The first time someone asked me if I'd like to go to an all-vegetarian joint for dinner, I couldn't even muster enough concern to convey a vehement no. Just a look full of withering skepticism that begged the question, "I'm the Kukkad Diaries. Like, really?".

But oh, how the ones in their high horses come tumbling down. And so did we. The one thing I have learned from my 1 year of food blogging is never set expectations. Things always turn around and smack you in the face.

Well, yes. I have to (shamefacedly) admit that I did end up going to the vegetarian place and loving each and every dish that was served. The place was the recently trending, Sante Spa.

I guess what really ticked all boxes was the fact that every dish was simple. Simple in the way ingredients were used and cooked so that nothing took your attention away from the freshness of the greens, the flavor of every element shining through yet harmonizing in a way that made it so good.

Added to the fact that Sante is really trying to make sure that all dishes are not only tasty but also incredibly healthy. They have tried to minimize the use of refined sugars or salt that is known to have adverse effect on health. Diary is substituted with Soy milk that makes sure no matter how much you gorge, you still get up light and refreshed.



The ambience resonates with the gastronomic principle of the place too. There are indoor seating with coolers and outdoor seating at the deck. Lots of leafy plants make the place look green and fresh. The cutlery are very unique and interesting. They have been carved out of neem wood known for its restorative properties. The whole restaurant itself is located in a leafy cul-de-sac giving a quaint, quiet and soothing vibe to this place.

Even on a weekday the place is abuzz and the steady stream of clients doesn't stop.


The first thing we are served is SPINACH SPEARMINT PINEAPPLE detox drink and I am worried. After a couple of pulling faces and dramatic under-the-breath of how I was being cornered into drinking spinach, I give in. And boy, I'm hooked. The drink is refreshing and tastes oh-so-wonderful for something that has spinach in it. The tang of pineapple and the sweet n salty flavor takes the drink a notch up in my recommendation list.



We also ask for the DARK CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE. It comes looking resplendent with the the creamy chocolate shake topped with airy whipped cream and chocolate chips. And we enjoyed it much more knowing the fact that the whipped cream was made from soy milk and not dairy and the sugar was not the run-of-the-mill refined sugar but the raw, Khandsari variety.

As we waited for the food we got to nibble on the incredible bread basket stuffed with beautiful rolls and breads. We tried the flavored butters with these and you must must must try these bad boys. The butters are a revelation and we couldn't have enough.

I'm not healthiest person you will know but I do love my salads. But usually when I'm enjoying my salads it definitely has some meat in it. That just goes to say how amazing the food is at Sante is because I enjoyed the vegetarian salads here as much I do my meaty ones.
We were served a MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD and SPAGHETTI OF VEGETABLE SALAD. Each just as brilliant as other.



The Quinoa salad was a party in a bowl. It had so much going on. Different elements and textures and tastes. It had fruits like apple, cranberry, tangerines. It had nuts and seeds. It had leafy greens in the mix along with quinoa. Some feta cheese and every thing came together like they were meant to be. This was definitely a winner in my books.



The Spaghetti was my favorite perhaps because of the sheer skill used for the dish and the the mind-blowing taste after. Instead the real spaghetti, the chef had used vegetable julienne to pass off as the noodles. The dressing was beautiful and a dash of vinaigrette made it even better. It came with a topping of broken 'khakra'. What a dish!



THE BEETROOT AND SPINACH HUMMUS came next and we recognized it immediately as it has been trending the social media for a while now. The good ol' hummus seem to have gone through and incredible look and taste makeover. The dish sat pretty with a dollop of pink beetroot hummus and green spinach hummus. Each one tasting beautiful with the whole grain khakra they were served with. This could be my between-the-meals snacks all day, every day!

Then we moved on to something that sounded so out of place in a almost-vegan and all-healthy place, I almost snorted out of mirth. But Sante was definitely having the last laughs that night because even though we were served 'healthy' Pizzas. They were so good we considered going for seconds!



PIZZA VERDE as the name suggests was a green, green pizza topped with salad leaves so fresh that they fluttered in the evening breeze (I swear!). The pizza was on a Ragi base which was thin and crunchy. It was topped with cheese, capers, zucchini and basil pesto giving it that rich flavorful taste. The pizzas were so light and yet savoury making it a perfect healthy candidate for those mad,bad pizza cravings.



The FARM FRESH PIZZA was just as good as the previous one with the same thin, ragi base. It came loaded with veggies cubed to perfection. My mother would probably weep to see her daughter wolf down veggies that I so pain-stakingly eliminate from my pizzas usually.



The mains included a cracker of a dish- BAJRA RISO. It was basically a risotto but minus all the gluten and starchy rice. Instead it had spinach and green beans. I couldn't get over how rich it tasted but didn't overwhelm my palate or appetite.



Now, THAI CURRY is always my go-to when I am craving a wholesome yet comforting meal. But the gluten-free and healthy thai curry we were served here tasted just as creamy and aromatic. It came with a side of BROWN RICE which was simply delicious and went so well with the curry.



The surprises didn't end because we got to taste a line-up of brilliant desserts that also boasted of being healthy, gluten-free and sugar-free in some cases. There was the LOW FAT RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE which was the most popular sweet of the night perhaps.
THE SALTED CARAMEL MUD CAKE was delicious and so was the CHOCOLATE MATCHA TRUFFLES.






By the time we were done, we were quite concerned by the enthusiastic and vigorous intake of healthy food that we as food-bloggers were quite unfamiliar to. And for a good 5 minutes we discussed on how our bodies would react to the sudden love. But needless to say, it was one of the most incredible tastings I've had in quite sometime, I would like to recommend it to you guys irrelevant of whether you are a health freak or not.