5 More Gurgaon Startups You Need To Try

Gurgaon’s food startups are expanding at a pace we can’t keep up with, and here are 5 new ones!

For a suburb that was called a glorified village just a decade ago, Gurgaon has come a long way! And with the changing face of its inhabitants, its eating preferences have evolved as well. We covered the first wave of 5 food startups a few months ago and now we’re back with a second edition – this one featuring 5 more worthy contenders.

YUMIST

A majority of comments on our last food startup piece were about why we had not included Yumist in our list. At that time, they had a limited delivery area and were only serving lunch. Now their lightning fast runners deliver to most corporate hubs in Gurgaon, and their offerings include lunch as well as an evening nosh.

Pegged as a VFM solution for home tiffins, their meals are cooked mom-style and are usually quite filling. We’ve tried their Palak Paneer Mealbox (Rs 85) that comes with 3 soft rotis, dal fry, palak paneer and their signature chutney – and were instantly reminded of home. The Chicken Biryani (Rs 125) on the other hand was a smaller serve but was still non-greasy and delicious. On most days, their evening snacks are all about season appropriate fare, so currently rain-friendly vada pav, pakoda and the likes rule the roost.

The packaging is good with no-spillage and on most occasions, it takes less than half hour from the time you order to the time it’s delivered.

Download the app from here to order

BUENO

Simple. Good. Food – the magic combo of 3 of our favourite words when it comes to ordering in. Buéno is a relatively new player on the scene, but the team had already established themselves as a gourmet catering option before they started their delivery wing.

Claiming to serve express gourmet meals within 1 hour of ordering to select pockets in Gurgaon, they have plans to expand to Delhi soon. Offering a potpourri of Mexican, Italian, Lebanese, Indian, American and Asian staples – the kitchen has narrowed down what they do well and are sticking with it. You’ll find yourself hard-pressed to choose, and might end up ordering more than your daily quota of carbs.

From our picks, the Mexican Rice Chicken with Paprika Yoghurt (Rs 230) was comfort in a bowl and hit the right spot, along with the Mutton Seekh Wrap (Rs 130) that did everything homestyle Indian food is supposed to do – leave us satiated with a smile. The Thai Green Curry Veg with Rice (Rs 260) was good too. In fact, we almost didn’t miss the chicken – almost. You can also expect pastas, sandwiches and biryani on their menu. Everything is fresh and doesn’t taste like it was made in a commercial kitchen.

A clean website that works pretty quickly and prices that are pretty reasonable has already made Buéno our preferred delivery fix.

Log on here to order

FAASOS

They started out as a wrap-centric QSR chain and after an expansion spree, the brand realised food tech was the way to go. So with a slightly different spelling and a distinct identity – Fasso’s changed to Faasos and became an app that delivers quick comfort fare within a few taps.

There’s something added to the New Arrivals regularly to keep the menu relevant in a list that already includes All Day Breakfast, Full Meals, Wraps, Rice Combos, and Desserts and Sides. Since their legacy lies in wraps, we tried the Mushroom Tikka (Rs 99) and Double Cheese Meatball (Rs 119) and thought both were both wholesome. The option to choose a base from maida or wheat multigrain, and add extras like egg, mayo and cheese – all for an additional cost – is a good idea. From the meals, the Herb Chicken (Rs 279) – boned chicken with herbs straight out of the oven – is a classic option for days you want to eat out but not overindulge or spend a bomb. The portion is huge and comes with flavoured rice, veggies and gravy.

The app itself is pleasant and the best part is their delivery is swift and quick with a new icon turning on during the completion of each of the 3 steps – order placed, accepted and out for delivery. We’ve kept an eye on their delivery countdown just for fun, and they’ve made the mark 2 out of 3 times.

Download the app from here to order

CYBERCHEF

In the war of the home chef meal aggregators originally started by Bite Club, Cyber Chef might be the next worthy contender. A website that focusses on light, healthier, homemade food dished out by chefs who will remind you of the friendly neighbouhood aunt or grandma who loves packing dabbas – this newbie has a good thing going.

The menus change daily – for both lunch and dinner – and as outlined above, comprise of homely meals. This means you could get Basil Grilled Chicken in White Mushroom Sauce (Rs 250) from Hamdaniya’s Kitchen or Rajwada Mutton with Rumali Roti and Phirni (Rs 250) from Parina Chugh on the same day as Annapurna Kitchen’s Amristari Naan with Chole (Rs 185). We’ve eaten all 3 and licked our spoons clean because it came with a dose of nostalgia.

The best part is all their partner cooks are listed under a page of Chef Profiles, so you can be familiar with who’s packing your meal. Delivering to most Gurgaon areas, their website needs a little bit of fine-tuning but we have no complaints overall.

Log on here to order

MEALHOPPER

This is another home cook meets food tech idea with a logo that will remind you of a hopping ant (an ode to the name, perhaps) that’s winking. But over the past month, we’ve seen the website and the app go through several updates and iterations that make us believe the team behind this one might be building something good. They still have a long way to go though.

The menu is ruled by partner home chefs and changes daily for lunch as well as dinner, though we have noticed some popular dishes coming back weekly. Their pool of cooks seem to be geared towards more desi cooking, which we are more than happy with. A big plus point is that one of the recurring moms who cooks up Indian fare for them uses olive oil exclusively, ensuring even something like Butter Chicken with roti (Rs 250) is a little healthier than normal. Our order of Paneer Kathi with chutney (Rs 150) and Egg Keema Curry with roti (Rs 280) tasted like they were cooked at home.

Everything came packed neatly in foil-covered trays that kept the food fresh, but the portion size might be a bit restrictive for regular eaters. The app is straightforward, though only available on Android right now, and their delivery network across Gurgaon will expand soon.

Download the app from here to order