Plates That Tell The Old Story, A New Way
Chef Rao calls the menu one that journeys beyond the stereotypes. Each dish pulls from the South, but none of them are predictable. Instead, they carry a sense of discovery—familiar enough to anchor you, inventive enough to keep you curious.
The ghee roast is a perfect example of how Hosa respects tradition without being restricted by it. The prawns arrive glistening in Kundapur masala with their shells lacquered in heat. It’s bold, layered, and spicy but never abrasive. The flavour blooms gently, building warmth rather than delivering a punch. The sweet and sour pineapple is subtler, almost playful. Charred fruit meets a cool buttermilk mousse, creating a conversation between texture and temperature. It’s delicate, bright, and striking—an interlude that resets the palate in the best way possible.
Then there’s the bun and stew which was a favourite. The coconut milk stew is silken and comforting, and carries the softness of Kerala in every spoon. Paired with a homemade bun that’s gently sweet, it becomes a dish that seems almost nostalgic, even if you haven’t grown up with it. It’s a rare combination of simplicity and elegance, expressive yet understated, composed without being fussy. In a city that often favours theatrics on the plate, Hosa’s restraint is unique and refreshing.
The Bar Program With A South-Indian Pulse
If the kitchen is where the restaurant finds its soul, the bar is where it finds its confidence. Hosa’s cocktail program is among the most imaginative in NCR, not because it tries to be clever, but because it draws deeply from the flavours of the South in ways that are both intuitive and incredible.
Sandy shack blends whisky with beetroot shrub and wheat beer for an earthy freshness; Kick The Habit leans tart, playing with balsamic shrub, molasses, and coriander, and Hosa 75 sparkles with gin, curry leaf, and podi, a tribute to the aromatic backbone of many southern kitchens.
The Silk Route negroni threads coconut aperol and lemongrass Campari through spice-infused gin, familiar yet distinctly reimagined. Black Pepper Penicillin folds jaggery and ginger into smoky whisky, delivering warmth with intention. And Kaapi Time, a spirited mix of vodka, coffee, cognac and crème de mûre, comes across as a late-night conversation distilled into a glass. The Tiki cocktails lean tropical without tipping into kitsch, using kokum, lavender, lemongrass, coconut, and cardamom in deeply layered ways. And then there are the zero-proof options—Mohabbat ka Sharbat, Nannari and Coconut Cold Brew, Rasam Mary, along with the excellent house sodas.
Of these, my favourites were the Chilli and Coriander Shrub and the Creamy Coconut—both refreshing, addictive, and demonstrating that creativity need not rely on alcohol to shine.
A Coastal Pause
Hosa sits within One Horizon Centre on Golf Course Road, a location that often exudes a corporate and polished ambience. Yet the restaurant softens the edges of its surroundings with a calm, sun-warmed aesthetic. Designed by Rohini Kapur, the interiors embrace a contemporary tropical sensibility that never once seems themed or forced. Palm fronds peek out in soft prints, cheeky monkeys and parrots may catch your eye mid-conversation, and the dramatic ceiling of white rafters adds a sense of airiness and ease, as though a sea breeze might slip through at any moment. The space is relaxed but never sloppy. There’s no attempt to mimic the South, instead channels its mood.
The space invites lingering—long lunches that stretch unapologetically or evening conversations that unfold over slow meals. The 40-seat patio, dotted with rattan furniture and bathed in the afternoon sun, feels warm, inviting, and one you would want to enjoy a meal. The 50-seat indoor dining room on the other hand, is urbane, and one that strikes a balance between weekend ease and weekday composure. For a restaurant drawing from five South-Indian states, it resists the urge to over-explain itself. It simply lets the flavours do the work.
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