Restoran Santa Chapati House @ Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Kuala Lumpur

Located on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee on the stretch that is parallel to Lebuh Ampang, lies a very old restaurant that is famous for its Chapatis. Restoran Santa has been around for at least 25 years now and this restaurant is definitely not new to me.

Restoran Santa along Jalan Tun H.S. Lee

Simple Layout

When I was studying in college, I used to come here almost every day for lunch. At that time and this was about 20 years ago, RM 2.00 was enough to have a good lunch here. Having come back after all these years, surely brings back a lot of memories. Thoughts and glimpses of my old friends and how we used to spend time here came to my mind. Well, that aside, this restaurant has definitely not changed at all. The furniture, layout and Mr. Singh standing at the counter, everything remains the same. Most of his workers are able to speak in Hindi though they are Tamils as there is a huge Punjabi clientele that dine here. Breakfast and lunch hours can be rather crazy here as the seats are limited and do not be surprised if you find a stranger sharing a table with you.

Aromatic Curries

Closer Look at The Curries

Lovely Dhall

Just like the old days, I walked up to the counter, ordered two Chapatis and picked my side dishes. Luckily it is still early now as I arrived at around 11 am and there are still many tables available. With my orders done, I then took my place further away from the curry station to avoid the heat emanating from the burners.

Punjabi Style Tea

The best tea in India are made by either the Malayalees or the Punjabis and without a doubt, the tea here was fantastic. I would rate this tea at 10/10 . They also have other versions of tea like with cows milk, Masala Tea etc.

My Lunch

I ordered two Chapatis and some side dishes as you can see from the above photograph. The Chapatis are quite big in size and it is best if you order one at a time as they would be able to top it up almost immediately when you request for another one. The bread was simply great, just the way it was before. Extremely soft and fluffy with a wheatish buttery taste. I am happy that the quality is still maintained over the years. This Chapati surely qualifies to be rated at 9.5/10 . The side dish that I selected was Potato and Long Beans Perattal. Please do not be fooled by the yellowish colour as it is extremely spicy. Definitely goes well with the bread. I would rate this side dish at 9/10 .

Mutton Keema

This is by far the best dish here and I would not be alone in saying this. The Keema is absolutely delicious and is done to perfection. Beware, it's another super spicy dish. This spiciness would not hinder you from taking the next bite though.  It is addictive. I would rate this Mutton Keema at 9.5/10 . Although I did not try the Chicken Perattal today, I can still remember that that is another excellent dish at this restaurant.

Dhall

As simple as this dish looks, it is another great dish. Even the plain Chapati and this Dhall curry would have made my day. Once again, I would rate this Dhall at 9.5/10 .

Pay As You Go

Even while I was having my early lunch, I still observed at least another 30+ people who just walked in and did quick take aways. The great thing that I must surely commend about this restaurant is that they have successfully maintained the standards over the years and thus retaining their loyal customers. The restaurant is also relatively clean compared to many of the Indian Muslim and Tamil restaurants out there and the price is very decent. My entire meal cost me RM 6.50 and that is including the tea.  I would strongly recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Address: 11, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, 
                Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: +6019 269 9771

Opening Hours: 0630 - 1830 (Mondays - Fridays)
                             0630 - 1500 (Saturdays)
                             Closed On Sundays

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restaurant-Santa-Chapati-House-Jln-Tun-HS-Lee/316155911739349