Deliveroo upped the National Day game with its 52 cents Crave Nasi Lemak and Coke.
For a promotion that only lasted 2 hours, it generated quite the plateful of orders, which got me thinking – how do Singapore’s riders handle orders in the first place?
What exactly happens after you click the order button?
For hungry diners, placing an order doesn’t take any time at all. Click a few buttons and voilà, “your order will be arriving in 32 minutes”. But during that time, what exactly happens?
I reached out to a few riders and found out.
A Rider’s Journey
“We don’t have an office. Instead, we begin at the login hotspot. When we accept an order, we proceed to the restaurant to pick it up right away. Usually, it’s just one order at a time. 2 or 3 don’t happen often.”
This helps to retain freshness of the food, rider Johari Rashid shares.
“When you first join as a rider, you undergo an online training for any necessary knowledge you’d need for the job, but there are no classes for the best routes to take.” The app helps you navigate to the shortest (and legal) route, but it helps to know your own way.
“You’ll start seeing the fastest and shortest route, even without the app. Sembawang is where I live, so I’m most familiar with that area.”
The overall process is speedy and efficient, and he doesn’t dally so the food can be passed over quickly to customers.
Located along the equator, Singapore is equal parts wet and dry. When it’s sunny, deliveries are fine, but when it’s wet…
“We put on our raincoats and still try to make our way as fast as possible, but in a safe way. We don’t have to worry about the food because our bags are waterproof,” he says.
“On the occasion of really heavy rains or floods, we’d relay the message to rider support, who reach out to customers and restaurants.”
Although complaints are normal, many diners understand that speed (or lack thereof) can’t be helped.
Being a rider can be a fulfilling experience, Johari muses.
“The best memory would be getting to know other riders, especially while we’re waiting for orders,” Johari shares.
“Same for me,” 18-year-old rider Michael Cheong echoes, but his satisfaction doesn’t stem from just the other riders.
“I love interacting with people, I always remember to greet customers with a smile. Being able to make them happy makes the job more enjoyable for me.”
Singaporeans’ Favourite Foods
As a rider, you also get to stalk, ahem, learn about the dining habits of Singaporeans.
Curiosity got the better of me, and Johari revealed that up North in Sembawang, votes are tied between Sembawang’s famous white beehoon place White Restaurant and the Char-Grill Bar.
Savour that generous serving of prawn and beehoon from your phone when you place an order here.
Hugely popular not just for the noodles, White Restaurant is also a hive of activity for homemade fried beancurd and signature wings.
But if you’re looking for a more fusion, exotic flavour, Aloha Poke is also a popular choice for those not in the CBD. And you can thank Singaporeans Selene and Yue Xian for these insta-worthy health food delights.
Meanwhile in the East Coast, Michael shares that Kurry Korner and Aloha Poke are also top sellers.
But if you’re really hungry, Deliveroo Editions is the way to go. Deliveroo Editions is a central kitchen where brands like Kurry Korner and Blu Kouzina have set up a second kitchen.
Since he doesn’t need to travel to another kitchen, food pickup can be as fast as 5 minutes, reveals Michael.
Meanwhile in the CBD, if you want to eat full full without waiting long long, how about Kam’s Roast?
Or for something wonderfully Singaporean – Boon Tong Kee’s chicken rice gurus have been serving up delicious food since 1979. And let’s not forget about Crave either (whose pilot to Nasi Lemak entrepreneur story we previously covered).
This decadent nasi lemak is also available for the Sengkang-Punggol area, which happens to be another delivery hotspot.
As per their month-long Deliver-Lah campaign, you can also enjoy free cokes when you order for 2, 4 or 6.
And if they come with perfectly battered fish like the ones made by homegrown seafood senpais Fish & Co., sign me up already!
What other food can you get in 32 minutes? Find out now.
This article was written in collaboration with Deliveroo.
Featured Image Credit: @shazbyshaz / Vulcan Post