“If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain”.. what is the point of this quote here? well, read on…
March 22nd, we have a full lockdown and since then we have been in some form of lockdown or the other, atleast in Tamil Nadu… I am now so used to being indoors, that I need to re-learn what it means to get ready and step out. The one thing I do miss is working out of cafes and the travels of course, but well, when things are not in our control, no point fretting about them.
Everyday we read about how a company laid off x number of employees or a cafe/restaurant is shutting down.. heart breaking~ On the other hand, we have quite a few coming up with cool initiatives to stay afloat and continue to sustain. Quite a few have begun putting together DIY kits- be it for idli pongal chutney, or pasta, or rice and thai curry, etc.. This helps us pick up a kit and put together the dish based on instructions given. I have come to realise this is an amazing thing for those who love food, but are hesitant to cook or experiment with new recipes.
And then, we have the five star hotels that have initiated high levels of hygiene for those travelling & looking for accommodation options. Apart from this, they have also introduced home delivery. Yes, you read it right. You can now order in a meal from Taj Hotels, ITC Hotels [Grand chola in Chennai], Westin Velachery or any of the other properties and have it home delivered. While ITC and few others have partnered with Swiggy & Zomato, Taj has their own delivery service. They have tweaked their menu to suit the delivery restrictions and having tried some of the food, the standards remain, and food came home hot, delivered by a person wearing all necessary safety gear.
Taj – Qmin [Qurated, Quality, Quisine]
One of their in-house staff came wearing all gear and asked me to literally wait near the main door while he unpacked the boxes outside. Loved their packaging, and it worked in keeping the dishes hot and did not get soggy [chutneys/gravies]. Each of the boxes carried a label with the name of the dish, allergy elements and a note telling us to eat within 2 hours of receiving the box.
As for the food, loved loved the flavours, textures and variation…
ITC Grand Chola – Gourmet Couch
The entire meal came neatly packed inside a box, there was also a sheet containing heating instructions for the dishes. Each of the dishes were packed individually, rotis in neat paper bags and gravies in boxes. Dessert was a terracotta container inside a box.
Food was delicious- from across restaurants- the gravies were a tad heavy on spice and heat.
Westin – Madras Day special – Unave Marundu
Food- all dishes are made with indigenous ingredients- millets, and different kinds of greens. Their desserts were unique as well, elaneer payasam & Vazhapazham tulsi halwa..
Have you ordered in during this lockdown? Where and what? Do share in the comments section….
