What if ordering out was the only way you could eat at your favorite restaurant? That could soon be a reality now with Ando, a delivery-only New York City restaurant that serves classic foods with a new-age spin.
Ando was started by famous restaurateur and chef David Chang, who founded popular restaurant chain Momofuku. Ando is not your traditional restaurant. There is no physical space to sit down to dine in or drop by to pick up food. All the food is made for delivery and is sent by a third-party courier service.
The only ways to order food is by either downloading the app or visiting the company’s website. There is currently only an iOS app and you can only order from the website after making an account and setting your location. If you are outside of the delivery zone, you are out of luck.
The menu is full of what the company calls “second-generation American food.” Instead of simply making a classic cheesesteak sandwich, the restaurant will make you a hozon cheesesteak made with chickpeas, shaved beef, and cheese sauce. Instead of garlic and anchovies in your chicken caesar salad, Ando’s version includes miso, peanut butter, and soy. There are 20 different food and drink choices on the Ando menu, so far.
In an interview with Fast Company, Chang says he plans to constantly add to the menu until he gets a feel for what the favorites are. For now, do not expect to tamper with his curated selection of delicacies. Ando does not take any special requests or substitutions for any of the dishes and is pretty unwavering about that policy. “We stand by what we serve and encourage you to try it as it was intended to be tried,” writes Joe Pratolongo, a customer experience manager at Ando, on the company’s website.
Ando currently only delivers in the Manhattan area. Initially, only those in Midtown East were feasting on Ando. But, the company has since expanded to the Flatiron District of Manhattan. Ando is delivery only, but the website says the company is exploring the possibility of including a pick-up option.
More restaurants are developing apps to handle deliveries, but it has not been smooth sailing for everyone. If the restaurant widens its delivery zone and enters more territories around the country, Chang’s online-based restaurant could become one of the best food delivery apps on the market.
