Its dinner date in Kolkata and the first choice has longggg waiting. What does one do? Head to the closest place that serves fish of couse. And that’s how we land at Santa’s Fantasea near Golpark last evening. They serve tribal and fusion cusion. And as one can make out from the name – loads of fish.

The place is neat, well-li. It is quaint like a residential unit converted into a restaurant. There is loads of underwater iconography and we are undecided whether to sit near the dreamy mermaid or the cutesy octopus on the wall. The furniture is all cane and bamboo and tribal themed paintings and masks adorn some of the walls in the other rooms. The place exudes good vibes and some parts would surely attract kids.

The menu is longish and we have to seek the waiter’s help in understanding what is what. They have many dishes ethnic to different parts of the country and the original names have been retained. We ordered Bansa Pora Mutton from Orissa. Chunks or red meat are cooked in a section of bamboo. We loved the smoky falvour from bamboo. However the dish is mouth burning hot. Wish they moderate it a bit next time. With this we have Soruchakli – a soft rice flatcake from Eastern India. This item doesn’t have any taste and can be had with any sweet or savoury.

The next course we order is Jadoh Rice from Meghalaya. This is brown rice cooked with spices and chunks of meat. We go fusion on the side with Smoked Squid. The squid here is hot – yet somewhat sweet and sour. This helps to balance the taste and the rice-seafood combo is something that works.

They also have a host of desserts and there was Tilhou Kheer , a Manipuri dessert with onions and Chemmen Kheer – a dessert with prawns. Got to admit, given some deep rooted pre-conceived notion about desserts, we couldn’t order these dishes. Hopefully, next time we come, we will have such prejudices behind us.

So yea, the place is worth a second visit when we are in Kolkata again. They have a whole lot of items that looks interesting and worth a shot. We haven’t come across these dishes in Delhi. Plus nice hospitality and prompt service are huge turn ons. Only if they would moderate the oil and the chili heat in their fare – Santa’s Fantasea would be a perfect fantasy.