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| A child sits with a selection of food from a Slowbox delivery. Photo courtesy of Hallie Bradley |
By Hallie Bradley
Though the daily new cases of COVID-19 in Korea are decreasing, the government continues to warn citizens against going outside unnecessarily. But what is or isn't necessary depends on several factors, and languages understood and spoken is one of them. One of the biggest difficulties foreigners in Korea have faced as they try not to go outside is using websites and apps that are only available in Korean.
Phillip Ochola Mak'Anyengo is the CEO of Wonderful, formerly Ask Ajumma, a bilingual personal assistant service that assists foreigners in Korea with everything from booking travel to getting concert tickets and chicken delivered for dinner. Though the company can do all of that, he said, "Lately, we have more clients asking for help with grocery purchases, courier services and food delivery. Many Korean websites and apps are still hard for foreigners to navigate."
Zach Marble, COO and founder of Shuttle, a food delivery service, agrees. "We've seen an uptick in orders because people aren't dining out at the restaurants," he said. "They are opting for delivery instead."
There are a handful of English-speaker-friendly options here in Korea that are helping foreign residents and visitors get food to their door so they don't have to leave their homes. As more families have been practicing social distancing and seek to be out of the home as little as possible, some companies have stepped up to help the English-speaking minority.
Slowbox
Slowbox is a service that delivers locally sourced non-GMO organic produce including vegetables, fruits, tofu and eggs from local organic farmers around Korea to people throughout the country. Slowbox provides a small or large box of seasonal and eco-friendly agricultural products and does it while minimizing the environmental damage in the process from production to distribution. The company uses sustainable delivery methods and packaging and focuses on a holistic ecosystem to bring healthy food to customers each week. During this time, it's especially important to keep bodies healthy and in fighting order, and Slowbox has maintained its weekly delivery service throughout the COVID-19 outbreak here in Korea. Visit slowbox.kr to learn more about their services.
Wonderful
This service assists foreigners with a wide range of things but among them is getting groceries delivered and ordering food from restaurants for delivery. "I think most clients find it hard to purchase on many Korean websites," Mak'Anyengo explained. "Problems with complicated payment systems to coordinating with delivery people who do not speak English make it hard for a foreigner who might not know Korean well." The service works on a time basis so patrons only pay for the time it takes for a task to be completed. Give them a list of groceries and they'll handle the rest or get them an address and they can find the nearest restaurant that can deliver a burger. Wonderful is also offering a 15 percent discount to anyone signing up to their service for the first time using the code WONDERFUL680. Visit gowonderfully.com to find out more.
Sprout Seoul
Sprout Seoul is a natural healthy whole food service that conveniently ships delicious healthy meals free of over-processed ingredients, chemicals and additives right to customers' doors. The service provides a complete menu of home-cooked style meals including hot dishes, salad bowls, snacks, desserts and breakfasts that can be shipped around the country. This meal plan makes it easy to prepare for the week ahead. Founded in 2015 by a registered holistic nutritionist, this meal plan service has years of service to the foreign community under its belt and has continued to serve throughout the outbreak so that people can eat better, feel better and have less stress each week. Visit sproutseoul.com to find out more.
Shuttle
Shuttle is the biggest food delivery platform that caters to the foreign community in Seoul. They serve customers in Yongsan-gu, Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Mapo-gu, Jongno-gu and Jung-gu in Seoul as well as Haeundae-gu and Suyeong-gu in Busan and Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Shuttle has also adapted its services because of COVID-19. Marble explained, "We no longer accept payments at the door ― all transactions are prepaid only. All of our drivers must wear masks and wash their hands with sanitizer after leaving the?restaurants and after delivering to customers. Sometimes customers request no contact at the door so we leave the food outside their door to practice social distancing." Use their services via shuttledelivery.co.kr or the Shuttle app.
Hallie Bradley is a writer based in Seoul and runs the popular site?thesoulofseoul.net.
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