If you’re like us, you flaked on making plans for the annual day of love. So we’re going to make a lame case for the shabby-chic, ironic romance of staying in and ordering delivery. In any case, we thought it was time that delivery powerhouses, Food By Phone and ChefsXP, had a rematch after their BK head-to-head in May 2008—when Food By Phone won.
FOOD BY PHONE
THE CONTACT: 02-663-4663, or www.foodbyphone.com to order online. We called.
THE MENU: About 70 restaurants, and a decent vegetarian list. We’re not counting cigarettes, booze and supermarket items, though it’s good that they have them.
THE ORDER: from Beirut: Beef kebab w/fries, B230, from Boon Ton Kiat: Chicken noodle w/ wonton, B75; Roasted pork ribs w/ rice, B75, from Indus: Murgh makhani, B375; Basmati rice, B95
THE FEE: B60/restaurant (B180 in total)
THE TOTAL: Grand total B1,105
THE TIME: We ordered at 12:45pm. The estimate was 90 minutes. Our kebabs arrived at 1:18pm. Everything else came at 1:50pm, earlier than the estimate.
PRESENTATION AND UTILITY: Each restaurant’s food and condiments were conveniently separated by cardboard trays, and packed in spill-proof containers. And maybe it’s just inevitable with delivery, but a lack of steamholes created condensation, and our French fries got soggy.
THE VERDICT: Marked-up prices and stiffer delivery fees bite, especially if you’re ordering from more than one place. And we’re disturbed by the food arriving in shifts. (On V-Day, it could be a deal-breaker.)
CHEFSXP
THE CONTACT: 02-204-2001, or www.chefsxp.com, though it was hard to find the number on the site.
THE MENU: 97 restaurants, including new ones like Los Cabos.
THE ORDER: from Beirut: Beef kebab w/fries, B208.65, from Boon Ton Kiat: Chicken noodle w/ wonton, B64.20; Roasted pork ribs w/ rice, B64.20, from Indus: Murgh makhani, B342.40; Basmati rice, B80.25
THE FEE: B60/delivery
THE TOTAL: Grand total B819
THE TIME: We ordered at 1:01pm. The estimate was two hours. Our food (all of it) arrived at 2:40pm, twenty minutes early—if you can call an hour and a half later early. Just think of it as time to get cozy, open a bottle of champagne and say soulful things.
PRESENTATION AND UTILITY: The food came all together, though indiscriminately stacked on the same steel tray. Less knowledgeable diners might not know what to do with the box filled with various sauces. Also, while our makhani and noodles came warm, the kebabs were cold.
THE VERDICT: No mark ups; reasonable delivery charge. If you know which sauce goes with what, the haphazard stacks of boxes are no big deal. And if you have a microwave, the occasionally cold food is eclipsed by the fairness of the prices.
FINAL VERDICT:
ChefsXP takes the crown. Food by Phone still offers slightly better service but that massive markup on both the food and the delivery is the clincher. During these tough times, we care not for romance, but for cold, hard cash.
