As a reviewer working my way through all the healthy food delivery services in the Klang Valley, I couldn’t wait to test out Dah Makan’s culinary concoctions the moment I saw their sleek and stylish site. If their food tasted anything as good as their site looks, I’d definitely be hooked.
According to their about us page, Dah Makan “creates healthy gourmet lunchboxes, crafted with the freshest ingredients and love”. If you’re not 100% satisfied with their food, they’ll even give you your money back and throw in a ukulele for free.
That was as much assurance as I needed to immediately click order.
The Order Process
Unlike the very basic ordering process (through private messages on FB, Whatsapp, or email) other newbie healthy food delivery services employ, Dah Makan has a very efficient website that does all the work for them.
Ordering is super simple. Just head over to their website to check out the week’s menu, and click order. The menu is updated weekly, so you’ll never have to worry about getting bored.
Once you click “order now”, you’ll be directed to a page where you’ll get to learn about exactly what you’ll be consuming — there’ll be a short description about the dish, a complete list of ingredients used (good news for those with allergies!), as well as the calorie content (yay for calorie counters!).
Some dishes offer you an option to add on extra grilled chicken breast or other protein for a very reasonable fee (i.e.,: RM2 for one chicken drumstick), and you’ll also be able to add on a slow-pressed juice blend of your choice (RM10 each if you order with your meal; RM14 by itself).
After adding all the meals you desire into your bag, you can check out and your delivery will be on its way (Check out if your office / home is within their free delivery areas here.) You’ll get an order confirmation in your email with the details and dates of your lunches and all you need to do now is await the delivery guy with some cash.
Lunch deliveries are between 11.30am – 1.30pm.
Tue, 9th Dec, 2014: Miso Glazed Eggplant with Tofu and Soba Noodles
At 11.57am, I got a text saying that my lunch is 5 mins away, which was a really nice touch! I was really surprised at the courteous message that actually included my name!
When I got down to the lobby, there was a smiling guy holding my very first lunchbox from Dah Makan, and he had a surprise for me. He gave me a bottle of the juice blend that I didn’t add on, saying that it was courtesy of Dah MakanYay! No complaints there, I’m always happy to get freebies. Anyway, onto the lunch.
What’s in the box: soba noodles, tofu, miso-glazed eggplant, and some incredibly crunchy pickled carrots and cucumbers. (Calories: 289 kcal)
Taste: Soba noodles had just the right amount of bite and flavour when mixed with the accompanying sauce, and I enjoyed the tangy crunch the pickled veggies added. However, the star of this meal would have to be the miso-glazed eggplant. They had a full blast of umami factor without being oily or soggy — that’s pretty difficult to achieve with eggplants. The cold-pressed juice was very yummy too!
Verdict: Serving size was large enough for a moderate meal without stuffing you, but without starving you either. All in all, it was a very good meal, which made me look forward to tomorrow’s lunch.
Side note: The plastic cutlery that came with the meal was not the cheap sort, so they were sturdy enough to get you through the meal. I saved mine for future picnics so I wouldn’t contribute too much to the earth’s trash.
Hey Dah Makan! How about discouraging wastage by adding an opt-in box on the website for the disposable cutlery. Most of us who work in the office often have our own cutlery stowed away in a drawer so would probably not need any plastic ware. However, I loved the packaging and napkin! They were very gourmet indeed!
Wed, 10th Dec 2014: Spiced Fish Fillet with Yoghurt Cucumber Mint Salad
What’s in the box: Fish fillet, yoghurt mint salad with cucumbers, bell peppers, chickpeas and hard-boiled egg, some lettuce. (Calories: 420kcal)
Taste: The fish was tender and packed with flavour, while the salad was crunchy, nutty, creamy and tangy at the same time. Very refreshing.
Verdict: It was definitely a delicious dish, but it lacked the wow factor for me. Would I eat it again? Yes, definitely. Would I crave for it? Probably not.
Fri, 12th Dec, 2014: Moroccan Mixed Quinoa Pilaf with Chickpeas, Raisins and Carrot
What’s in the box: something like a quinoa salad filled with carrots, chickpeas, and several herbs and spices. I opted for an RM2 add-on of a chicken drumstick which came with a tomato onion sauce. Got a free box of raisins too! (Calories: 404kcal)
Taste: The quinoa pilaf was zesty and aromatic and had a great depth of flavour thanks to all the spices and herbs used. And while it’s great on its own, I was glad that I ordered that extra chicken drumstick because it was so, so tender and flavourful. The sauce that came with the chicken also went really well with the quinoa.
Verdict: I’m glad I didn’t have to cook this for myself at home because I can’t imagine the amount of dicing, shredding and cutting it’ll take to come up with this dish. As for the chicken add-on, I would kill for the recipe. This is how healthy cooking should be done – great tasting yet nutritious!
Wed, 17th Dec, 2014: French Ratatouille with Eggplant, Zucchini and Wholegrain Bread
I was looking forward to this lunch because I hadn’t had Dah Makan’s food for 5 days now and was starting to experience withdrawal symptoms!
What’s in the box: Ratatouille and two slices of wholegrain bread. (390 kcal)
Taste: I’ve tasted many ratatouilles in my life, and have always enjoyed them because of their flavour-packed punch, but this one is right up there too. Very delicious and went really well with the chunky wholegrain bread.
Verdict: Would definitely order again, and again, and again. However, I would be happier with a larger portion of ratatouille, because I found myself being stingy with each bite. It really wasn’t enough!
Thurs, 18thnd Dec, 2014: Lemony Cous Cous with Pomegranate, Mint and Feta
What’s in the box: Couscous mixed with mint leaves and feta, some sauce, orange, and I added on a grilled chicken breast for RM3 (I think). (320 kcal without the chicken)
Taste: While the couscous didn’t blow me away, the grilled chicken breast add-on did. Not many people can master the art of grilling a juicy (and flavourful) piece of chicken breast, but the Dah Makan team seems to have got it down pat. Very nicely done, and I was savouring every bite.
Verdict: As the couscous was sold as a standalone, I am judging it as a standalone. It seemed more of a side dish than a main, in my opinion — the flavour was good, but not quite there. Perhaps more feta and pomegranate would do the trick? It goes really well with the add-on chicken breast though, and felt like a more complete meal with, than without.
Overall
I’m blown away by the how much I’m looking forward to each healthy lunch (because I’m not usually that into veggies), so if Dah Makan’s goal was to make people crave good, real food, they’ve done it right.
The Good:
- Very easy and straight-forward order process.
- On time free delivery to valid areas in the Klang Valley. Check here if your area is covered.
- Different menu each week so you’ll never get bored.
- Absolutely delicious food, cooked with fresh, real ingredients and know-how.
- Well-balanced meals.
- Great packaging, which to me makes the meal far more appetising.
- Very responsive service from a team of passionate people.
- Able to cook chicken breast well! (This is HARD!)
The Not-so-Good:
- Price point could be a problem for some. All dishes are priced from RM17 to RM19. However, they have a subscription plan which gives you a flat rate of RM16 for all dishes. Check out more about that here.
- Some of the dishes I’ve tried were okay as a standalone, but were made great thanks to my add-on of chicken (the quinoa pilaf and lemony couscous). However, in my opinion, if you’re selling a dish on its own, it should be great on its own! But that’s just me nit-picking.
- Limited delivery coverage area. Sad for those who work / live outside of the most central areas of the city.
How to Order:
Head over to www.dahmakan.com and click order now on your preferred meal. Orders close 10pm the night before delivery, and new menu is updated weekly.
Also check out Dah Makan’s Facebook page!
See our reviews of other food delivery services:
-
(REVIEW) Rebellious Chickpea Lunch Delivery Service
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Healthy Lunch Delivery Review: The Naked Lunchbox
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Healthy Lunch Delivery Review: HappyTime Kitchen