The national carrier's international on board cuisine, relished by passengers at 30,000ft, is now served in the heart of its bustling capital, Colombo.
"Semondu" - SriLankan Catering's first restaurant in town, which opened last month, is a gastronomic journey, set amidst the architectural splendour, of a bygone era. The former Dutch hospital, now restored to its past glory, in a charming restaurant cum shopping precinct, centrally located in Fort, has lent its wide open verandas and sprawling courtyards to some of the best cuisine in town, including the kitchens of SriLankan Airlines.
While customers make their pick from a wide range of starters, salads soups and main courses, SriLankan Catering chefs are seen in action, in the kitchen, at the far end of the restaurant. Catching a glimpse of the chefs in action, adds to the exhilarating experience of dining in a plush new restaurant, which graces the entrance of the sprawling Dutch hospital building, reborn to reflect the old world charm.
During the Dutch rule of Ceylon, from 1658 A.D the Hospital, was used by the Dutch East India Company as a convenient location for patients from ships coming into the Colombo port.
Centuries older than the Dutch building, is the name of the restaurant "Semondu" which is derived from the word "Simoundou", an ancient name for Sri Lanka given by Ptolomy, the famous Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and great poet.
In contrast to the derivation of its ancient name, Semondu's interior has a more modern fusion theme, in keeping with its cuisine and sets the mood for an exotic adventure, in an ambiance of leisure and relaxation.
The restaurant's massive teak beams and broad square pillars lend space and comfort, while huge lanterns light up the restaurant with a warm glow and an array of multi coloured lights, gives an added spark to the glass floor.
"The city of Colombo and its outskirts, are developing fast, with international property developers, vying for prime locations to set up multi storied hotels and apartment complexes. In this concrete jungle, proposed to even encroach into the ocean, it is refreshing to walk into into an architecture of a bygone era and lunch or dine in total comfort and privacy while you watch the world go by," Chairman, SriLankan Airlines, Nishantha Wickramasinghe said.
"Our theme at Semondu is fusion; fusion of cuisine, blending East and West and fusion of ambience, from colonial charm to modern magic," he added.
CEO, SriLankan Catering, Sarath Fernando said, "We take pride in establishing an ideal location in the city to enjoy fusion cuisine, while also contributing to the efforts of the Government to make Colombo a vibrant city and promote tourism".
Semondu is operated by SriLankan Catering a fully owned subsidiary of SriLankan Airlines. The airline's catering unit provides on-board catering for airlines that operate through Colombo. Its state of the art flight kitchen has a production capacity of over 25,000 meals per day, in a 24-hour operation, 365 days a year.
SriLankan Catering manages the 24-room "Serenediva" Transit Hotel at the Katunayake International Airport, and also runs a state-of-the-art, mass-scale laundry facility situated in the SLC Complex in the airport, capable of laundering up to 15,000 pieces per day.
SriLankan Catering is certified to the following standards: ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management Systems); ISO 22000:2005 (Food Safety Management Systems); ISO 14001: 2004 (Best Environmental Practices); HACCP Codex Alimentarius (Food Safety and Hygiene).
