AVIATION

Semondu flying restaurant now at Dutch Hospital

SriLankan Airlines international on board cuisine, relished by passengers at 30,000 ft, is now available in the bustling capital, Colombo.

“Semondu SriLankan Caterers first restaurant in town, was 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.

The team of Chefs Semondu dish out an array of fusion cuisine, blending flavours, mixing and matching Asian and European cuisine, with an oriental touch, served by a highly skilled and professional service staff in the restaurant, which opens for lunch from 12.00 noon to 02.30 pm and dinner from 07.00 pm to 11.00 pm.

While customers make their pick from a wide range of starters, salads soups and main courses, SriLankan Catering chefs are seen in action, 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.

Semondu in contrast to the derivation of its ancient name, the 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 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 outskirts, is developing, 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 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; 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 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 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, is capable of laundering over 15,000 pieces per day.

Emirates - non stop flight to glasgow

Emirates has underlined its commitment to Scotland with plans to introduce a second daily non-stop flight to Glasgow, scheduled to commence in June.

The announcement comes as a result of continued demand for Emirates service between Dubai and Glasgow, which began in 2004. Since then, the international airline of the UAE has carried over 1.7 million passengers and tons of cargo.

The additional flight, coupled with an aircraft upgrade on the existing service, will increase Emirates capacity to Glasgow by 47 per cent with an extra 199 seats each way per day. It will also provide an additional 13 tonnes of daily cargo capacity.

First Class cabins will be available on both daily services, this facility been offered for the first time by a commercial airline operating into Scotland.

“This announcement illustrates our commitment to Scotland and to our wider UK route network in difficult economic times,” said Emirates Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe and Russian Federation Salem Obaidalla. “Our Glasgow route has been a real success story, and we are confident that there is demand for additional services flying to and from Dubai and beyond to our global network of over 100 destinations.

“The introduction of a First Class cabin on both daily flights means a greater choice for passengers, while increased cargo capacity means more export business opportunities for cargo shippers in Scotland,” added Obaidalla.

“From a starting point in 2004, Emirates Dubai route has proved a huge success, generating over AED 931 million (Aœ164 million) to date for the local economy and bringing more than 687,000 inbound passengers to Glasgow,” said Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau Councillor Gordon Matheson, who was on an announcement event in Glasgow.

“The operation of a double daily service is a major step forward in terms of forging greater business links and increasing access between Glasgow and key Asian economic decision centres, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as emerging markets in China and India,” Councillor Matheson added.

The Glasgow authorities estimate that the twice-daily service will deliver a local economic benefit of AED 187 million (Aœ33 million) with almost 140,000 inbound passengers in 2012.

Over the next five years, the route will be worth more than AED 1.1 billion (Aœ200m) to the city, bringing more than 846,000 inbound passengers to Glasgow.

“As part of our strategy to support economic growth, the Scottish Government is determined to improve our international air connections. The announcement of this new expanded service cements our growing business, education and cultural links with Dubai and provides an additional link to this key gateway to boost trade and tourism opportunities with key global markets such as south and south-east Asia, Africa and Australasia,” commented Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.