CookUnity - www.cookunity.us - Chef Prepared & Delivered To Your Door

CookUnity - www.cookunity.us

The wonderful folks from CookUnity asked On The Chopping Board (OTCB) to sample some of the menu items from their home prepared food delivery service for the New York City (NYC) market. All food was provided free of charge by CookUnity.

CookUnity is an online marketplace that delivers a variety of small batch locally sourced, healthy dishes curated by chefs showcasing their unique cooking style. As a special offer, mention the code "thechoppingboard" and get 50% off your order!

Upon accessing their website (here), we easily browsed through dishes offered on the day that we could order from. The website provides you with an option where you can use a filter according to tag or chef. Every dish showed a photo of both the dish and the chef as well as details on price, the chef's name, a chef bio, rating, country influence, ingredients, nutritional facts, story of the meal, and which farms the food were sourced from.

It also listed if it was vegan, vegetarian, organic, paleo, low carb, super food, spicy, gluten free, nut free, and/or soy free. We clicked on the menu tab and selected a date. When we selected an dish item, we were prompted to select a delivery time slot as well as whether any utensils, or other requests (e.g. leave with doorman) were required.

On the top right-hand corner of the site, it clearly breaks down the price of the dish, tax, gratuity, and grand total. Once you click to place your order, you receive a confirmation on the website and via text. You have the option to check on your profile on the website for the ETA of your delivery.

All 3 of our deliveries arrived within the time window designated. Each time, the delivery person was very professional and friendly upon arrival. The food was chilled with heating instructions attached with the presentation of the packaging and food always pleasing to the eye.

Now....onto the food!

Maple Mustard Salmon with Kale, Butternut Squash, Lemon Lime Rice - $15

The first meal ordered was Maple Mustard Salmon with Kale, Butternut Squash, and Lemon Lime Brown Rice. We were excited to try this dish since the photo looked appealing and was a good healthy option. The instructions were simple. We followed the recommended reheating times in the oven for salmon and vegetables and used the microwave for the rice. We really enjoyed all of the elements of the dinner. The salmon, vegetables, and rice were fresh, well seasoned, perfectly cooked, and balanced in flavor. The portion size was just right. If you want something simple and satisfying, this is the dish for you. The complimentary cookie included in each meal is also a nice bonus.

Chipotle Short Rib Taco - $14

Chipotle Short Rib Taco

Chipotle Short Rib Taco

The second meal ordered was Chipotle Short Rib Taco with Black Beans and Cumin Rice. We chose this item because of its unique take on the taco. Again, we followed the recommended cooking instructions which were simple to follow. Overall, this dish was lacking a kick which we had greatly hoped for. We wanted a little more heat and crunch from a taco. It would have been nice to have red or green salsa included as well as some shredded lettuce or cabbage. On the plus side, the portion sizes were good and the meat was tender and tasty. The tortillas were fresh. The rice and beans were not overcooked.

Grilled Shrimp Fre Diabolo - $13

The third meal ordered was Grilled Shrimp Fre Diavolo with Farro and Arugula Salad. The dish sounded appealing because it looked like a healthy option that had a kick. Of the dishes ordered, this was the favourite. The arugula salad and farro were a nice compliment to the shrimp. It had all the elements of a great dish - texture, colour and taste. The dish provided the right amount of heat from the sauce, earthiness of the arugula, and acidity of the dressing. I highly recommend this dish if you want something spicy and healthy.

If you are in the mood for prepared dinner that can be delivered to your home or work (note that lunch is not yet being offered), consider CookUnity as an option. It's a convenient online ordering platform, and the prompt service as well as the quality of food definitely make this offering worth a try.