Roti Chennai from KC Cafe at Home! Courtesy of FoodNinja


Full disclosure: I have entered into a paid partnership with local food delivery company FoodNinja. However, this review was drafted before this, and in no way have my opinions been compromised. Please see the end of my post for a sweet discount!

A couple of days ago I received a private message on Instagram (@wgtncheapeats) from FoodNinja asking if I would be interested in a partnership. I replied in the affirmative, stating that my reviews would still be 100% honest. They were happy with that and we finalised details the next day. Before we made anything official, I decided to place and order to check them out honestly. They have an app and a website (https://www.foodninja.nz/). I downloaded the app but unfortunately it didn't work on my phone. I'm not sure whether the fault is with the app or my phone, which is old and creaky and has seen better days. Instead I try the website. It is easy to navigate, clean design and works just fine. The background is red, which, according to colour theory is supposed to stimulate appetite. It works!

FoodNinja has one of the largest ranges of restaurants and largest geographical radii of the food delivery services and I wrack my brains trying to decide what to order. To my great delight I see that KC Cafe is a restaurant partner. As far as I know, FoodNinja is the only service to deliver KC currently. For nostalgia's sake I order the trusty Roti Chennai. It was my first drunken 3am KC experience, and also it is the cheapest main option on the menu. The pricing on the website differs to KC's in house pricing and seems a bit random. Roast duck is only $13.50 but salted fish fried rice is $18.50...? Still, you're saving on transport costs and sometimes it is hard to get a table at KC, especially during peak hours. The delivery fee starts at $6.90 and varies according to how far away the chosen restaurant is. My delivery sets me back $12.99, more expensive than Delivereasy, but comparable to UberEats at surge times.

Unlike certain evil, faceless multinationals, FoodNinja is a small local business founded by graduates from Victoria University, my alma mater. They were awarded Best Student Startup in 2015 by GSEA. From my experience, they have the best range and widest scope, with very reasonable wait times and no surge pricing.

I'm shivering in anticipation. KC at home? What a time to be alive! While I wait, I get started on making some pita bread. Will they get my order right? Will the food still be hot? Impatiently I attempt to track my order but fail, perhaps because my phone is practically an antique, perhaps because I am technologically inept. My food arrives shortly before the estimated time, and the driver is courteous and friendly. It arrives at a pleasant temperature. The roti does not burn my fingertips (the perpetual conundrum when dining in: do you blister your fingers or do you let your soup grow cooler?). As always, the curry contains exactly three chunks of chicken and a token lump of potato. The chicken is on the bone so it is more succulent and flavoursome, but can, as my flatmate points out, constitute a choking hazard when inebriated. I take a spoonful. The curry sauce is delicious. The common profile of Malaysian curry sauce contains cumin, coriander seeds, fennel, black peppercorns and dried red chilli. I also note strong undertones of tumeric. The bread is nicely fried, not too greasy and pleasantly chewy. There is a mountain of it: I count 8 pieces. Once I have sopped up all of my curry I still have two pieces remaining and I am stuffed. For $10 in house or $12.90 delivered it is excellent value for money. $12.90 may seem to be a princely sum for humble roti chennai, but you can eat it in your pajamas in the comfort of your own home. Which I did, while being watched by three elderly black and white animals.

For a wide variety and scope, friendly service, reasonable wait times and the warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a local small business, I highly recommend FoodNinja and it is my new go-to for food delivery.

If you use the code FNCHEAPEATS on @foodninjanz this month at Aroy Cuba st, Kk Malaysia, Satay Kingdom, Noodle Canteen and Meet Fresh, you get 5% off and I get a percentage of your purchase which will allow me to afford more cheap eats and write more reviews 🙂 FoodNinja is the best delivery service in town, in my humble opinion. I would not have partnered with them otherwise. Support a local business and a poor, starving writer! 

Food: 8/10
Service: 10/10
Ambiance: 10/10 (my house is cool!)
Cost: $12.90 + $12.90 delivery fee (varies according to distance from restaurant)

https://www.foodninja.nz/




Tender beef meatballs pan seared and glazed with a wonderful sweet and savory sauce made with apricot jam, chipotle peppers and a few simple pantry items.
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