My Food: A Disappointing Meal Delivery Experience

Hello everyone, and welcome to my review of My Food, a meal delivery service that left me feeling disappointed and frustrated.

I'd been wanting to try out a meal delivery service for ages, so when I finally decided to give it a shot, I chose My Food. I ordered through my T-bank account, which had a 50% cashback offer. After browsing the site, I decided to go for a week's worth of meals, thinking it would be the best value for money at the time. But boy, was that a mistake.

My 6-day meal plan cost me 4,200 rubles, but I got 1,500 rubles back as a cashback. So, the total came out to be 2,700 rubles for 18 meals, which works out to 150 rubles per meal. The price was reasonable, but let's just say I'd rather pay a bit more for something that tastes better.

The website

From my phone, the website looked pretty messy, and I had to search hard to find the different meal plans. But it looks much better on my computer, and it's much easier to navigate. My Food has three types of meals:

Simple - just regular meals,Light - calorie-counted meals,Travel - meals from around the world.Unfortunately, you can't swap out any meals or exclude them altogether. You can add up to 6 extra meals per day, though.

You can flip through the menu for a week and see what's coming in each delivery. It's like having a sneak peek at what's in store for you.

When you click on a dish, you get a bigger photo, but unfortunately, it only shows the name. It would be super helpful to see the ingredients too.

When you're checking out, you get a calendar to choose your delivery date and time. Plus, you can even change your delivery date after you've placed your order.

The account settings are super simple and easy to navigate. You can see all your delivery addresses and account info in one place.

I was stoked to see they've got a section with frequently asked questions, which is super helpful for first-time customers like me.

I've read in other reviews that some people get some sweet extras with their order - a tote bag, a thermos bag, and even utensils. Not me, though. They just brought over the food. I'm not mad about it, but it's always nice to get some free goodies.

Delivery guy called me 10 minutes before the delivery time, and he was super friendly. He showed up right on time, too.

He came with a black branded bag, which had little containers with the meals inside. The first delivery was good for three days, and the expiration date was from the day before, so I had 72 hours to use it.

I was really disappointed with how the ingredients on the containers were printed. Some of them were barely legible, while others were just plain wrong. I had to check the website to figure out what was in each dish. And let me tell you, it's not exactly convenient to have to download a 57-page PDF to find out what's in each meal.

Some of the dish names were just plain weird. I mean, I'd rather be surprised by the flavor than the name. I had to Google some of the names to figure out what they even were. And let me tell you, the names don't always match what you get. I'll go into each dish in more detail below.

Banana-Chocolate Pancakes

I was surprised to find that the ingredients for the pancakes weren't even listed on the website. But I did find them on the website for the other pancakes, so I assume they're similar. The ingredients looked okay, I guess. But when I took a bite, I was expecting something creamy and cheesy, like a traditional pancake. Instead, it was like a chocolate-banana mousse with a weird texture. And to top it all off, it was drizzled with chocolate syrup. I didn't enjoy it, to be honest.

Country-Style Grits. Chicken Ragout in Cranberry Sauce

I have to say, the uncooked buckwheat was a bit of a letdown. The chicken was cut into tiny pieces, but it was cooked to perfection and didn't dry out. The cloudberry sauce was a bit of a mystery - it had a sweetness to it, but it just didn't mesh with the rest of the dish. If it had a tanginess to it, I think it might have worked better. The funny thing is, it said 'fresh parsley' at the end, but I only got one tiny sprig. I'm not sure if they ran out or just didn't bother. I'll attach the ingredients list.

I've got to say, the cranberry sauce is a game-changer. It's made with a combination of water, cranberries, sugar, pectin as a thickener, lemon juice to regulate the acidity, cornstarch as another thickener, cinnamon, ginger, and potassium sorbate as a preservative. The roasted chicken thigh is cooked to perfection with a blend of black pepper, sunflower oil, salt, and fresh thyme. The demi-glace sauce is a rich and complex mixture of water, caramelized onions, roasted carrots, a dry mix called 'Demi-Glace' containing wheat flour, potato starch, vegetable fat, sugar, salt, flavor enhancers, yeast extract, iodized salt, vegetables like onions, tomatoes, and celery root, thickener E1422, maltodextrin, and a blend of spices and herbs like paprika, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, soy sauce, and lemon juice to regulate the acidity. It's finished with fresh parsley, salt, and black pepper. The roasted peppers are simple yet flavorful, made with bell peppers, sunflower oil, and salt. The eggplant parmesan is a delightful surprise, with eggplant, sunflower oil, salt, and herbs like oregano and thyme. The roasted carrots are sweet and tender, made with carrots, sunflower oil, salt, and thyme. To complete the dish, I've added water, sunflower oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce made with water, sugar, salt, vinegar, plant-based protein, glucose syrup, E150c as a colorant, and essential oils from ginger and lemon, and finally, a dry beef broth mix containing salt, sugar, yeast extract, hydrolyzed plant protein, dried vegetables, spices, and natural extracts, garlic, coriander, tarragon, flavor enhancers, potato starch, beef fat powder, sugar, and a food coloring called sugar color III, beef stock powder, and fresh parsley.

Duck Breast Straganoff was a major letdown

The potatoes in this dish were cooked to perfection, seasoned just right - it was a real treat! But the duck breast was a disaster. First off, they just slapped a big ol' chunk of it on there without even bothering to slice it up. And why not? Because it was full of sinew! Trying to chew it was a nightmare, and to make matters worse, it was dry, tough, and tasted awful. This was possibly the worst duck breast I've ever had!

Rice Porridge with Apricots

The rice porridge was, well, exactly what you'd expect. The only good thing was that it wasn't too sweet - there was no added sugar in the ingredients, but they did sneak in some sugar substitute. Why? I have no idea. The apricots were actually pretty tasty, sweet and not dry at all. The ingredients list on the packaging was a total mess - it was like they wanted to blind you with science.

Chicken Cutlet with Honey-Mustard Sauce

I think the schnitzel is store-bought because the ingredients are loaded with a ton of E numbers, additives, and other stuff that's not exactly great for you. There's supposed to be garlic, black pepper, and chili in the dish, but I barely got any flavor at all. The schnitzel itself is pretty basic and lacks any real taste - you could easily find something similar in any supermarket, but even then, the ingredients wouldn't be as questionable. I've had a much better schnitzel at 'Petelinka' - it's a game-changer. The penne (which is basically just macaroni) is cooked perfectly, not overcooked. The sauce is this tiny little dollop on top of the schnitzel, and there's so little of it that I forgot what it even tasted like. I'll attach the ingredient list for the dish:

Chicken schnitzel (chicken breast, batter (flour (wheat, rice), salt, flavour enhancer glutamic acid sodium, cornstarch, maltodextrin, spices and herbs (garlic, black pepper, chili, turmeric), acidity regulator E500, E330, E450; yeast extract, flavour enhancer, colour: paprika extract), water), batter (breadcrumbs (wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, refined sunflower oil), hard cheese (pasteurized milk, mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria culture, salt, milk clotting agent, calcium chloride, preservative - sodium nitrate), salt), sunflower oil, soy sauce (water, soybeans 25.21%, salt, wheat flour, preservative potassium sorbate), mustard (water, mustard seeds, spirit vinegar, salt, preservative: sodium bisulphite (E224)), paprika, black pepper), sauce (béchamel sauce (milk 3.2% (milk...

Lyulya Kebab Mix includes meat (chicken breast, pork, beef), onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper, salt, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, and spices.

The Ajika Sauce is made from water, vegetable oil, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices.

It also includes Thyme (wheat flour, sunflower oil, thyme, salt), Coarse Mustard (water, mustard seeds, vinegar, salt), Mustard (water, mustard seeds, vinegar, salt, sodium bisulfite (E224)), Soy Sauce (water, soybeans 25.21%, salt, wheat flour, sodium bisulfite), honey, Chicken Broth (salt, flavor enhancers (glutamate, guanylate, inosinate), maltodextrin, sugar, flavorings (contains milk and egg products), vegetable oil, turmeric, sugar color III, dried chicken, and Chicken Liquid Broth (water, salt, concentrated chicken broth, flavor enhancers (glutamate, inosinate, guanylate), sugar, chicken fat, yeast extract, flavorings, thickening agents E1442, E415; carotene color, antioxidant E320, E321).

Lastly, it includes Microgreens.

Lyulya Kebab with Chicken Thigh and Ajika Sauce with Bulgur is a pretty standard dish.

I have to say, the bulgur was a bit of a letdown for me - it just didn't get cooked right, and it tasted pretty bland. I could've used some seasoning, to be honest. The Lyulya was okay, but it was a bit of a disappointment - it's just two little pieces of meat on a small piece of lavash with ajika and onion. It's got some spices, but it still tasted pretty bland to me. The ajika was surprisingly mild. I'm not a fan of all the extra ingredients in this dish - there's a ton of sodium and even some sugar substitute. That's just weird for a dish like this. I wouldn't order it again!

Strata with turkey bacon and chicken

I was really surprised by the sheer number of ingredients in this strata - it's like they just threw everything in there. And the amount of sodium and preservatives is pretty staggering. I don't get how you can put that much stuff in an omelette and still expect it to taste good. To be honest, it was just kind of...meh. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. And the name 'strata' is kind of misleading - I read the recipe for strata and it's got nothing to do with this dish. It's just a fancy name to grab your attention. The ingredients are:

I was impressed by the filling, which included a mix of turkey breast, mechanically deboned turkey, turkey skin, cornstarch, beef proteins, maltodextrin, acidity regulators (E451iii, E451ii), a thickening and stabilizing agent (E407), a gelling agent (E508), an antioxidant (E316), nitrite salt (food salt, sodium nitrite color fixer), sugar, spices: glucose, flavor enhancer and aroma (E621), garlic, flavorings, herb extracts, yeast extract, color E120), turkey bacon (turkey breast fillet, turkey thigh fillet, water, potato starch, a nitrite salt-based seasoning mix (salt, sodium nitrite color fixer), a thickening agent (carrageenan), acidity regulators: tripolyphosphates, sodium pyrophosphate, maltodextrin, flavor enhancer and aroma (glutamate sodium), grape sugar, salt, antioxidants: ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, spices (white pepper, mustard)), canned corn (corn, water, sugar, salt, acidity regulator-lime acid), wheat bread (wheat flour, drinking water, sugar, vegetable shortening (refined and deodorized plant oils in their natural and modified form, including soybean oil, water, emulsifiers, (E300, E307)), yeast, food salt, dry skimmed milk, a bread improver (wheat flour, soy flour, stabilizer, (E170), emulsifier (E472e), antioxidant (E300), enzymes (alpha-amylase and hemicellulase)), and Gouda cheese (made from pasteurized milk, salt, using cultures based on mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria, a milk coagulating enzyme preparation of microbial origin, a calcium chloride (E509) densifier),

Mitlof with BBQ sauce and Soba with sesame seeds is a solid choice. The Mitlof is essentially a meat patty, and it's actually pretty good. It's a smooth patty made from ground meat. The Soba is cooked just right and tastes great. The ingredients are all good, except for the BBQ sauce, which is a bit of a letdown. Overall, this dish is a winner.

Now, I know what you're thinking - what's the deal with the Mitlof? It's supposed to be made from ground meat, but this version has a bunch of extra ingredients. I'm not sure what's going on here. The ingredients list is a bit of a mystery.

Mitlof (patty made from ground meat (chicken breast, beef, carrot, egg yolk, breadcrumbs (wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, vegetable oil), BBQ sauce (water, tomato paste, sugar, salt, thickeners (E1422, E415), teriyaki sauce, acidity regulator (E260), flavor enhancer, colorant (E150d), black pepper, red paprika, preservative (E211), water, soy sauce (water, soybeans 25.21%, salt, wheat flour, preservative (sorbic acid)), salt, garlic, black pepper), vegetable oil), Soba with sesame seeds (water, Soba noodles, sesame seeds, salt, vegetable oil), BBQ sauce (water, tomato paste, sugar, salt, thickeners (E1422, E415), teriyaki sauce, acidity regulator (E260), flavor enhancer, colorant (E150d), black pepper, red paprika, preservative (E211), water, soy sauce (water, soybeans 25.21%, salt, wheat flour, preservative (sorbic acid)), parsley)

Chicken in a creamy garlic sauce, Mexican-style rice

So, I'm a bit confused - what's with the Mexican-Gruzian fusion? I mean, I'm not sure what the point of combining those two cuisines is. And let's be real, the rice is not even close to being Mexican-style. They just boiled it and added some carrot - haha. I'm not sure why they even bothered labeling it as Mexican rice. And don't even get me started on the 'chkmeruli' - it's just a fancy name for chicken in a creamy sauce. The dish itself is pretty unremarkable, but it's not bad. What really gets me is the misleading name, which makes you think you're getting something exciting and memorable, but in reality, it's just plain old chicken and rice. Not exactly what I was hoping for. Ingredients:

Bechamel sauce (normalised milk 3.2% (normalised milk), cream 22% (normalised cream), wheat flour, butter 82.5% (pasteurised cream), salt, thyme), roasted chicken thigh (chicken thigh, sunflower oil, salt, thyme, black pepper), onion, garlic paste (garlic, sunflower oil), chicken stock (salt, maltodextrin, sugar, yeast extract, spices and their natural extracts: onion, turmeric, celery, hydrolysed vegetable protein (corn), flavourings. Beef fat powder, colour (sugar colour IV), refined vegetable oil (sunflower), dried and powdered chicken), parsley, dill, khmeli-suneli, salt, mint, black pepper), parsley

Greens with milk porridge

Scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, chicken mousse

When it comes to the potatoes, it feels like they're pan-fried first, then finished off in the oven, because there's a lot of oil on them. But they're tasty.

The chicken mousse. I was expecting something smooth, but it's not. It's chunks of chicken coated in egg, and they're using a mixture instead of actual eggs. But the chicken and egg mixture is tasty. It's just not mousse!

Scrambled eggs with potatoes, pepperoni, and green peas

I was starving and cranky, so I didn't get a chance to take a photo. It's delicious and filling, and scrambled eggs are hard to mess up. But it's weird that they're using a mixture instead of actual eggs. The ingredients are:

I was pretty stoked to see the scrambled eggs (a mix of egg and 3.2% milk, salt, and parsley) were cooked to perfection. The fried potatoes with onions (crispy potatoes cooked with sunflower oil, garlic paste, and salt, along with sautéed onions and chopped parsley) were a great match. The tomato sauce (made from crushed tomatoes, garlic, parsley, sugar, sunflower oil, salt, and black pepper) added a nice depth of flavor. I was also impressed by the baked pepperoni sausage (containing chicken breast, water, beef fat, soy protein, salt, wheat fibers, paprika, dextrose, stabilizers, emulsifier, spices, antioxidants, flavor enhancer, and coloring agents). The green beans cooked in steam (with olive oil and salt) were a nice contrast to the rich flavors of the dish. Finally, the microgreens added a burst of freshness.

Udon noodles with vegetables, and the Jurai chicken patty with egg

I have to say, I was expecting something utterly delicious based on the name. Let's start with the noodles. First time I've seen vermicelli referred to as noodles, btw! And it's written as "noodles with veggies!" in the plural form! But where are the veggies? Even the ingredients list only mentions carrots. I think that's a double whammy - they could've just written "vermicelli with carrot". But kudos to them for not overcooking the noodles. This is the most disappointing dish out of everything they sent me!

I'd give this dish a solid 1 out of 10 for the scam. The ingredients list is a joke. Let's take a look at what's inside:

I've still got some dishes to try out, like mashed potatoes, chicken curry with mushrooms and onions, and cheese pancakes with condensed milk and dried cherries, but I'm not motivated to take their photos anymore. Most of the dishes I've already tried, so the picture is clear.

Now, let's talk about the pros and cons. Like you'd expect, the cons far outweigh the pros. Here are some of the cons I've noticed.

The dish names don't match the actual dishesSome dishes are inconsistentThey use sauces with weird stuff in them for cookingThe liver is disgusting with visible veinsThe ingredients list isn't always easy to readPros

The delivery guy was friendly and arrived on timeThe dishes aren't too expensive

VERDICT

I'm not impressed, and it's a bit of a sad story. If you're on a tight budget, you could try it at your own risk. But honestly, I'm most disappointed that the dish names don't match the actual dishes.

I wouldn't recommend My Food!

I'm off to find a better food delivery service that won't let me down.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you find some tasty discoveries!