The Blurb
As we’ve learned during the height of lockdown, restaurant deliveries are one of life’s little pleasures; however, there is nothing more disappointing than placing a big—and costly—order only to have your food arrive ice cold. This is where Yolk comes in: Yolk is the newly launched delivery app for high-end restaurants, which uses heating plates in transit to ensure food arrives piping hot. Delivering from some of London’s top restaurants, Yolk’s state-of-the-art delivery bikes are fashioned with silicone heating pads, which can be adjusted to specific temperatures depending on the restaurant and dish. Thanks to the tech, food can also be delivered further afield and still be delivered hot upon arrival. The industry-disrupting app was created by the 17-year-old entrepreneur, Bernardo Braga, and is now available in London.
The Experience & The Food
On a recent cold and wet Friday night, the last thing I wanted to do was get dressed up and go out or place (yet another) order from one of my go-to local spots. Enter Yolk: Simple and slick, the Yolk app offers delivery options divided into the categories of Restaurants; Convenience; and Drinks. Under the Restaurants section, any foodie would be impressed by the restaurants in their roster: Park Chinois, Ruya, Aquavit, STK…while this list is on the shorter side (compared to Deliveroo), it’s about quality not quantity on Yolk.
I opt for MNKY HSE, which I’ve been meaning to try for quite some time. Placing my order is quick and painless (though I do have to wait for about ten minutes to get my confirmation, which could be blamed on the fact that I ordered as soon as the restaurant opened). While there is an option to schedule the order, this feature wasn’t working for me at the time of my order. Before placing the order, you’re hit with a £7 delivery fee, which felt reasonable—considering how quick and painless the whole process was.
MNKY HSE is about 20 minutes away from me; however, on a weekend evening, traffic can sometimes double the time. I put the app to the test by ordering sea bass and tempura shrimp, along with a few cold dishes. Normally, I’m reluctant to order seafood via delivery because cold fish is so disappointing, but Yolk did not disappoint: The sea bass was hot and moist—something that would have been highly unlikely had it been delivered by another service. The tempura shrimp was also hot, but it lost its crispiness, which can be attributed to the restaurant’s packaging (unfortunately, we still don’t have the tech for crispy delivery food). All the other dishes were pristine and perfect—no spilt sauce, no cold food. What else could you want?
The Details
Yolk is available for download via iOS and Android app stores. The first release of the Yolk delivery service will be in London, but the brand is hoping to expand across the UK.
More info over at www.yolkuk.co.uk
