What can we help you cook up?
The Menu turns what is already in your kitchen into meal ideas. Here is a quick guide to getting started and solving common snags.
Email admin@via-engine.com with the screen you were using, what happened, and your iPhone model and iOS version. Send a screenshot if it helps. Please leave out private receipts or other personal details unless you want us to see them.
Build your kitchen
Open Kitchen and tap Add by hand for an ingredient. Add a quantity and, if you like, a best-use date. You can edit, freeze, or remove an item later from its menu.
Scan what you have
In Kitchen, tap Scan a photo. Choose a fridge, pantry, or receipt photo, take a new photo, or import a digital receipt. Check the suggested ingredients before adding them. A clear, well-lit image works best; you can add any missed item yourself.
Find a meal
The Cookbook shows recipes with ingredients and steps. Choose Cook now for meals that match your kitchen, or Just 1 more to see what one extra ingredient could make possible. You can add your own recipes too.
Plan and shop
Use Plan to arrange meals across the week. The shopping list gathers ingredients missing from those meals. Check items while you shop or share the list through an app you choose on your iPhone.
Ask The Chef
The Chef can point you to features, suggest recipes, and help you spot ingredients to use soon. On supported iPhones it can answer open-ended questions with Apple’s on-device AI. Otherwise, the built-in guide still answers common questions. The Chef is not a substitute for checking food safety yourself.
Reminders and personal choices
Tap the profile icon on Today to set eating preferences and goals. You can also turn on best-use notifications there. If reminders do not appear, check that notifications are allowed for The Menu in iPhone Settings. Dates are estimates and do not tell you whether food is safe to eat.
Good to know
Your kitchen and recipes stay on your device. This version has no account or cloud sync, so keep that in mind before deleting the app or changing phones. Retailer account linking is still being explored and is not available in this build.
Photo and receipt scanning offers suggestions, and recipe matching checks ingredient names. Review quantities, substitutions, allergies, and cooking instructions before preparing a dish.