It’s all about the vibe, at the newly opened Sante Spa Cuisine in Nungambakkam. The franchise, started in Pune in 2015 by Sonal Barmecha, has finally come to Chennai, its sixth city. With an increased awareness about healthy eating, and being environment-friendly, owners of Sante Chennai — Ambika Chowgule and her husband, Trivesh Marlecha — figured this would be the right time to bring the franchise to the city.
Gentle notes of a piano float around the patio furniture. On one side of the property are two vertical gardens, a statue of Buddha nestled between them. You can choose to sit here, amidst the greenery, or you can head inside.
Right outside the entrance is a roofed nook, with a library: that is the coffee corner. A facade with halves of tables jutting out of the wall, stacked one on top of the other, functions as the bookshelf. Even the books: Soul Food , Doctor’s Kitchen , Glow , All the Light We Cannot See ... seem to gently nudge the customer towards a healthy and soulful lifestyle.
“We wanted this place to serve as a spot for relaxation and de-stressing. That’s why everything you see here is white and green,” Trivesh gestures towards the picket fences and hanging planters.
Sante strives to be as green as possible: the furniture is made of cane, and the crockery, — thick round discs that serve as plates, and bowls for dips — are neem wood. The straws are rolled up banana leaves, and the glasses, copper.
It was in September last year that Ambika and Trivesh bought the old two-storied bungalow. The rooms were removed to provide an open minimal space for indoor seating, next to a live kitchen and smoothie counter.
The space inside seats 45 people, as does the outdoor seating. Outside, the greenery makes up for the balmy weather. However, in the evenings, best head indoors to avoid the summer mosquitoes. There is also a private dining room on the first floor, next to Masami Jewels store, also owned by Trivesh.
Dig in
Pune-based celebrity chef Shailendra Kekade, who designs the menu for all Santes, says, that in the past couple of decades, “There has been a trend of just copying what Europeans eat, without looking at what suits our geographical and climatic conditions. Just because a risotto might sound cooler than a khichdi. So here we bring back our traditional nutrition, using Indian ingredients to give them a global customer look.” Which explains the multigrain khakhra with beetroot and spinach hummus, and the whole-wheat spaghetti.
The menu is extensive — with vegan and gluten-free options. They make their own bread: oat rolls, multigrain ciabatta, and grissini. Butter, too, is not store bought, and comes in flavours such as garlic foam, tomato and chilly foam, and chia white.
Activated charcoal resurfaces every now and then in the menu: in the form of bread, hummus or ice creams. As do flax seeds, chia seeds, and moringa . Entire sections are dedicated to smoothie bowls, salads and ‘guilt free’ desserts.
The menu is Continental and Mediterranean, and includes a wide variety of pizzas as well. As is usual in spa cuisines, nothing refined or processed has been used. Which means ragi pizzas and khandasari sugar in desserts.
As Kekade says, “Given that nowadays people are eating out three times a day, it falls on people like us, in the industry, to give them healthier options.”
Sante Spa Cuisine is on Rutland Gate, 2nd Street, Nungambakkam. A meal for two costs approximately ₹1,300. For details, call 9940470000.
