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Food and Drinks
LifestyleFood & Drink
Andrew Sun
Andrew Sun

Mouthing Off | Why food delivery apps don’t get my money – it’s healthier, cheaper and more satisfying to cook yourself

  • People often have irrational dislikes for disruptive innovators such as Amazon, Apple or Facebook. For one writer, it’s food delivery companies
  • When there are often dozens of different food outlets within walking distance of one’s apartment, why pay extra to wait to have meals delivered?

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A worker from the Uber Eats food delivery service in Hong Kong. Photo: Getty Images
Andrew Sun

One thing I am really proud of during these last two long years is that I resisted the lure of home-delivery food. Other than an occasional pizza or takeaway noodles, mostly I am cooking at home and eating my own dinners.

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As a result, I’ve saved a bundle. Also, I am eating healthier. At home, I can control my intake of salt, sugar, fat and carbs, while adding more vegetables to the mix. The only sacrifice is the extra time it takes to do the cooking. Well, there’s also the cleaning up and washing of dishes, which admittedly is more annoying.
Another motivation for spending more time in the kitchen is to avoid giving my money to the delivery services. I resent how they’ve put a stranglehold on so many desperate restaurants. Prevented from serving customers in their own locations, restaurateurs are forced to rely on these opportunistic delivery apps for survival. And they are milking it during the lockdown, charging extremely high premiums, often over 30 per cent on each transaction. That’s a big bite from the vendor and the customer.
People often have irrational dislikes for disruptive innovators. Some folks hate Jeff Bezos and Amazon. Others refuse to join Facebook, Instagram and other social media. I even know fickle folks who won’t use Apple products just because they are so trendy and successful. This reflects my feeling about food delivery companies.
By cooking at home you can save money and eat more healthily. Photo: Getty Images
By cooking at home you can save money and eat more healthily. Photo: Getty Images

Living in Hong Kong, everything is so convenient already. I can walk down from my flat and choose from probably a hundred different food outlets within two blocks. Why pay extra to wait for food at home when it’s faster to just go and get it myself?

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I also hate the idea of using unnecessary single-use boxes and packaging when I don’t have to. If I can’t eat in the Thai diner below me, I’ll bring my own containers for my order of grilled pork neck and basil beef rice. This happens less frequently now that I’m just as likely to grill a few pieces of pork marinated with fish sauce and soy sauce, and stir-fry some rice with basil and ground beef.

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