Friday 19 March 2021 3:16 pm

Fiery Sri Lankan and 36 other restaurant-in-a-box delivery kits

By: Steve Dinneen

Life & Style Editor

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Almost a year since the first lockdown, the restaurant world has been forced to change in ways that would have seemed laughable in the pre-Covid times. Top chefs are now launching successful at-home delivery platforms that promise to change the face of fine dining for years to come.

We have sampled some of the very best, so why not support your favourite chefs and get your fix of restaurant-quality food by ordering some of these amazing home delivery kits.

Hōtal Paradise

My quest to try each and every home delivery restaurant-in-box operating in and around London this week brings me to Sri Lanka, courtesy of Hōtal Paradise.

One of the most interesting things about sampling such a wide variety of restaurant deliveries is discovering how each chef has approached the dilemma of how to translate a complex meal created and served by a team of professionals into what is, in essence, just a fancy take-away. Simon Rogan’s At Home service (see below) is a surprisingly stripped back affair, heat-it-and-eat-it, home-cooking style food that’s the Platonic ideal of the food your mum might cook.

The food from Hōtal Paradise, distributed through Dishpatch, comes at the problem from the opposite end, meticulously bagging semi-prepared ingredients and providing comprehensive instructions on how to combine and prepare them. It means you have to work (a little) for your food, but it’s certainly worth it.

I received a feast that lasted two of us for two meals, including creamy dahl, fiery pulled pork and a killer rice pudding. The extra effort on the customer end ensures the plated meal looks fantastic, with the pork served on a banana leaf and sprinkled with crispy curry leaves. With a host of sides and dips and sauces, this is the most diverse and interesting meal I’ve had since lockdown began, and one I’d heartily recommend.

£55 for two people. Order here.

Dinings SW3 At Home

Restokit has emerged as one of the top finish-at-home, restaurant quality meal delivery options, working with top chefs and restaurants including Jose Pizarro and Kolamba. This week we tried the excellent offering from  Dining SW3, the Knightsbridge restaurant by renowned chef Masaki Sugisaki specialising in Izakaya-style cooking that combines elements of Japanese and European cuisine.

After eating more restaurant-in-a-box meals than we can comfortably count over the last 12 months, this stands out as one of the best. There are two tasting menus available – “dinner” and “celebration” – of which we went with the slightly-more-modest five course option.

The dishes super-easy to finish at home; the first course of sea bass ceviche entails just scattering the ingredients across the plate. It’s all impeccably sourced, with the kind of buttry fish we remember from the days when we used to eat in restaurants.

Highlights from the menu included wagyu beef carpaccio, and a steamed bun with a generous portion of lobster. The main was a beautiful slab of salmon, lightly fried, in a teriyaki sauce, with a selection of mochi to round things off. There wasn’t a dud note in the entire meal – this is how you do restaurant-quality home delivery. The dinner kit for one will set you back £75.

Order here.

Empire Biryani

The home delivery market continues to expand despite the promise of eased lockdown restrictions, with the excellent “home-style” indian restaurant Gunpowder launching its at-home service Empire Biryani.

The main event, of course, is Gunpowder’s signature biryani, the result of a 36-hour ‘dum’ preparation technique that leaves the rice and meat fragrant and tender. The rice is then topped with shortcrust pastry, making a wonderful carbohydrate pie. Sides include a sublime Hyderabadi Egg curry and beef Boti Kebab, all of which hit the spot unlike any Indian food we’ve eaten in the last 12 months.

Order yours here.

Simon Rogan at home

One of the world’s top chefs Simon Rogan is offering delivery from his restaurants, including a three-course ‘at home’ winter menu available Friday to Sunday, changing weekly.

Even more exciting, Aulis London has also launched delivery for the first time, with its outre menu available for collection at the restaurant in Soho as well as delivery to zones 1-3.

Find out more here.

HAME by Adam Handling

The chef behind the The Frog restaurants is offering a “finish at home” restaurant experience, with four menus available (Sunday Lunch, £130 for 2 people; Dine in Style, £200; Dine in Style vegetarian, £110; Who are you trying to impress?, £305). The slick operation allows you to scan a QR code to access a video of Handling preparing the ingredients you have been sent.

Find out more here.

Willie’s Cacao Launch Chocolate Tasting Box

Those with a sweet tooth can order this Chocolate Tasting Box containing 10 artisan chocolate bars. Each month chocolate pioneer Willie Harcourt-Cooze will devise two unique chocolates made from unusual ingredients or rare beans, with the first month inspired by Japan. You can also organise a virtual chocolate tasting session to make it a more social experience.

Find out more here.

Boisdale

London’s premier jazz lounge-cum-Scottish restaurant is running a delivery service for its unbeatable produce, with the best beef, cheese and wine available to be delivered straight to your door. While you’ll have to hang on a few weeks before you can listen to live jazz or relax on the cigar terrace, biting into a rare Boisdale steak will certainly take the edge off.

Find out more here.

Made In Oldstead

World renowned chef Tommy Banks’ nationwide delivery service, Made In Oldstead, offers premium meals featuring produce grown both on and around the family farm.

Options include the Made In Oldstead Food Box, with the option of three different, three-course menus, and the Classic Weekend Food Box, which includes two different three-course menus, each serving two people. Alternatively there’s the Signature Menu, a five-course menu and bottle of wine, perfect for extra-special occasions.

Find out more here.

Philip Warren Butchers

Cornwall-based family business Philip Warren Butchers supply some of the country’s best restaurants including Kitchen Table, Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, and Smokestak. People at home can now buy their expertly dry-aged meat previously destined for these restaurants.

Find out more here.

Homeslice Take & Bake

Homeslice​ recently announced its ​Take & Bake pizzas are now available nationwide. Customers across the country can now get their hands on an authentic 12” Homeslice pizza, prepared using the highest-quality ingredients and ready to bake at home. Also available are Homeslice’s range of sauces for fans to drizzle over their pizzas.

Find out more here.

Craft Whisky Club

From casks to pairings, locally-produced to the exotic, the resident experts at the Craft Whisky Club have something for you. Handpicked from the finest small batch and artisan whiskies from Scotland and beyond, this is an exciting way to create home tasting sessions over lockdown. Each box includes up to two full size bottles, as well as recommended food pairings and information about the booze.

Find out more here.

SMOKESTAK at Home

Our favourite smokehouse in London is now delivering smoked meats across London and beyond. The meat is sourced from long-standing suppliers Philip Warren Butchers (see above) and Swaledale, before being gently smoked over kiln-dried English oak for up to 15 hours in a wood-fired smoker.

Find out more here.

Dishpatch

Nine top chefs including Angela Hartnett (Café Murano) and Tom Cenci (formerly of Loyal Tavern and Duck & Waffle head) are serving up their inimitable menus through delivery service Dishpatch. Delivered every Friday with prices ranging from £31 to £55.

Find out more here.

Restaurant Kits 

Restaurant Kits specialises in sending out ingredient boxes allowing you to create signature dishes from beloved restaurants. Pick from favourites including Dirty Bones, Pizza Pilgrims, Flank, Yum Bun and Scotland specialists Mac & Wild. Created by Mac & Wild co-founders, Andy Waugh and Calum Mackinnon along with Edward Alun-Jones, the kits have been a huge success since their launch during the pandemic.

Check it out here.

Vallebona 

Vallebona’s selection of Grazing Boxes promise to inject some excitement into lockdown life. The company is offering home delivery on the same foods it usually supplies to the likes of the River Café, Bocca di Lupo, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and Le Gavroche, right to your door.

Check it out here.

Stein’s at Home

For a taste of Rick Stein’s famed seafood dishes at home, look no further than Stein’s at Home. Each box contains all you need to feed two people a delicious three course meal. All the preparation has been done by the Rick Stein team – you just need to cook it and plate up.

Dishes include grilled scallops with a hazelnut and coriander butter, Indonesian seafood curry with pilau rice and lobster thermidor. To round off the experience, add a bottle or two to the box, chosen by head of drinks and sommelier Charlie Stein.

Check it out here.

Kricket 

Indian-inspired Kricket will be running a Call & Collect Service at their Soho and White City restaurants. They will also deliver signature dishes such as their Keralan Fried Chicken, Hyderabadi Aubergine and King Prawn Moilee across London, as well as “Feast” menus for one or two people.

Check it out here.

Crockers Henley

If you’re missing the mixologist in your life, head to the website of Crockers Henley, where you can find home-batch bottled cocktails available for home delivery. Crockers at Home cocktails are mixed by ex-Fat Duck mixologist Ryan Osnowski, who has been crafting mixes including Old Fashioned, Espresso Martini, Margarita, Negroni, Manhattan, Maverick Martini, Cosmopolitan and Daiquiri. There are also seasonal bottles of Gingerbread sours and eggnog mix ready to spice up a wintry evening. Prices start from £12 a bottle. 

Check it out here.

Pied à Terre

Michelin-starred Pied à Terre in Fitzrovia has launched a Vegan Feast home delivery. For £50, receive a three-course menu designed for sharing in the comfort of your own home. Dishes include Globe Artichoke & Pink Peppercorn Soup, Vegetable Green Curry with Lemon Pilau Rice, and Chocolate Mousse with Bananas & Toasted Desiccated Coconut. 

Check it out here.

Fallow

The sustainable restaurant on Heddon Street will deliver a host of signatures dishes throughout the month. On the menu will be its much-loved Corn Ribs, the Ex-Dairy Cow Burger, and Kombu Fries. Don’t forget to order some homemade sriracha sauce on the side.

Order here.

Top Cuvée’s Take Cuvée

The team behind Highbury food and wine emporium Top Cuvée launched spin-off venture Shop Cuvée just as coronavirus really started to bite. As well as selling their expertly curated wine list by the bottle, the team has developed a line of home delivery meals.

Under the helm of head chef Will Blank (ex Lyle’s), menus will change daily and will be available to order for same-day delivery in London. They will also select natural wine pairings to complement each menu, and even send you a Spotify playlist to accompany your order. Meals, priced at £35 for dinner for two (before wine), come with simple heating instructions. 

Check it out here.

Nutshell

The St Martin’s Lane restaurant this week launched a home delivery service allowing you to “celebrate the wealth of flavours and diversity of regional dishes of Iran” from the comfort of your sofa. Delivery will be available every Thursday and Saturday from their website or for local London pick up, and will offer a special home kit for two, featuring seven dishes from their winter menu.

This week you’ll find Bazaar Bread with Zaytoun Barvedeh, an olive tapenade with pomegranate and walnut and their Mushroom Kotlets with barberry and burnt yoghurt; Mazandarani Lamb Halibut Mast; and a warming toasted flour tart with pistachio and spiced clotted cream. You can also order wine, cocktails or a house infused gin. Meals for two start at £55.

Check it out here.

Arros QD DIY Paella Kit

These DIY paella kits are delivered nationwide by the three Michelin-starred chef Quique Dacosta. They include his secret recipe stocks, specialist bomba rice and famous paella pans with which to practice the art of paella making! 

Your one-stop-paella-shop should be with you in 3-4 days after ordering, with kits starting from £76. If you’ve been promising yourself you’ll learn a new skill over lockdown, this could be for you.

Check it out here.

Pali Hill at Home

The last few years have seen London’s Indian dining scene transform into one of the most vibrant and varied outside of the subcontinent itself. Joining that esteemed crowd this autumn – objectively the worst time to open a restaurant since WW2 – was Pali Hill, a fragrant paean to the home-cooked small plates found in the home kitchens of Mumbai.

Usually to be found in Fitzrovia, you can now order food cooked by head chef Avinash Shashidhara (previously River Café and Hibiscus) straight to your door. We managed to sneak in before lockdown and can highly recommend the marinated lamb cutlets and tandoori monkfish.

Order here.

Rico! Rico! by Sabor

Every now and then there comes a restaurant that literally everybody agrees is the bees bollocks, and Mayfair’s Sabor is one of them. Now you can get a little taste of that Spanish magic at home through the wonder of Deliveroo. Chef Nieves Barragan says the Rico! Rico! menu is inspired by the Spanish comfort food he’s been cooking for himself during lockdown, and includes crispy croquetas, tortillas, chicken stew and spicy albondigas.

Order here.

Wine & Rind

It’s not just slap-up meals that we’re being denied – it’s the little things from speciality shops that aren’t able to open; artisan butchers, your favourite fishmonger. If it’s cheese you crave, then you’re in luck – Tottenham’s first and finest cheese shop Wine & Rind is now offering home deliveries.

Featuring “DIY @ home boxes” full of artisan cheeses from the UK, homemade family-size sourdough loaves and independent matching wines, you can treat yourself from Tuesday to Saturday for next day delivery.

Order here.

The Cocktail Delivery Company

If all else fails, you can always just get sloshed on your sofa – and The Cocktail Delivery Company lets you do that in some style. Created by serious mixologists with decades of cocktail experience, the delivery service couriers freshly made cocktails straight to customers’ doors – all you need to do is shake and serve.

Each comes with garnishes and a handy ‘how to’ guide, allowing customers to pour like a pro.

Order here.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

A brand that most readers of City A.M. may already be well acquainted with, Berry Bros. & Rudd is this week launching an at-home fine dining delivery serivce to compliment its exceptional wine offering. Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant will offer a series of four regional menus and accompanying wine pairings from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Italy and Spain.

Each week a different three-course menu devised by Executive Chef Stewart Turner will be available to order for delivery. Available on Thursday and Friday. for delivery within eight miles of St James’s.

Order here.

The Gentlemen Baristas’ Afternoon Tea at Home

If you’re missing the finer things in life, then why not indulge in a spot of afternoon tea, courtest of The Gentlemen Baristas. It’s all here: little cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon, tiny cake. And tea, of course.

Order here.

HIDE at Home

Mayfair’s Hide was among the first restaurants to jump head-first into this brave new world of home delivery, and they remain one of the best. There’s lobster on the menu this weekend, with three courses setting you back a very reasonable £59. Throw in some cocktails or a nice bottle of wine and you can pretend lockdown isn’t happening at all.

Order here.

ASAP Pizza

ASAP pizza is offering weekly delivery of their New York style pies from Flor in Borough Market, running Thursday to Sunday weekly. Made with heritage British wheats and topped with exceptional produce, pizza lovers can pick from a menu of Pam Yung’s much-loved signatures including the “Porco Rosso” with red pesto, mortadella, stracciatella & guindillas; “Spice Grrl” with tomato and ‘nduja sauce, caciocavallo, honey, sicilian oregano; the “Marg & Rita” with tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and spenwood; as well as new seasonal combinations.

Order here.

Fitzdares at Home

We can vouch that Fitzdares beef wellington package for two, which includes wine and a sweet pear frangipane, is an exceptional take on this classic dish. It’s delivered cooked and ready to heat up, and costs just £100 for two. Just dim the lights, set a fire and enjoy. Order it here.

Bentley’s

Chef Richard Corrigan’s famed 100-year-old fish restaurant is available from the comfort of your home. Mr Oyster Boy offers a range of the most renowned dishes Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill has to offer, such as The Bentley’s Fish Pie, Cornish dressed crab, the classic Bentley’s Shellfish Cocktail and 6/12 Rock Oysters with Champagne Mignonette. It’s available Nationwide. Order here.

Iberica at Home

If you have a hankering for ham, then this could be manna from heaven. Michelin-starred Nacho Manzano, who grew up in the tiny village of La Salgar in the northern Asturias mountains, is now bringing his tasty Spanish tapas straight to your door.

If you live within 2.5 miles of any Iberica restaurant (Victoria, Farringdon, Marylebone and Canary Wharf), then you can gorge yourself on top-notch hot tapas, cheese, meat and charcuterie. Order here.

Vallebona

Family-run Italian business Vallebona has a selection of Grazing Boxes to inject some excitement into the last weekend of lockdown. It delivers the same charcuterie, cheeses and Italian pantry goods they supply to the likes of the River Café, Bocca di Lupo, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and Le Gavroche, including Sardinian pasta, Tuscan sausages, jarred artichokes, antipasti and a delicious selection of cheeses. Order here.