Frequently asked questions

Ordering

Who cooks the food? Verified home chefs who live in the society. Each cooks under a kitchen name (alias); you never see who they are, and they never see anything about you beyond what is needed to deliver.

How do I order? Sign in with Google, complete your profile once (mobile, delivery address, food preference), pick dishes from today's or tomorrow's menu from any kitchens you like, and place one order. Each kitchen accepts its part; you pay after acceptance.

When do I need to order by? Breakfast by 9 PM the previous evening, lunch by 10 AM, dinner by 5 PM. Cakes, sweets boxes and party menus need one to four days' notice, shown on the item.

Can I order from more than one kitchen? Yes. One cart, one order, one payment. Each kitchen confirms separately and you see progress per kitchen.

Can I cancel? Yes. Today's and tomorrow's meals can be cancelled from the order page until 4 hours before dispatch; party, bhandara and bulk orders until 24 hours before the scheduled time. After that it is at the kitchen's discretion, so message us on WhatsApp.

Payment

How do I pay? By UPI, after the kitchen accepts. The QR, UPI ID and a pay button appear on the order page. Cash on delivery is not offered yet. Never pay to any other account.

When is my order marked paid? After we match your UPI payment or UTR against our account, usually within a few minutes during the day.

How do refunds work? Declined or cancelled items are refunded to the UPI account you paid from within 2 working days. Quality issues are handled through Help & issues.

Delivery

Where do you deliver? To the delivery address on your profile, inside the areas we serve. Or pick up from the clubhouse pickup point.

What are the delivery windows? Breakfast 8:00–9:30, lunch 12:30–14:00, dinner 19:30–21:00. Special orders are delivered at the time you choose.

Food and safety

Are the kitchens hygienic? Every HomeChef passes a basic hygiene check before listing and follows our kitchen standards. Home kitchens are not commercial kitchens, so allergens may be present.

I have an allergy. Add it to your profile; it is sent with every order. For severe allergies please check with us before ordering.

Is there non-veg? Yes, from kitchens marked non-veg. Set your food preference to filter the menu.

For home chefs

How do I become a HomeChef? Sign in with Google, choose "HomeChef" on the welcome screen and send the short application. The joining costs, ₹500 one-time onboarding charge plus ₹5,000 refundable security deposit, are shown together on that screen and paid together before listing. We then meet you, check your kitchen, and switch it on.

I signed up as a resident. Can I also cook? Yes. Open Profile → Cook too? → Apply as a HomeChef. You keep ordering as a resident with the same Google account, and if you ever close your kitchen your resident account carries on untouched.

Can I ask instead of applying? Yes. Message us on WhatsApp or through Contact us. We meet you, check your kitchen, agree a commission, set up your kitchen alias and portal, and onboard your dishes.

Will customers know it is me? No. You cook under an alias, your details are kept in an admin-only record, and customers agree not to try to identify chefs.

How and when am I paid? We collect payment from customers and settle with you within 48 hours of delivery, often the same day, net of the agreed commission and any refunds, with a statement in your portal.

Is there a fee to join? A one-time, non-refundable onboarding charge of ₹500 and a refundable security deposit of ₹5,000. The deposit comes back within 48 hours of closing in good standing, with your final settlement; coming back later means paying the onboarding charge again.

What can cost me my deposit? Contacting customers directly outside a delivery you accepted, or revealing publicly that you are behind your kitchen alias. Anonymity is the deal that makes this work for everyone, so it is enforced strictly.

What about packaging and spills? All containers and cutlery are bought from us so every order goes out in the same approved, alias-only packaging: non-plastic where possible, otherwise high-grade food-safe. If a parcel spills, you re-send it or the refund we give the customer is deducted from your settlement.

How are portions defined? Every dish is listed with its quantity, such as "150 ml dal, 100 g sabzi, 3 rotis" or "500 g cake", and you cook to at least that.