Food is at the heart of Delhi. From its royal Mughlai influence in dishes like biryani, kebabs and korma to fiery street eats like golgappas, aloo tikkis, rolls and momos, Punjabi and North Indian zesty flavours to the contemporary acceptance of global cuisines — the city is an ever-growing paradise for food lovers. During the 14th edition of the two-day Horn OK Please festival, the city folks were in for a full-blown feast with over 5000 dishes from global cuisines like Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, Korean, and Middle Eastern — all under one roof at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, last weekend.
TMS attended the festival on the last day, which beyond food, had handcrafted cocktails at its dedicated beer garden. Adding to it, was an impressive music lineup, including singer Aditya Rikhari, actor-singer Gippy Grewal, singer Tony Kakkar, and Rajasthani musician Kutle Khan, amongst others who set the stage ablaze with their performances.
Food for every palate
We started our food trail spotting some crowd-favorite snackables. Potato Twister Co. had spun up a storm of flavours with its spiralled twisters and fries drizzled with a myriad of sauces. Messy Momos lived up to its name serving up comforting flavours like steamed, cheese, and peri peri to kurkure, Afghani and tandoori bites. Olio Pizza brought a slice of Italy to the scene with specialities like Greek Style Pizza while Misoyum, an Asian gourmet kitchen turned up the heat with Spicy Kimchi, Korean Pizza, BBQ Chicken, and Korean Bun.
As a South Indian lover, we scoured the menu at Sambarpot which had idlis, ghee roast dosas and their hit multi-coloured Unicorn dosa. We had a taste of their Rava Masala Dosa which teetered on the edge of fragility but the delectable tangy tomato chutney, sambhar and coconut chutney, made up for the loss. Next up Nimtho, a Nepalese-Sikkimese restaurant, had brought regional varieties like Wai Wai Sadheko, and Jhol Momos. We dived into a bucket of their Nepali Fried Chicken where tender meat covered with a crispy spicy coating revealed juicy and umami flavours.
“Delhi’s food scene is all about big flavours and bold experiments—we love our rich, spicy, and indulgent eats, but we’re also quick to embrace global trends. Unlike some cities that stick to one type of cuisine, Delhiites are equally excited about butter chicken, sushi, baos, and ramen. To match this, we curated a menu that celebrates diversity—from Delhi’s iconic chaat to Italian, Turkish, Korean, and Vietnamese delights, there’s something to satisfy every palate!” said Digant Sharma, co-founder and organiser of the festival.
In for the quirks
The shopping arena had a mix of handcrafted apparel, accessories, home décor, jewellery, and other lifestyle finds. From Bandhani printed kurtis, raw honey, wax floral candles, luxurious fragrances, and crochet bouquets and keychains to live stations for hair braiding, face glitter tattoos and caricature art, there was no dearth of artsy activities and buys. “The idea is to give festival-goers a mix of trendy and thoughtful products that they won’t find in mainstream malls. From Delhi’s coolest thrift stores to handcrafted accessories and even limited-edition festival merchandise, there’s something for everyone,” said Sharma.
As festivals provide the ideal backdrop for organic connections, dating app happn’s booth also attracted visitors. It had activities like Icebreaker to spark conversations, the Crush Wheel for delightful surprises, and the Crush Bar, where complimentary drinks set a relaxed and social atmosphere. “As per our recent survey, 74% of people use music as an icebreaker to start conversations. Many young daters are open to attending a music concert for a first date, making festivals the perfect setting to meet someone new in a vibrant atmosphere,” told Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO and president of happn.
Rock The Stage
During sunset, the stage on Day 2 was set on fire by an electrifying performance by emerging musician Shruti Dhasmana. Dressed in a glitzy hot pink fringe bodycon, she performed on chart-topping numbers like 'Dhoom Machale', and 'Naah Goriye' amongst others along with a dance crew. “The whole idea behind creating this act was always to transport the audience to a place where they forget all their deadlines and worries and have a blast. And most importantly to have them sing and dance their hearts out with us,” she told TMS before her show adding, “Nobody can match the Delhi vibe. Even though I live in Mumbai now, I will always be a Delhi girl. They are natural, and don’t hesitate. If they like you they’ll root for you like mad. They will make you feel like a star.”
Later, musician Parneet Singh added an emotional touch by performing ‘Zara Sa’, ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ and ‘Aadat’. “I feel Delhi's audience is much more interactive and supportive as compared to other metro cities. The city has an immense craze for live music,” said the artist who is working on his first single which will be out by year end. Singer Anant who was performing at the fest for the first time was “excited” to bring a mehfil of Sufi, Bollywood, and Punjabi songs. He performed evergreen renditions like 'Sanson Ki Mala', 'Kali Kali Zulfon Ke', 'Halka Halka Suroor', to top trending ones like 'Ranjheyaa Ve' on Day 1.
Artiste Usool also delivered a soul-stirring performance with Sufi classics like ‘Teri Deewani’ and ‘Afreen Afreen’. “I chose Sufi music because it has this unique ability to touch your heart, elevate your spirit, and create an intimate connection with the universe,” he said. Towards the end, Gippy Grewal and Juggy Dhaliwal set everyone’s bhangra mode on with high-energy beats and footwork for an unforgettable night.