Upscale Your Post-Padel Bites at Santai House

From hearty rice bowls to grilled meats covered in moreish sauces.

I’m calling it: we’re tired of pseudo-healthy food options at workout spots, whether it’s a Pilates studio, pickleball court, or padel court. Smoothie bowls are great and all that, but after burning a million calories working out, all we want to do is eat something hearty to replenish all that energy lost. Plus, it’s a great way for muscle recovery too. We have good news if you’re a padel regular, because Santai House is located within Ascaro Padel in TREC KL, and their food menu is a force to be reckoned with.

A new brand by the KARLS Group, which brought you some of KL’s best restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Beta KL and Michelin Select restaurant Skillet KL, Santai House is the second of the “House” series—the first of which was Upper House in Chinatown. The two “Houses” share a common aesthetic factor: they’re both located on the rooftops of their buildings, offering unparalleled views of the city. From Santai House’s infinity pool, you’ll get to see Merdeka 118 and The Exchange 106 in their full glory—plus any stray fireworks that happen to go off during the festive season.

At Santai House, the menu is categorised into two: day brunch and a night, grilled-focused, modern dining by Chef Tiki Chua. The day brunches offer your standard healthy fare: nourish bowls comprising yoghurt, oats, and the works; all-day brunches, burgers, pasta, and rice bowls. There’s even an option for you to add more protein to your meal if you feel like you need to up the protein intake ante. What really caught our eye, however, were the rice bowls. Using Asian flavours reinterpreted into a modern, heartier take, we see flavours like Bali Bali Chicken and—our favourite—Thunder Tea, inspired by the traditional Chinese lei cha rice dish.

When the grill is fired up at night, however, is when the flavours, herbs, and spices really come to life. Chef Tiki and her team deftly handle the flames, producing some of the best fire-grilled meats in town—just take the angus short ribs, for instance. Served on a black volcanic stone so hot it comes with its own warning, the ribs were first cooked sous vide and then fired over mangrove wood, resulting in fall-off-the-bone tender meat that is deliciously smoky, caramelised, and packed with flavour. The Angus short ribs were just an introduction to a new concept to us: that you can have a full, gourmet meal as a padel game is happening right next to you. Between the thwacks of balls against tempered glass, we were served more gourmet dishes: udang gala, a decadent dish made with spiced butter and served alongside peanut sambal and tiger salad; hamachi collar with the theatrics of a smoke-filled dome, fatty yet zesty; and a similarly presented Argentinian striploin. These were all great and perfect for sharing with a big group of calorie-burning padelheads, but what if you were at Santai House alone, lounging while waiting for someone else to finish playing their game?

The answer: Nuggets & Caviar.

It’s the perfect balance of casual and bougie, a way to assert dominance while still taking pleasure in a delicious snack. Having tried it for ourselves, we thoroughly recommend it. While you’re snacking on caviar-topped nuggets, don’t forget to order a refreshing cocktail. We recommend the trio of Signature Melon Collection cocktails that come in a very trendy clear can. The flavours are Santai Melon, crafted with dark rum, banana liqueur, and lemon; Match Point Melon, made with vodka, lemon, and lychee; and Melon Bandeja, with Midori, honeydew, and lemonade. These are inspired by Asia’s summertime melons, all cool, crisp, and sweet—the perfect balm after a sweaty game of people-watching and padel-playing.

Whether you’re at Santai House to santai or work up a sweat at Ascaro Padel, one thing’s for sure—refuelling isn’t going to be a problem.