While restaurants and cafés slowly open up with socially distant norms, let’s not forget cloud kitchens that have gotten us through a tough lockdown, and continue to. Here are a few to try if you, like me, are still ordering in

Kaiyo

Mumbai-based Pan Asian delivery kitchen, Kaiyo, recently restarted their delivery kitchen, and has some interesting options to pick from. Their dandan noodles are a one-bowl meal, delicately made in slightly spicy sauces with vegetables, and your choice of meat. Seafood lovers can try the prawn gyoza, bite-sized slightly pan fried prawn appetisers, and for those who want safer options, their chicken in Thai chili and basil is the right choice.

Order via: Zomato

Colossal Kitchens

Colossal Kitchens in Mumbai started during the pandemic as an all-veg, one-stop luxury kitchen offering five brands that do high street food, Oriental, Indian, and so on. They also have a Jain segment, called All Things Jain, in case that’s your preference. They have a Colossal Spread, a big brunch box that you can order home to overcome your Brunch FOMO. A choice of two soups and salads each, three starters, sliders/rolls, main courses, and desserts, it is perfect for a party. Their pear salad was crunchy and fresh, the Spanish Patatas Bravas makes for a great appetiser, before downing some lasagne. So, Sunday sorted.

Order via Zomato, Swiggy, Broeats

AtomBox

Founded by Shantanu Mohite, this is the newest kid on the block, and is meant to make healthy food tasty.

Chef Karishma Sakhrani, a MasterChef India Finalist, has carefully curated the menu, which has vegetarian, non-vegetarian, as well as vegan options to pick from, not to mention, Keto ones too. Their spicy Turkish wrap has delicious, spicy sauces with lentil or chicken kebab, but what works for me the best is the combination of barley and quinoa in their salads, especially the grains and greens salad, which has some fresh orange added to the mix. The packaging ensures the food doesn’t get soggy, and the food shows how clean eating can be ordered in too.

Order via Zomato/Swiggy.

Gobsmackers

Burgers at home? Yes please. A Delhi-based cloud kitchen that launched during the pandemic, Gobsmackers is the brainchild of chefs Parth Saxena and Priyam Kumar, to deliver gourmet burgers to the comfort of your homes. The menu allows you to pick and choose ingredients, and also provides a DIY option to assemble your own burger at home. If there’s a health freak in your midst, you can also have a burger bowl replace the buns with a healthy salad. While the vegetarian burgers have ingredients like quinoa, black bean, adobo chilli, and super seeds, the meat patty options include a Korean-style pulled pork flavoured with 5 spice, an English style lamb patty, and tenderloin. The toppings and sauces you can choose from are chipotle, relish, sauerkraut, maple bacon, etc. And of course, you can order sides. Quite the Saturday meal.

Order via Zomato, Swiggy, WeFast

Hello Panda

I already wrote about this when I wrote the Delhi edition of this column. Hello Panda is well-known chef Vikramjit Roy’s latest venture, and serves up a plethora of Pan Asian dishes such as cold plates, ramen, sushi, dimsum, and more. It’s not just any basic Asian menu though, there’s toro scallion maki rolls, edamame truffle dimsums, and desserts like fried cinnamon apple pie too. I was sold when I saw shiitake mushroom with garlic on the menu, so you pick your go- to, too.

Order via Zomato

That Curry Place

Bengaluru-based That Curry Place is a delivery kitchen to get you all the best curries from across the globe, and cuisines. Started by the folks behind Asian restaurant 1Q1, That Curry Place does Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, and more. Try an Indonesian Fish curry, or your usual favourite Chicken Tikka Masala. They have accompaniments like rice, wok tossed noodles, brown rice, chapati, garlic bread, or herbed pilaf, so it sounds like you can order something for everyone here.

Order via Zomato, Swiggy, Dunzo.

Ghosht Stories