Introducing the RicePass Meal Subscription

Header photo: RicePass beef with rice combo from Yakiniku Kumamato

This article is brought to you in partnership with RicePass

Late last year, a new meal-subscription app was quietly made available to Hong Kong foodies. Now, it’s no longer a secret. Let us introduce RicePass – the Netflix of work lunches. RicePass has a dual mission: offering consumers more lunchtime options at better prices and providing restaurants with a reliable customer channel.

Budget options for weekday lunches

The reality is that working in a business district in Hong Kong often means you’re limited when it comes to lunchtime offerings that are budget-minded. It’s not unusual for set meals in Central, for example, to cost nearly $100. This adds up, and the only other option is usually just to bring your own lunch from home. As much as we love leftovers, RicePass offers an attractive new alternative, with full set meals available for pick-up at $39–45 each, depending on the subscription.

Because RicePass requires you to pre-book your meal (from 3pm the day before right up until midday of lunch day), restaurants are better able to utilise their time and ingredients, reduce food waste and offer discounts – quite substantial discounts, actually. There are some set meals that usually sell for $88, and you’re able to receive the same meals, made fresh to order, at half that price.

Lunch sets from Ebeneezer’s, which usually cost at least $88

RicePass was started during the COVID pandemic when it became obvious that consumers required better value and flexibility and that restaurants in particular needed a reliable sales channel.

“With less business from dining in, we witnessed many of our neighbourhood restaurants being forced to close. Food-delivery services are not affordable or sustainable for everyone. We wanted to solve these problems creatively, and that led to the affordable subscription model, which benefits both restaurants and consumers.”

You do need to pick up your meal yourself at the restaurant you order from, but because it is pre-booked and pre-paid, there is no waiting time – you simply scan the QR code and collect your lunch from the eatery. At the moment, you are able to order lunch for pick-up at your chosen restaurant between 12–3pm on weekdays.

What can you order?

Right now on the menu, you can find Indian, Japanese, Chinese and substantial vegetarian options, but RicePass is constantly adding new restaurants too. Just this week, Kenko Japanese Bento (a brand-new restaurant at the L. place in Central) joined their network, with 11 bento and soup combos to choose from. Toasted Deli has some gorgeous salad combos, and Tempeh Burger has your vegetarian options well and truly covered, at the best price possible.

Tempeh Burger, Toasted Deli and Kenko Japanese Bento options to choose from in Central

RicePass currently has a solid restaurant network covering Central, Sheung Wan, Wanchai, Causeway Bay, Quarry Bay and Kwun Tong, with over 500 dishes to choose from – and they have just launched in TST and Olympic with dozens of new restaurants. The price of meals through their app is guaranteed to be the lowest of all, and RicePass will match any price you find that’s lower.

The best thing to do is download the app and have a look at the latest options (remember to get the promo code below when you register for a free meal).

How can you start?

The app is self-explanatory and very simple to use, so downloading it in the first place is really the hardest part (your phone number is required to register).

Even deciding which plan to choose is relatively easy. If you want to dip your toes in, get the 3 Meal Pass for a total investment of $135 ($45 per meal). If you’re all-in for a good deal, go for the 16 Meal Pass (at $39 per meal, that’s $624).

Get the app (sign up with Foodie promo code TASTYFOOD)
Select your plan
Order at your leisure

Get a free meal with any plan using promo code TASTYFOOD

If you like free meals (and who doesn’t?), consider sharing the app with friends through your own referral link, generated in the app. For a limited time, this link will send your friends a free lunch, valid even if they don’t sign up to a plan. If they do sign up to any plan, you get a free lunch too. More friends? More free lunches!

What if you don’t use up your monthly meals?

This is an important question, especially these days, when we’re working from home as much as from the office. The good news is: there is no expiration date on your RicePass pre-paid meals! You can roll them over until you want to use them. This generous flexibility removes the risk of meal credits expiring unused, which is often the main barrier when trying a meal-subscription service.

In addition, you can order multiple lunches on one day, so you can order your team lunches at an incredible discount. This alone offers such substantial savings that it’s worth having RicePass on your phone.