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In Bangkok’s fine dining scene, Haoma stands apart, not merely for its Michelin Star and Green Star, but for the way it reimagines what a restaurant can be. At its helm is Chef Deepanker Khosla, a culinary innovator whose restless creativity and deep respect for the planet have turned Haoma into a living ecosystem. Vertical farming shelves and aquaponics tanks quietly support dozens of herbs and vegetables, and every plate tells a story of resourcefulness and reverence. Khosla’s journey, from his upbringing in India to global recognition in Thailand, illustrates how passion and purpose can transform gastronomy into a force for change.
When Chef Deepanker Khosla arrived in Bengaluru for his highly anticipated pop-up at Zarf, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield, it wasn’t just another stop on a culinary tour; it was a chance to translate Haoma’s ethos for an entirely new audience. He says, “Bengaluru has this incredible mix of tradition and forward-thinking energy. It felt like the perfect city to introduce Haoma’s neo-Indian philosophy. For the pop-up at Zarf that happened on 19th and 20th September, we didn’t just bring dishes from Bangkok; we wove in Bengaluru’s flavours and stories to make it truly resonate. I was fascinated by the varieties of indigenous millets and hyper-local greens. Meeting farmers who have protected these crops for generations inspired me to design dishes that honoured their legacy while presenting them in a new light.”
For Khosla, the city’s thriving dining culture and openness to experimentation provided fertile ground. He and his team carefully considered how to weave Haoma’s storytelling into Bengaluru’s vibrant food scene, ensuring the pop-up felt intimate yet forward-thinking.
Sustainability At The Core Of Haoma
A cornerstone of Haoma’s identity is sustainability. The restaurant features over 200 metres of vertical farming, solid waste recycling and composting, uses only eco-friendly detergents, raises its own livestock (chickens, goats, and cows) on a farm near Bangkok, and works closely with small ethical farmers. Its aquaponics systems grow dozens of herbs, plants, and vegetables nourished by fish waste, while rainwater harvesting captures over 200,000 litres annually. Composting and waste-to-fish-food conversions further close the loop, making Haoma a model for regenerative dining. “What excites me most is our seed bank project. We’re preserving indigenous varieties of plants and growing them in our aquaponics system in Bangkok. It’s like carrying forward forgotten flavours into the future, ensuring they never disappear from our plates,” Khosla says.
The Michelin And Green Star
His Michelin Star journey is another defining thread in Haoma’s narrative. Earning a Michelin Star is the culmination of years of discipline, experimentation, and a refusal to compromise on sustainability. For Khosla, it involved not just pushing for creative plates but ensuring each dish carried Haoma’s sustainable DNA. The recognition affirmed that eco-friendly gastronomy and high culinary artistry can coexist. He says, “The recognition affirmed that luxury and responsibility can share the same plate. It gave me the courage to push boundaries further, to be bold with creativity while doubling down on practices that protect the planet. When the announcement came, my team and I gathered in our little garden at Haoma. We didn’t cheer; we just stood quietly, smiling, surrounded by the plants and fish we had cared for. In that silence, it felt like all the years of hard work had finally spoken for us.”
Achieving both a Michelin Star and a Green Star introduced a new responsibility. These milestones reinforced that innovation in taste must go hand in hand with care for the planet. For Khosla, it’s not enough to surprise the palate; it’s equally essential to think through carbon footprints, wastage, and how to give back to the local ecosystem.
Asked to distil his culinary philosophy into three words, Khosla doesn’t hesitate. “Sustainable, soulful, and progressive. Sustainable because we owe it to the planet, soulful because food must connect emotionally, and progressive because the only way forward is to keep reimagining what’s possible.” Those values, he explains, guide every decision, from menu development to mentoring his team.
The Future Of Sustainable Gastronomy
Looking ahead, Khosla sees exciting changes on the horizon for Southeast Asia and India. “I see more chefs turning to regenerative farming, more menus built on hyper-local sourcing, and sustainability becoming the norm rather than the exception. Diners are demanding it, and chefs are ready to rise to the challenge.” His perspective hints at a future where regional traditions and progressive practices intersect in ever more creative ways.
Though he has built his career in Thailand, Khosla’s Indian upbringing still flavours his cooking, grounding him in a sense of home and hospitality. Khosla says, “Growing up in India gave me a deep memory of flavours, the layering of spices, the comfort of dal, the joy of mango season. Living in Thailand taught me balance and respect for fresh, seasonal produce. Together, those worlds created the foundation for my neo-Indian cuisine.”
And if he could conjure up a dream dinner anywhere in the world? Khosla imagines a table where chefs, artists, and thinkers gather to create something ephemeral and extraordinary. “I’d bring together chefs who are as committed to sustainability as they are to creativity, and we’d cook under the theme “Future of Food.” It would be a celebration of what dining might look like in 2050, resilient, responsible, yet still filled with joy,” he concludes.
Deepanker Khosla’s work at Haoma proves that fine dining can be a catalyst for change, one that champions the planet as passionately as it does flavour. By turning a Bangkok restaurant into a self-sustaining ecosystem, he has set a new standard for what is possible when innovation meets integrity. As Southeast Asia and India continue to explore sustainable gastronomy, Khosla’s path stands as both inspiration and challenge: to create dishes that delight, nurture, and leave the world a little better than they found it.