Kerala revives the classic drive-in restaurant concept

With COVID-19 restrictions still on in Kerala, in-car dining is the new eating-out experience

Layers of flaky Kerala porotta soaked in spicy gravy served in a thooku paathram (a traditional steel container with a handle, easy to carry) is Kaasa Kitchen’s USP. The restaurant, serving fusion food in Fort Kochi, is not willing to let the pandemic beat its business. A week ago, it launched an in-car dining service, which has customers pulling up in front of the restaurant, ordering thookkuporotta and eating it without stepping out of their cars. Kaasa is just one of the restaurants in Kochi that has started in-car dining. Not just thookkuporotta, any dish that is served in the restaurant can now be had in the comfort of one’s car. Kaasa has designed an entire ceremony around it – offering finger bowls and a temporary car fumigator that would prevent the smell of food lingering in the car. The food is served on specially-designed elongated trays that fit in the car in such a way that would allow passengers to roll up the windows and switch on the AC. “They can vibe to the music of their choice as they dig into their favourite meal,” says Sharon Gafoor, owner of Kaasa Kitchen.