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We all like to play master of the kitchen but, asks Angie Wong, where do we get the goods without getting off our arses?

The only problem is, it’s not always easy to find the hours in the day to hunt and gather the ingredients necessary to prepare your culinary masterpieces. And even if you (or your domestic helper) have the time to head out to the markets like Chinese grandmothers do in the wee hours of the morning, technology and entrepreneurship have made it so much easier to have the goodies come to you instead. You might be accused of being lazy, but if it gives you time to roll up your sleeves and torch some homemade crème brûlée, then why not?

We appreciate your decision to get back to the kitchen. That’s why we’ve put together this list of nice folks who are happy to make deliveries for the benefit of all you home gourmets.

If you are in the mood for cheesy cannelloni, a tomato-mozzarella-basil salad with tomatoes that actually have taste, or savoury slices of prosciutto di Parma, then best to pick out your groceries from the Italian grocer Il Bel Paese (citywide, www.ilbelpaese.com.hk; next day delivery, no delivery on Sundays). They are well stocked with first-pressed olive oils, charred marinated artichoke hearts, imported pastas and cheeses including a great Greek feta (not Italian, but hey, it tastes good). Castello del Vino (G/F, 12 Anton St, Wan Chai, 2866 0587; next day delivery) has some of the best selections of Italian wines and dried goods. The majority of their products, such as olives and other marinated antipasti, come only in industrial-sized jugs, so be ready for a commitment or a large dinner party when ordering. They also have a beautiful selection of Tuscany pottery, much like that found in
San Gimignano.

Gourmet.com.hk (Room 2103B-C, Nan Fung Centre, 264-298 Castle Peak Rd, Tsuen Wan, 3595 0898, www.gourmet.com.hk; deliveries take around three days) brings everything from Belgian waffles to German yogurt to Australian greenlip abalone to your doorstep. They are very much the all-round go-to retailer outside of Great or Oliver’s. Most of their products are imported from around the globe and if there is something you are looking for – say, your favourite bak kut teh herb packet – they will try to source it for you.

Going organic is definitely in vogue but getting the goods may not always be that easy and sometimes very, very expensive. But some farmers have cut out the middleman (such as City’super or Three-Sixty) and go directly to the customer, passing on the savings. Organic Farm (2838 4808, www.organicfarm.com.hk; deliveries every Wednesday to Hong Kong Island, every Monday to Kowloon) in Yuen Long will deliver a box of organic seasonal veggies and fruits to you weekly from their farm in the New Territories. They also allow you to exercise your green fingers and grow your own organic veggies on a plot of their land... but that would require you to leave your couch. Simply Organic (1/F, 21 Canal Rd West, Causeway Bay, 2488 0138, www.simply-organic.com.hk; deliveries weekly – call to find out when they deliver to your area) get a lot of their veggies from Organic Farm, but they also have a wide range of tea and coffee, rice, pasta, honey, flax seed products, soy sauce, olive/sunflower/safflower oils and all things for the organic kitchen. They receive their vegetables every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, so be sure to place your order around those days. 

South Stream Seafoods (Unit 302-305, Mansfield Industrial Centre, 19 Hong Yip Rd, Yuen Long, 2555 6200, www.south-stream-seafoods.com; delivery takes one or two days) is a fantastic source for meats and fresh seafood from Australia and New Zealand. They fly in stock twice a week. Gourmets can get everything from orange roughy, little neck clams, lamb shanks and imported cheeses. Be sure to find out what flew in as the stock changes weekly. Tenderloin Fine Food (2602 Universal Trade Centre, 3 Arbuthnot Rd, Central, 2877 2733, www.tenderloin.com.hk; next day delivery available) delivers meats perfect for barbecues, such as hamburger patties, sausages, and marinated meats on sticks so you can just pop it on the barbie. They need 24 hours notice and will deliver to the outlying islands.

Boutique Wines (1603 Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing St, Ap Lei Chau, 2525 3899, www.boutiquewines.com.hk; delivery takes around two days) has everything from champagnes to hard-to-find Tasmanian pinot noir. Berry Bros & Rudd Fine Wines (3/F, The Lee Gardens, 33 Hysan Ave, Causeway Bay, 2907 2112, www.bbr.com/hk; next day delivery available if wines are in stock) has a team of experts ready to make a recommendation for the undecided. Their stock is highly respected among collectors in Hong Kong, so be sure to ask for some wine investment tips while placing your order. If you are after the Italian variety, Valdivia Limited Shop (23 B/F, Luk Hoi Tong Bldg, 31 Queen’s Rd Central, 2555 7431; delivery within two business days) has more than 600 wines to choose from for delivery. For more suggestions of online wine providers, see Wineopolis.

The Mandarin Cake Shop (M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Rd, 2825 4008, www.mandarinoriental.com; deliveries usually within one business day) offers beautifully gift-boxed pastries, cakes and baked goods. With some advance notice, their pastry chef will custom design something special for you. XTC on ice(45 Cochrane St, Central, 2541 0500, www.xtc.com.hk; one day advance notice for delivery) produces fantastic 100 per cent natural ice creams that are best gobbled up soon after they arrive. The vanilla is the best we’ve found in Hong Kong – perfect on its own or crowning the apple pie a la monde that you made.