With a surge in global cuisines, we often tend to overlook the wide variety of regional cuisines that are mostly unexplored and tribal cuisine offer some great gastronomic options. This is exactly what Santa's Fantasea specialises in. Conceptualised back in 2014 by Partho Ghosh and Avijit Saha with the idea of bringing to the forefront this less explored culinary heaven, the gastropub is also known for serving a wide variety of sea food ranging from octopus, squid, crabs and so on.
To pay an ode to the evergreen Indian monsoons, the eatery has now curated an exclusive array of tribal & seafood dishes under the banner of Monsoon Food Fest and we must say it’s a flavourful roller-coaster. We were there at their oldest outlet tucked in a quaint corner of Golpark to gorge on a few delicacies from this curation.
The distinctly sectioned hub decorated with tribal accents and sea side murals welcomed us with three colourful lime infused coolers, as vibrant as its interiors. Santa’s Fantasea, according to us, is the perfect spot for connoisseurs to head out to on a dull rainy day as we believe each will be thrilled with flamboyant colours in and out of the plate. The brilliance radiates beyond just visual treatment and is capable of bowling gastronomes over with a seldom tasted before flavor palate.
We picked two dishes namely Shoru Chakli Roti and Bnash Pora Chicken from the tribal section and Nasi Goreng and Crackling Prawn from its seafood namesake. What seems striking about each of these dishes is its garnishing and plating. Bnash Pora Chicken comes in a charred bamboo shoot slit into half, and fills the room with some smoky magic as soon as the upper half is uncovered. Filled with minced portions of spiced meat soaked in the goodness of smoked bamboo juices, this dish also boasts of mutton and prawn varieties. It tastes best when paired with fine, steamed pancakes from the heart of rural Odisha namely Shoru Chakli Roti. These pancakes are steamed with minimal use of oil, and usually ranks low on the flavor scale until paired with something as flavourful as Bnash Pora meat.
Nasi Goreng on the other hand is a classic Indonesian dish that is slowly but steadily gaining momentum in the city. Santa’s Fantasea gives it a more authentic spin with Prawn Crisps, and Chicken Satay. The portion seems more than sufficient for a pairing of two. Crackling Prawn dressed and cooked in Indo-Chinese sauces and spices, served with crackling, fried spinach for us is more like a winner when served as an appetiser.
Wrap up the show with a portion of Tilhou Kheer made with onions from the interiors of Manipur or the prawn flavoured Chemmeen Kheer all the way from Kerala, only available at Santa’s Fantasea. You may as well try their Fried Ice Cream
What: Monsoon Food Fest
Where: Santa’s Fantasea (Golpark & Salt Lake)
When: Up till the end of season
Contact: Instagram: @santasfantasearestaurant