Can fast food be healthy?

Typically, the answer is no. Fast food is ‘tasty’ precisely because it is ultra-processed. It is addictive because its high fat, sugar, and salt content gives us a huge burst of dopamine.

SANTE, however, wants to prove that the opposite can be true.

Located at the CMC Centre in Taman Connaught, SANTE (French for ‘health’) is a restaurant with a healthy, gourmet fast food concept, where popular dishes such as burgers, wraps, and chicken are prepared using natural, wholesome ingredients – so you can indulge, without the guilt.

Owned and managed by the UCSI Group, the restaurant also has a pledge list for their cooking, which includes no processed white sugar, no deep frying, no synthetic substances or chemical preservatives, and no artificial colouring.

All this sounded a bit too good to be true – so I had to test out a couple of their items. The Beefy Mushroom Melt (RM27.90) came recommended by the manager, and we made it a combo with wedges and a glass of Roselle Spritz. (+RM11.50)

I was genuinely surprised at how tasty the burger was – the portion was hefty, with a thick and juicy beef patty (made from 100% Australian beef) sandwiched between fluffy buns.

I especially enjoyed the mushroom sauce (it had a thicker consistency, like duxelles) which balanced out the meat’s richness with a layer of earthiness. The cheddar cheese was sharp, which teetered on overpowering the meat – but otherwise this was a solid burger, on par with some of the pricier gourmet burgers out there.

If you prefer chicken, the Sante Clucker (RM13.90) is a good choice. Sandwiched between the buns is a juicy grilled chicken thigh, pickles, crisp lettuce, and tomato, all slathered with the restaurant’s creamy signature sauce.

The sides were tasty too. Even though the wedges were air fried, they were well seasoned and crispy.

Aside from the options above, other items on the burger menu include Teriyaki Tuna, The King Garoupa (with a garoupa fillet), and The Mushroom Stack. I like that they have a ‘Junior’ version for most of the burgers, so the kids can get an appropriately-sized meal as well.

Those who want something light can go for their selection of wraps or salad bowls, and for something more filling (since we Malaysians gotta have rice) there are Teppanyaki rice bowls.

Another dish we tried was the Golden Seaweed Chicken (RM15.90 – 2 pieces), which was cooked fresh to order using hot air, so it took about 20 minutes to get to our table.

Again, I was surprised at how good it tasted.

I won’t lie — it was not quite as good as regular deep-fried chicken. That uniform crunch is almost impossible to replicate unless the meat’s fully submerged in oil. But knowing this was cooked with just hot air, the slight crispiness of the batter and the tenderness of the meat made it about as close as I can get to the real thing — minus the grease. The restaurant also uses ‘seaweed’ chicken – ie sustainably raised chicken that has been fed a diet of seaweed and moringa leaves with no added hormones – so the meat and has a natural taste.

So to answer the question – can fast food be healthy? Sante believes so – and the food they offer speaks for itself.

The restaurant is also a nice spot to linger in, whether it’s for a leisurely lunch or a family dinner. It is brightly lit thanks to floor to ceiling windows, and there is a semi-outdoor area with a transparent window where you can watch the chefs in action.

It’s no secret most kids love burgers and fast food — so for health-conscious parents, this is a good way to indulge them. Besides corporate events, SANTE does children’s birthday parties as well, and there is even a small playground with slides and a ball pit to keep the young ones entertained.

SANTE – Healthy Burgers & Food

A55-A60, B55, B57, B59, Ground floor, CMC, Jalan Cerdas, Taman Connaught, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

• Phone: 011-1303 0111
• Opening hours: 8.15am – 11.30pm (except Mondays 10.30pm)
• Website: https://www.sante.com.my/

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