New ready-to-heat meal concept from Esseplore brings nutritious and delicious gourmet meals to your doorstep
Many of us are working from home, and restaurants are open for takeaway, with dining in availably only to the fully vaccinated. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Being at home means you are able to take charge of your diet and better manage the food you eat during this period.
This is the best time for you to start that diet you’ve been meaning to and homegrown FoodTech company Esseplore is here to help you with that. Its newly launched ready-to-heat meal concept, Umami Chefs, aims to help everyone to eat healthier and feel their best, all without sacrificing taste.
We know how salad bowls and panfried unseasoned meat can be healthy yet tasteless, making the diets less enjoyable and thus, less sustainable. With Umami Chefs, led by executive chef KT Yeo, you’d be pampered with delicious and wholesome food that meets whatever diet you decide on. With plant-based, keto and low-sugar (diabetic-friendly) options available, Esseplore works with nutritionists to ensure that the Umami Chefs meals meet a variety of different dietary requirements and health needs. Each meal is nutritionally-balanced, with carefully-designed calorie counts and macronutrients to help you meet your health needs and/or goals. All meals also use low-sodium salt, are low in sugar and use only the freshest premium ingredients.
Umami Chefs offers à la carte or three-, five- or seven-day gourmet plans. Just pick your menu online and the food will be delivered to your doorstep nicely packed in sous vide vacuum-packed bags. Every meal comes with easy-to-follow, step-bystep instructions to reheat and plate, making sure you get the restaurant experience in your own home.
“We see a gap in the market for wholesome and convenient gourmet meals. Our customers lead busy lives and options for a healthy yet gourmet meal can be limited. With Umami Chefs, we’re looking to make that a breeze for our customers,” says Poh Mui Hoon, CEO and co-founder of Esseplore.
“All our meals are freshly prepared, and then blast-frozen. Blast-freezing protects the food from deterioration while keeping its nutrients locked within,” adds Poh.
The blast-freezing process rapidly reduces the temperature of the cooked food to –18°C in just under 240 minutes, protecting the food from deterioration and preventing the growth of bacteria. This process also decreases the amount of ice crystals that appear on food, ensuring the freshest and most delicious flavours are intact even after reheating.
Not only that, all of Umami Chefs’ food packaging is biodegradable, in addition to being food-grade and heat-safe, meaning the food can be heated in its pouch in just a few minutes.
A meal with Umami Chefs starts from just $7.99. You get to choose from a wide range of cuisines, from modern European to classic Asian, with mouth-watering dishes like the hearty beef bourguignon, to the plant-based, simple yet delicious vegetable lasagne.
Options had the chance to try the keto meal plan and was pleasantly surprised by how good healthy food can taste. The convenience was one thing I definitely enjoyed, as I didn’t need to walk out under the rain or sun, check into a mall and queue up all for a single meal. Thanks to Esseplore, a wholesome meal was just awaiting me in my fridge.
With such convenience, great taste as well as health benefits. Esseplore’s Umami Chef is a great way to start that fitness journey of yours. As they say, you are what you eat! Check out its website at umami.esseplore.com.
Photo: Esseplore