Picture this – a luxurious room, a comfy bed, you in a soft bathrobe picking up the phone and dialling ‘ROOM SERVICE’ to order your favourite club sandwich, shrimp cocktail, a bottle of chilled white wine and a slice of chocolate cake. On several occasions, I have been guilty of staying in and ordering room services; there’s something exhilarating about it. Food always tastes better when it's eaten in bed, it’s the perfect day! Your indulgent, over-priced private dining experience can be elevated with a few little tips and smart ordering.
Here’s an insider tip: The chef who is usually in charge of room service is not always the best in the hotel, so it is best to avoid any fancy dish and never order room service in a hotel where the food in the restaurants or at breakfast is already average and not every dish or ingredients can survive under a vented lid. There are some items on the room service menu you should skip.
Avocado
Avocado on toast, in sandwiches, or on its own, always makes me very happy. But brown avocado on toast is not going to be that breakfast in bed meal you settle for. Avocado discolours super-fast, and is not a pleasing sight when it's not its vivid green colour anymore. The walk from the kitchen to the room is usually a long one and avocado and pesto usually sit on the counter ready to be used when required causing it to discolour, they are edible but not appetising at all.
Coffee
Ordering coffee to be sent up to your room is something we all have done and regretted later. In hotels, the coffee for room service has been simmering for hours before you order it. It'll taste stale, old, burnt, and gritty. Also, if they're not brewing it fresh for you, there’s a chance it may not be piping hot and that is not something you want to drink.
Eggs
There are two obvious reasons to avoid ordering eggs – Firstly, the smell and secondly, eggs don't travel well. That perfectly runny yolk in your favourite eggs benedict or that perfectly half-fried egg you made doubly sure you requested on the phone? Well, while it may have been cooked to perfection, it won't stay runny or gooey instead will turn pasty be by the time it's been plated and carried all the way up to you.
Pastries
Unfortunately, if you have high hopes for that room-service cheesecake, you’ll probably be disappointed. Unless your hotel has a bakery or pastry chef on the property, you’ll likely be served something that’s either been sitting out for a while, or is dry, stale and overly sweet.
Anything Deep Fried
You should definitely steer clear of anything fried and crispy. That includes French fries, fish and chips, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and pakodas. They’ll get soggy by the time they arrive at your door. Nothing is more disappointing than cold and soggy fries or lumps of besan.
Steamed Vegetables
Those limp, lacklustre sides of veggies simply aren’t worth the price tag. Items like broccoli, and even squash and carrots sweat under a vented lid and become nothing more than flat colours on a plate by the time they reach a guest room. If you’re in the mood for vegetables, try a crudité platter with hummus or even salad dressing.