What’s Your Baon is the food delivery service you didn’t know you needed

Images by JOY CONCEPCION

If there is one thing we can agree on, it is that, in this especially difficult time, we are finding joy and solace in food. The act of preparing a meal—even a simple one—can bring great comfort to the cook as well as to the diner.

This surge in cooking is meaningful, as people who frequently cook meals at home eat more healthfully and consume fewer calories than those who cook less. But it does not necessarily mean we are getting healthier during the pandemic because fear is making us stress-eat.

Thus, if you can afford to spend a little more on food, then you may consider giving a meal delivery service a shot. Meal kits can help change your eating habits, whether you’re interested in going paleo or trying to control portion sizes. It can save your time, too—you don’t have to brave crowded aisles and worry about the risks to store workers.

But some consumers have developed a love-hate relationship with packed meals over time. The standard menu offered by businesses includes meat, a cream soup, and an everyday green salad, all ordinary dishes that leave much to be desired by way of presentation and visual appeal.

This is where we commend What’s Your Baon. It’s one of the few services that we found to serve comfort food and unique contemporary morning meals. As it puts a twist on classic lunch favorites, the food is never boring.

What’s Your Baon accepts single and multiple orders, making it a good option for employees or large families. Dishes vary from European to Asian food, and all lunch and dinner plans are affordable. Prices can go low as P845 (or P169 per day) to P2,045 (or P409 per day). We recently got to try out their offerings and we have to say that What’s Your Baon might just smash the negative stereotypes associated with packed meals. Its dishes are as tasty as the hearty meals served at home or restaurants.

DAY 1

Seafood Breakfast Congee, Crab Fat Pasta, and Beer Beef Stew

Crab Fat Pasta

Their take on the breakfast staple doesn’t disappoint. The congee is silky, enhanced with chorizo and fish slices. The punchy, briny flavor from the crab roe gives the pasta its savory backbone, and the calamansi makes the perfect foil for its salty richness. Beef stew has it all: spoon-tender beef chunks, soft glazed carrots and celery, in a rich, robust beer sauce. I paired it with a good glass of red wine and the stress of the workday easily melted away.

DAY 2

**Grilled Caprese Panini, Beef Chelo Kebab, and Ratatouille Pasta**

Originating in Capri, Caprese mimics the colors of the Italian flag in salad form using the now-classic combination of mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Here, that trinity is stuffed inside a rustic ciabatta bread. The flavors are in ideal balance, sweet yet refreshing.

The Kebab meal has a thick mound of freshly cooked beef pieces on top of buttered rice. The tender chunks of meat are rich in a deep flavor, seasoned with spices such as turmeric and paprika.

Beef Chelo Kebab A mashup of French ratatouille and Italian caponata, this summertime pasta has something bright and lively in every bite. It’s got ratatouille’s sweetness from bell peppers and tomatoes and caponata’s signature tang and brininess from olives and capers.

Ratatouille Pasta

DAY 3

Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich, Korean Chili Chicken, and Thai Beef Basil

Thai Beef Basil Buttery and enduringly simple, this grilled sandwich stands unrivaled in the universe of gastro-pleasures. My favorite part? Pressing down the sandwich and watching the melted cheese ooze out. (It’s how you know they’ve used the perfect amount.) The chicken isn’t the crisp-skinned Korean chicken you’re probably familiar with. Instead, it’s a melt-in-your-mouth tender, that’s more similar to rotisserie chicken—except it gets slathered in fiery gochujang. The slightly sweet, and extremely incendiary sauce is hot enough to make eyes water, and lips and mouths burn. Another Asian favorite, this classic Thai dish looks just as good as they taste. The basil was wilted like a leafy green, then added raw at the end for a double dose of its aromatic flavor.

DAY 4

**Baon Tapsilog, Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, and Nasi Goreng with Sambal Chicken**

Nothing says brunch quite like this tapsilog meal, which comes with a special side of vinegar. It is garlicky, saucy, and filling just the way you like it.

BAON Tapsilog

Loaded with thinly sliced steak, caramelized onions, and melted cheese, the perfect word to describe this sandwich would be impressive. The meat is very juicy, considering how the steak offered in some dining outlets can be dry and crumbly. It is also greaseless, indicating that the cook skimmed off all the fat rendered during the cooking process.

Nasi Goreng with Sambal Chicken

The sambal chicken is sweet, spicy, and tangy all at once. It went well with the nasi goreng, the Indonesian version of fried rice, which could certainly be a meal on its own.

DAY 5

Spiced Chickpeas and Greens Frittata, Chicken Teriyaki, and Cubano Sandwich

Cubano Sandwich

Chickpeas adds a crunchy texture to this bright and pillowy frittata, which can be eaten alone or put in a sandwich. Chunks of cheddar cheese also balanced out the sharpness of the greens. The chicken cutlets are juicy and tender. Its sauce, on the other hand, is subtle and delicate, flavorful but not overbearing. It has just the right amount of sweet and peppery taste. The sandwich is more like an epic feast between two slices of bread: pickles, ham, cheese, and—oh—did I mention the roast mojo pork?

Follow What’s Your Baon on Instagram @whatsyourbaon, call +639612544181, or email whatsyourbaon@gmail.com. whatsyourbaon.com

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