Taste test: This new restaurant in Chembur aims to bring Mumbai's famed drive-in culture back

Teen mirchi ka jhinga

In a city where every corner feels dug up and the traffic tests your patience daily, nobody asked for it - but the team behind Oleander Farms in Karjat delivered it anyway: a throwback to the '90s era of late-night drive-in dining.

Gen Z calls it vintage. Millennials are still wondering how the '90s became retro. But there's no mistaking the charm - music blaring from your car stereo, hot food arriving at your window, and the smug satisfaction of dining in comfort while others waited for a table. Car dining was a privilege - and a vibe. Cut to 2025, Chembur.

Ministry of Naan offers home delivery and drive-in dining at their first outlet in the suburb. They are also into catering and house parties, festive gifting, corporate food boxes, and events. While we opted out of drive-in, we put their food to the test via delivery. Although it took a while to be delivered, food was still hot, fresh and inviting.

Kacchi Kairi Chicken Tikka

We started with Tandoori Baby Potatoes (Rs 295), which were smoky, charred, and crispy on the outside and had the right burst of tang and spice. Our favourite was the Kacchi Kairi Chicken Tikka (Rs 375), where chicken chunks marinated in raw mango purée and spices were grilled and topped with thin slivers of kacchi kairi, for that tangy kick in every bite. The Teen Mirchi ka Jhinga (Rs 525) had jumbo prawns with a fiery trio of chillies - green, red, and bird's eye - grilled to balance heat and smokiness.

For mains, we tried Murg Peshawari (Rs 375), a hearty chicken curry simmered in a light onion gravy, generously spiced and finished with a touch of cream. The Mushroom Masala (Rs 325) was an earthy, aromatic, and comforting vegetarian option. Paired with lightly charred OG Amul Naan (Rs 85) smeared with Amul butter.

Murgh Peshawari

The Cheese Garlic Naan (Rs 145) wasn't as generous with cheese as we'd expected it to be, but the Chicken Kheema Naan (Rs 275) was perfect - hearty, savoury; a meal in itself - spiced, filling, and packed with flavour. The Butter Chicken Turnover (Rs 375) was a naan pocket loaded with creamy butter chicken that didn't travel well. The idea is for it to be a fun, portable twist on a North Indian classic.

The inspiration for Ministry of Naan comes from the drive-in culture, dying in most metros

We closed the meal with Janta special gulab jamun (Rs 160), served in a dry leaf bowl, which we lightly warmed in the microwave. Founder Ayush Sahani tells us, the idea was to bring back the dying drive-in culture and deliver fine-dining quality food with quality ingredients, even if it was in a casual setting. Looks like the brand has managed to deliver on that promise just that.