At the Denizen, getting lunch delivered to the office is almost a daily ritual. After a saga of trial and error, we have become knowledgable and highly skilled professionals in this area of expertise. It was a learning process but we’ve cultivated a series of pointers that we swear by which you should take into consideration the next time you order a meal for delivery.

Be careful of noods
Getting a deep container of carby noodles seems like a splendid idea until it arrives on your doorstep, soft and mushy from being in the heat for far too long. You’re lucky if the noodles haven’t stuck together like glue and formed a big clump that you can pick up with a single utensil. Nevertheless, the fresh herbs that are sprinkled on top have lost their vibrancy and aroma, followed by the lukewarm temperature of the noodles which doesn’t make the experience any better. You would think that popping it in the microwave will be the ultimate problem solver until you realise that the extra heat has made your noodles turn ever soggier.

Beware of bread
Speaking of soggy food, anything with bread is a possible red flag. When you order a burger in a restaurant, the juiciness stays within the patty as the sauces slowly seep into the fluffy, toasted buns. However, during its delivery journey, you risk the sauce soaking the buns, turning them cold and the patty can turn dry and overcook from being left in its own heat for too long.

Don’t fall in deep (fried)
The beauty of fried food is when it comes straight out of the sizzling oil, sprinkled with fresh seasoning and consumed right then and there. The magic of the golden, battered delicacy is lost by the time you get to bite into what used to be morsels of hot and crispy goodness. Instead, they’ve turned soggy, stodgy and unsatisfying which is not what your $6.99 delivery fee should be going towards.

Timing is key
If your fried-food cravings are too strong to dismiss and you’re adamant on not dining in the eatery, timing becomes more crucial than ever. Even sticking within the 15-25 minute range can be a gamble, and you have to be willing to take this bracket as not guaranteed. Speaking from experience, adding a leeway of an additional 10 minutes is recommended to prevent the frustration of unexpected delays.

Stay fresh and stay cool
It’s the dishes that were made to be served cold or room temperature that shine the brightest when it comes to getting food delivered. This includes sushi, doughnuts, salads and poké bowls, as there is no room for decreasing temperatures and disappointment. This way, you’re ensured to have the most similar experience as you would when dining in the restaurant, but even better as you’re tasting the same flavours in a potentially more comfortable environment.

Curry night is always right
Realistically speaking, ordering food via delivery is an occurrence that most commonly arises during the cold days, when the last thing you want to do is go out, venturing for food. In times like these, sushi and poke bowls don’t quite do the trick as all you crave is something warm and comforting and your best bet is a curry dish. If anything, curries taste better the longer you leave it and is the most microwaveable meal, so you can enjoy it hot no matter how long it takes to arrive. The rice may harden a tad but once you drench it in the reheated curry, it’s as if it came straight out of the steamer.