LEISURE

Food lovers to savour colonial charm in contemporary style

Dining in the heart of Colombo amidst the perfect ambiance with live entertainment is no longer a desire, but a reality for HSBC Premier and HSBC Visa Signature credit cardholders.

HSBC has continued to create new experiences and value for its esteemed cardholders through varied promotions that meet every lifestyle aspect. The latest promotion with six of the most patronised restaurants at the Old Dutch Hospital will entitle cardholders to special dining deals from May 25-27 2012, that’s sure to tantalize their taste buds.

HSBC Premier and HSBC Visa Signature credit cardholders can enjoy an exclusive 25% discount at the Colombo Fort café, Heladiv Tea Club, Ministry of Crab, “O”, Semondu and WIP (Work in Progress) when they dine at any of these restaurants during the promotion period. Cardholders will be able to experience a food fiesta amidst a unique setting, centrally located and surrounded by Colonial Dutch architecture. The three day promotion will serve food from different continents as well as Sri Lankan origin to appeal to both locals and tourists. The charismatic splendor of the Old Dutch hospital will be further enhanced with live music being performed by renowned musicians to celebrate a one of a kind dining experience in colonial charm.

Nilantha Bastian, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC stated, “The Old Dutch Hospital shopping precinct is a hallmark of a bygone era and a remarkable concept that combines high street shopping and dining at one location. The ambiance has led to many locals and tourists patronising the place and we are happy to extend a special dining deal to our valued cardholders who represent this clientele. We trust our cardholders will see great value as they dine out with family and friends and enjoy the various cuisines from these restaurants at their leisure.”

“HSBC is the undisputed market leader in credit cards and has gained a significant market share in the affluent segment through HSBC Premier and HSBC Visa Signature. The tie up with the Old Dutch Hospital is a strategic fit as it creates value for our high networth customers who patronise these restaurants with an opportunity to enjoy dining privileges at fantastic savings. We are happy to give them this benefit and look forward to continue with similar promotions in the future.” commented Nadeesha Senaratne, Head of Cards and Consumer Assets, HSBC.

Among the participating restaurants is Ministry of Crab, co-owned by Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Dharshan Munidasa and is the first restaurant in Sri Lanka dedicated to serving export quality Sri Lankan crabs.

“Ministry of Crab is unique in that its one of the first restaurants to bring ingredient focused dining to Sri Lanka.

As our name suggests, the ingredient in focus is Sri Lanka’s world famous lagoon crab, which has for years been more easily available in Singapore than here in Sri Lanka. Succulent and meaty (our biggest crab to date weighed a massive 2.6kg) these crabs really are amazing. We have been fortunate to have many repeat customers patronizing the restaurant, and through our tie-up with HSBC we hope to see more new customers enjoying a culinary experience that is sure to bring them back for more.”, stated Dharshan Munidasa, co-owner of Ministry of Crab.

Customers who enjoy a mix of flavours with matching Asian and European cuisines will surely want to visit Semondu, the restaurant operated by SriLankan catering, a fully owned subsidiary of SriLankan Airlines.

Sarath Fernando, CEO of Semondu (Sri Lankan catering), said “Customers to Semondu can savour a wide range of international cuisine with a Sri Lankan twist as served on-board Sri Lankan Airlines and enjoyed by passengers at 30,000ft.

We are pleased to offer HSBC customers an appetizing spread that is sure to delight them with starters, salads, soups and main course dishes in an ambiance of leisure and relaxation.”