2024 Sep 5
Elevating your dining experience from farm to table!
Tucked away in the lush hills of Kandy, Santani Wellness resort is cooking up a storm with its latest fusion dinner menu: the first-ever Sri Lankan fine-dining seven-course feast that is as delicious as it is good for you.
Santani’s approach to cooking is unique and traditional, following the Ayurvedic philosophy of ‘Rasa Haya’. This philosophy incorporates the six tastes – sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and astringent – to achieve balance. This menu has a farm-to-table approach, with all ingredients grown on the resort’s farm. It features diverse, small portions, allowing guests to experience the island’s essence and flavours in one evening. The portions are controlled to satisfy guests without leaving them too full to enjoy the pleasures of the rest of the resort!
The dinner starts with the amuse bouche which consists of a moringa flower with mackerel fish and pickled anchovies with brinjal. Tart, crispy and juicy at the same time, this dish is intense and will jolt you awake like a shot of espresso!
The starter is a baby jackfruit pâté which is topped with rhubarb jelly and served with salty taro root chips. Decorated with garden cress and dried flowers, it catches the eye and excels with its blend of sweet and savoury, warm and cold, and soft and crunchy, adding depth to the dish.
The entrée is a pandan-infused pancake stuffed with tempered freshwater prawn. Accompanied by a tuile with red curry and dried shrimp froth, delivering a rich umami kick that contrasts well with the juicy-sweetness of the prawn.
The banana blossom soup highlights the six flavours. The sour bitterness from the banana flower, sweet coconut milk, and astringency from lime juice create an intricate combination of flavours, all of which can be tasted in one spoonful of the thick and creamy soup. Only simple ingredients were used, without artificial additions in the making of this, the chef assures. Accompanying the soup is mini roast paan topped with spicy blended coconut sambol, caramelised onion and pink tuna ambulthiyal (sour fish). The fresh, cool tuna contrasts with the warm, crispy roast paan and onion, creating a play of textures, flavours and temperatures—an adventurous experience!
Next is the kithul sap sorbet – a little treat from the chef. Bursting with citrus notes and the bold taste of ripe soursop, it will cleanse your palette, leaving you eager for the main course which is a tasting platter that will be like none other you have experienced!
The tasting platter features bite-sized portions of four everyday local dishes – kurakkan pittu infused with gotu kola and served with dhal puree, fresh and mildly savoury even without curry; a mini hopper served with spicy-sweet onion sambol, combining crispness with a zesty kick; mukunuwenna-infused string hopper topped with buttery lobster red curry, thick and packed with bold Sri Lankan seasoning; and herbal chicken curry, pungent and umami with tender meat, satisfying on its own without any side dishes.
The last course, the desserts, include set coconut with jackfruit ice cream. The set coconut cream is covered with dark chocolate and crafted to resemble a miniature split coconut. It’s not just creative; the bittersweet chocolate pairs beautifully with the refreshing set coconut, creating an exquisite dish. Served alongside are finely chopped pineapple pieces and kiwi. With its refreshing sweetness, the jackfruit ice cream gives a divine final bite!
This seven-course dinner menu is curated by Santani’s Corporate Executive Chef, Indika Bandara, who is a master in health-based Sri Lankan food. He explained that crafting a gourmet menu that was based on health also meant that Santani would have to ensure that ingredients would be as fresh and organic as possible, which resulted in Santani’s own little farm! Not only are its meals healthy, but the resort also offers special packages for your health needs and personalised activities and meal plans for guests. It provides other facilities such as a wellness spa, a pool, and yoga programmes.
Located on a hilltop and surrounded by glass walls that showcase the green-blue mountains beyond, the restaurant’s ambience is ethereal during the day. But at night, the place transforms into a dark and moody castle, with only dim lights and candles to show you the way. The restaurant becomes peaceful yet magical, and the icy wind of the mountains only adds to the experience. Blurring the lines between the outdoors and indoors, Santani will be an important step in your healing journey! For bookings you can visit Santani!
