From Goa To Gurugram – Hosa’s Bold South Indian Flavours Find A New Home

To be honest, the last thing I expected was to begin my meal at Hosa with lauki and aloo gobhi. “Come on – where is all the meat and seafood?” I thought. That's when Brand Chef Harish Rao placed a plate of Toddy Shop Prawns in front of me. I smiled and realised I am going to be surprised by many flavourful twists.  

After marking a strong presence in Goa by giving South Indian cuisine a creative spin, EVH International has opened Hosa in Gurugram at One Horizon Centre, where Comorin is also located. The brand is also behind restaurants like Indian Accent, Fireback and Chor Bizarre.

A Space With Playful Touches 

Living up to its name, Hosa, which means ‘new’ in Kannada, is unlike any other South Indian restaurant Gurugram has ever seen. Its name stands out against the glass façade in a blue and white palette in four different South Indian languages besides English.

This colour theme continues in the charming patio area, where white rattan chairs with blue upholstery and tall potted palms evoke a casual vibe. Inside, there’s a bar on the left, a curved dining area and a long continuous sofa seating on one side – all placed under a striking ceiling made of white rafters. A wallpaper with parrots and monkeys adds an element of fun. Rohini Kapur, who also designed Hosa in Goa, has done the interiors. The restaurant is spacious enough to accommodate 50 guests inside and 40 in the patio section. 

A Table Of Southern Stories 

Having dined at Hosa in Goa a couple of times, I know what to expect, but what I didn’t anticipate is that the menu is going to be bigger and bolder than in its first avatar. Of course, Chef Harish Rao has made sure all the signature dishes of the Goa restaurant are also on the menu.

A gorgeous chandelier hangs from the ceiling in the semi-circular private dining room where I am seated. I begin my meal with a bottle gourd salad. My first thought is, ‘lauki – thank you, but no.’ Chef Rao reads my face (and mind) and urges me to take a bite as he pours the cashew nut sauce with some sundried chilli dip. “This is the most hated vegetable in all Indian homes, but I want you to try it.” I hesitantly take a bite – and the crunchy and creamy flavours change my view of this humble veggie forever.

Cracked Potatoes with cauliflower mousse, curry leaf oil and hibiscus dust follow next. “I love using flowers in my menu,” he says smilingly and then adds, “This is my take on aloo gobi.” Delhiites will love this clever interpretation of deep-fried crisp potatoes tossed in chill garlic oil because it is similar to aloo chaat, a city favourite.

Starting with Toddy Shop Prawns, an array of non-vegetarian dishes follows. For me, the flavourful prawns with curry leaf, served with a refreshing raw mango salad, bring back memories of those I had in Goa – and I am happy to taste them in my city.

Then comes Kari Dosa, where a dosa from Madurai is served as a base with a generous portion of flavourful mutton peppery fry. Topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce made of bone marrow, it is rich and delicious.

The Elaneer Pepper Fry is so different from the mutton or chicken pepper fry that I have had. Tender coconut meat (malai) tossed with pepper masala, crunchy chana dal salad and drizzled with lemon pickle crema sits on the thinnest akki roti – a paper-thin rice roti from Karnataka. It is like a mini taco, and I had it in one bite. The sweetness of the coconut malai is a perfect foil to the tangy flavours of lemon and the crunch of chana.

The Main Affair

The mains are filling, as they should be, but one cannot get enough of them. What stands out for me are the Mutton Ghee Roast with dosa, the Bun and Stew and Dindigul Mutton Biryani.

The super soft Kerala-style bun that sits on a bed of vegetable stew is already soaking in the curry by the time I bite into it. And the mutton biryani is such a change because I am used to the ones cooked with basmati rice in the north, whereas this is made with short grain rice. Surprisingly it is served with fried chicken on the side.  

When it comes to desserts, coconut and coffee rule the roost. The Coconut Snow – a coconut ice-cream with jasmine sorbet is so flavourful. If you still have some space left, wrap up the meal with the Filter Coffee Tiramisu and Mango and Coconut Cake. Before I leave, Hosa’s Head of Bars, Varun Sharma, hands me a glass of their homemade coffee liquor. Now that’s the perfect end to a food coma-inducing meal.

Southern Flavours In A Glass

With an excellent mixologist like Sharma behind the bar program, you know the cocktails are going to be great. Gurugram, you will be spoilt for choice because there are more than 20 signature cocktails inspired by the flavours of South India but tweaked for our weather.

I start with spicy and tangy Spiced Neer made with chilli tequila, coriander and grapefruit and ginger Ale. “This is my take on the popular Neer More, we serve at Comorin,” explains Sharma. It is delicious.

But what I enjoy even more is Sandy Shack, an earthy drink concocted with whisky, beer and beetroot cordial, where the whisky and beer surprisingly retain their distinct taste. Dots & Dash Elevated, made white rum, dark rum, pineapple juice, cherry foam and South Indian is not as sweet as it sounds and hits just the right notes.

ELLE Gourmet’s Verdict

Be ready for this flavour explosion in Gururgram because Hosa brings South Indian flavours with a twist that this city hasn’t seen before. 

Address: One Horizon Centre, Golf Course Road, DLF Phase-V, Sector-43, Gurugram, Haryana 122009

Time: Sunday to Thursday: Noon to midnight; Friday & Saturday: Noon to 1 am 

Phone: 0124 4957707