster sashimi, sea urchin, as well as seasonal fish like buri - a type of yellowtail,' he says. This is in addition to the more familiar cuts of salmon, tuna - high-end toro costs $45 per 100gm - scallop, shrimp and yellowtail.
Priced from $4.20 per 100 gm for salmon and maguro up to $120 for a tray of sea urchin (uni), you have to order a minimum amount of 200gm or more depending on the fish. You can also opt for a selection with Maru's sashimi moriawase. You just have to make up the minimum amount of $50 required for free delivery.
The sashimi quality is very much better than what you would get from a supermarket chiller. Splurge on the premium toro - even a few slices would be worth it. Fat scallops, large ebi, yellowtail and clam are all good quality too.
Maru is also great for Japanese grocery shopping where you can find everything from rice to sauces to frozen foods. It's also opening Maru Cafe at Block 107 on Tampines Ave 2 - serving bento sets and other cooked food in a coffee shop setting. The specialty will be Japanese curry, says Mr Chua. But for sashimi fans forced to rethink their $250 omakase blow-outs, a home-delivered sashimi moriawase could well be the new pizza for them.
By Jaime Ee
Xi Yan
38A Craig Road
Tel 6220-3546
www.xiyan.com.sg
OYSTER nuggets in tarocurd batter, oolong-tea-smoked chicken with mango salsa, tofu ice cream... If there were a prize for the most innovative delivery or takeaway menu, Xi Yan would be scooping it up. The private-dining restaurant, which has won several accolades for its creative cuisine, began sending its brand of food into people's kitchens in December when it introduced its first 'home gourmet' menu, a 32-item list made up of dishes that the restaurant has turned out since it opened in 2005.
It all started with the restaurant's yu sheng, says owner Thomas Choong of the decision to launch the delivery-cum-takeaway menu: 'We had a lot of customers requesting a takeaway version this year so we decided to make it available and meet the demand, and that triggered off the rest.'
While the food on the delivery menu is generally deemed suitable for takeaway, the owner admits the restaurant is still fine-tuning the list to make it more journey-friendly. 'Our prawns, for example, should be eaten within the hour because we don't put any additives in them so in terms of texture they won't be as good as if you had them fresh,' Mr Choong says.
But there are other dishes that will keep quite well - the 'salivating chicken with century eggs', for instance, is accompanied by konnyaku noodles that stay wonderfully springy for hours in sauce, and the restaurant's signature starter of whole greenhouse tomatoes comes with a wasabi and sesame dressing that's separately packed so it can quickly and easily be poured over the tomatoes.
To spice up your dinner parties with some of these goodies, place your order at least two days in advance - Xi Yan only shops for ingredients after receiving the orders and prepares the food just before the collection time.
By Audrey Phoon
aphoon@sph.com.sg
KO Japanese Restaurant
Intercontinental Singapore
80 Middle Road
Tel 6825-1064
DINING in seems to be the 'in' thing these days as people seem to prefer organising parties at home rather than dining out, says Bill Fisher, Intercontinental Singapore's F&B director. That's one of the reasons why its upmarket Japanese restaurant KO has launched a new takeaway/ delivery bento service featuring three quality set meals that are both good for the health and on the pocket.
The macrobiotic bento ($40++) features a nutritious mixture of brown and glutinous rice complemented with simmered root vegetables, meaty tasting slices of seasoned tofu, vegetables in a mustard sauce and slices of konnyaku-like 'sashimi' with fresh beancurd. It's bland to be sure, but with the tasty accompanying sauces and soya sauce, it's a creatively healthy meal.
Otherwise, pick from the other two 'normal' bentos - the deluxe maki ($48++) that packs in jumbo sushi rolls with simmered black cod and teriyaki chicken, and meltingly soft eggplant in miso. Alternatively, there's another maki set ($38++) that comes with teriyaki chicken and tempura in addition to the maki sushi. Packed in very presentable plastic trays with miso soup and fruit, these are pretty hefty sets and definitely worth the price. But the trick is to eat it immediately after it's delivered.
The bento sets are the result of guests' requests, adds Mr Fisher, and they are also good for office lunch meetings. 'There's always this impression that Japanese food is expensive but Chef Seto has created menus that are very affordable.'
By Jaime Ee
Picotin 100
Turf Club Road
Tel 6877-1191
IF you like Picotin's pizza but hate the hassle of trying to find a parking space at its Turf Club premises, you'll love its new delivery service - but only if you live between Dairy Farm Road and Thomson Road, because that's the furthest the pizza can travel before it starts to wilt, according to Picotin's owners.
So if you're in the appropriate neighbourhood, you've got access to Picotin's entire menu - from soups (the mushroom is a top favourite), pastas, savoury tarts like quiche lorraine (rather salty), main courses (the beef bourguignone is hearty and withstands the journey best; the roast chicken tends to get 'steamed' in its plastic container and loses its crisp skin) to very good desserts such as the lemon tart and sticky date pudding with a lovely caramel sauce.
The pizzas - paper thin, crisp sheets of dough with your choice of topping - are also winners. It can't beat eating it fresh from the oven at Picotin, but when going out or cooking at home is not an option, a warm pizza delivered to your home with no effort on your part will be welcome enough.
By Jaime Ee
jaime@sph.com.sg
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