Your Guide To Take-out In Abu Dhabi

Posted on Apr 02, 2013 by Mike Peterson  | Filed Under: Abu Dhabi, takeout, delivery, healthy, fast food

After a busy and tiring day, sometimes takeout looks way more appealing that cooking a meal. UMI looks at convenient and healthy delivery food options for expats in Abu Dhabi.

The expatriate population in Abu Dhabi, like most other cities in the UAE is huge, needs to be fed three squares a day, and often wants a taste of home. As a result, hundreds of restaurants and takeout options are available in Abu Dhabi, with an incredible range of food - down-and-dirty burgers and fries, pizza and wings, tacos and burritos, upscale gourmet options, super-fresh salads, vegetarian fare and lots more.

To explore some of the various takeout or order-in options in Abu Dhabi, read on for a basic primer of your choices for delivery food service providers.

Abu Dhabi Meal Delivery Services

Abu Dhabi's foodies, late night partiers, busy professionals in dire need of lunch, or anybody just feeling too tired or lazy to cook or even walk out the door... Rejoice! All of your food delivery needs can be handled with nothing more than the click of a mouse or through your smartphone (yeah, there's an app for this too; just check out their websites listed below for the download link) to reach one of the Emirate's many food delivery services that combines technology with edibles. Just create an account, log-in, place an order and get eating.

Not actually restaurants, Abu Dhabi's meal delivery services are actually third-party delivery agents (think courier for your curry chicken) dedicated to getting your favorite vittles to your home or office quickly, so it's still hot and fresh when you dig in. What makes these delivery services unique is that hungry patrons actually do their ordering through the delivery service's website, which in turn places the correct order with the correct restaurant and then sends a delivery person to pick up the meal and take it directly to your office desk or front door. Using an online platform cuts out the confusion of wrong orders or mis-deliveries that sometimes come with ordering over the telephone. Plus, there is no additional cost added to the price of the menu item for delivery, thanks to the partnerships between restaurants and delivery services.

The three biggest names in the food delivery game in Abu Dhabi are 24h.ae, Foodoneclick.com and Room Service Deliveries or RSD for short. Whether your friends, party, family or office all want Chinese takeout from one place or everybody fancies something different from restaurants located in far corners of the city, all are able to get just what they want to eat, and it will all be delivered within an hour. Just order online, relax for a few minutes, and then have cash ready for the hard-working people who bring your bags of tastiness.

Abu Dhabi Healthy Restaurant Delivery Food Companies

Looking for something a little healthier? If you just want a salad or veggie sandwich, then the above options have you covered, but for a dedicated, everyday healthy diet there are now a few companies serving the cottage industry of daily meal providers. They offer filling, lower calorie dining options that can be delivered to your home or work, as frequently as you need them.

All these companies' services are on a prepaid subscription basis, and monthly prices vary widely depending on the company and number of meals needed per day or per week. Additionally, it is smart to make sure that the food options offered are actually healthy, low calorie, and filling, especially if your goal is weight-loss, since lots of snacking in between meals can negate any benefits of lighter eating. And of course, lousy food that can't be choked down is just a waste of money. But, if you are busy and don't have time to cook healthier for yourself, this may be great option to lose a few by avoiding restaurant food everyday for lunch. The most popular healthy meal subscription companies in Abu Dhabi are BiteRite, D-Club, eDiet, and Kcal.

BiteRite offers meals for members who are not only looking to get fit or stay in shape, but also has options for diabetics and other special needs customers that allows them to choose for themselves whether they want receive all of their food from the company, or as little as one meal per day.

eDiet offers its Live'ly meal program with the aim of making losing weight and eating healthier for fitness, muscle gain, or detoxification easy and convenient by offering menus that are designed for specific body shaping goals. The company claims their Live'ly diet plan is proven to reduce weight through education about weight and eating habits, and by reinforcing a healthier personal living environment.

Kcal operates on the premise that staying healthy is a lifestyle, and that despite the busy, stressful days that fill a professional's week, it is still worth eating healthy and delicious food. To meet their members’ needs, Kcal has an extensive online menu of options to choose from; calorie data is given for most items, making it easier to choose wisely.

D-Club tailors specifically to the office worker who is looking to lose a bit of weight through organic, low calorie meals. They even offer a free health consultation with a nutritionist, to make reaching weight loss goals easier and more focused.

None of these healthy meal memberships are cheap, but then again, the point of eating healthier is not to save money - we’ve got fast food for that. So, if you are considering your options for uncomplicated and conveniently catered healthy food to meet or maintain your healthy goals, one of these meal delivery services may be the perfect solution.