Fast Food Nation

As Team TMN discovered on the lead up to launch, long working hours and sustaining a healthy lifestyle is far from easy. For many months we chowed down on an array of home-delivery options but, alas, we recently hit our fast food wall. Not even our initial excitement of McDonalds’ new delivery service could lift our spirits. But then we caught wind of a so-called healthy fast food delivery option… was this the solution to our dining dilemma?

What: Kcal Healthy Fast Food

Where: Kcal currently has four branches across Dubai – Jumeirah Lake Towers, Tecom, The Dubai Mall and Business Bay. Two further branches are due to launch in September/October 2013 in Mirdif City Centre and City Tower 1, Sheikh Zayed Road.

When: Delivery hours are between 11:00-23:30, seven days per week.

The promise: “A world where food is packed with nutrients, dishes burst with flavour and the food is delicious, yet healthy – all under 300 calories!”

Did it deliver? When someone promises ‘delicious’ food, Team TMN think roast dinner with lashings of gravy, a full-scale Lebanese feast or something equally gluttonous… certainly not calorie-controlled rations. So when Kcal’s delivery menu was thrust upon us, we were not fully convinced of its chances of passing our extremely particular taste test. And taste was only half the battle to be won. With no time to waste, speed was of utmost importance as we taxied towards launch. Ordering was relatively pain-free as we experimented in the world of online food ordering, which proved to be a rather novel change from the norm. Food was dispatched quickly and delivered hot – they promised within 45 minutes… it was delivered in 26 minutes. Not bad going, but with our headquarters based in JLT, they didn’t have to travel far. Portion size was surprisingly generous, and with a free side dish with each main, our team didn’t go hungry. Having sampled a selection of dishes – from the surprisingly morish pasta-free lasagne to the hearty Chicken Supreme burger, finished off with a slice of low-cal chocolate cake – we taste-tested a fair selection (and then some!) before departing to the deliberation room.

The Verdict: While initially skeptical that low-calorie fast food could indeed be tasty, Team TMN are well and truly back on our fast food buzz – just with far fewer calories consumed and lower cholesterol levels. Guilt-free fast food – we’re converted!

Would you like Team TMN to review your event, latest launch or product? E-mail roadtested@the-media-network.com with full details and we’ll be in touch to offer our verdict.