Sick of cooking? WENDY JOHNSON discovers a night out at home with an “elevated dining experience”.

COVID or no covid… We can all get tired of cooking at home. And with covid, some of us get tired of takeaway that doesn’t always look like a feast for the eyes when it arrives at the house (fair enough, too).

To solve the problem, The Chairman Group has introduced “CG at Home”. 

These three-course meals – ready in just 20 minutes – are designed around comfort and aimed at providing an elevated, at-home dining experience. The new “finish@home” menu is inspired by family dinners in Hong Kong. It’s about making life easy while retaining quality and ensuring the main meal is piping hot when served.

I felt like Christmas had arrived early when I was presented with my CG at Home big white box. Inside, neatly laid out and well packaged, were the individual components needed for our complete comfort meal, all pre-prepared and perfectly labelled. Each meal comes with a charcuterie plate, main course, salad and a dessert.

Also tucked neatly in the box was a description of all menu items and instructions on how to finish off the meal. CG at Home even provides a big foil baking tray. 

Two styles of at-home menus are currently on offer and we selected the Hong Kong-style baked beef eye fillet with fried rice. We first unpackaged and (delicate in their own right). 

Next we unpackaged and popped the egg-fried rice in the microwave for a minute or two. We then evenly distributed the cheese, semi-spicy sauce and vegetables (without the beef) on top and popped in the oven for 15 minutes. The last step was arranging the beef on top and baking for another eight minutes (medium rare) to 12 minutes (well done). We went for eight minutes and the eye fillet was gorgeous.

The plated tapas selection of 18-month-aged Serrano Jamon and salami, quince paste and robust, pickled basque peppers and sweet baby pickled onions. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Creamy vanilla bean panna cotta and vibrant strawberry compote. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Hong Kong-style baked beef eye fillet with fried rice. Photo: Wendy Johnson

We rounded off the dinner with a creamy vanilla bean panna cotta and vibrant strawberry compote.

We were curious about the cheese element, but Adrian Law, restaurant manager of Lanterne Rooms (part of the CG), says it’s a nod to the ’70s and ’80s dishes often cooked at home in Hong Kong… not quite a formal “East meets West”, but memorable for Hong Kong people nonetheless. 

The second CG at Home dinner currently available is the Tea House-style baked seafood rice (with Patagonian Toothfish, Hokkaido scallop and prawn, garlic rice and a bechamel sauce). Both are $110 (for two) and Adrian says CG is even thinking they might make this a permanent offering. Wines are also available to order and there’s quite a lovely selection.