Need a spot for a business lunch, or perhaps somewhere nice to take that cutie from the finance department on a lunch date? Though it’s stuck in the basement, Serendib Restaurant & Bar is a classy place in the heart of Embassyland on Jalan Tun Razak, west of KLCC Park, where many countries have their embassies.
How To Get Here
Serendib is located in the lower ground level of G Tower, near Ampang Park LRT station. Take the elevators next to the visitor registration counter, or the escalator right from street level.
Ambience & Amenities
The part of the restaurant where you enter has an intimate atmosphere, dimly lit with warm bulbs. Further in are tables that have much more natural light and where you dine semi al fresco, with the street right above you but you’re sheltered from by a cloth awning.
There are no bathrooms inside the restaurant, but in the corner is a handwashing station with nice soap and paper towels.
Menu
Click on any menu picture to enlarge
The menu’s cuisine is entirely Sri Lankan, except for an out-of-place offering of fish & chips on their lunch menu. The lunch special menu at Serendib is small, with only six options to choose from. All six options come with a “chilled beverage” of your choice: Ceylon iced lemon tea, fruit punch or mango juice, the latter two not even being offered on the regular drink menu.
Food
I got their Chilaw Chicken (RM18), which came with a bonus pot of dhal curry. The rice was rich with turmeric and star anise flavour like a biryani. The seeni sambol was something different – onions simmered with sweet and spicy flavours, but the spice level was pretty mild. The Chilaw chicken was boneless pieces of chicken breast covered in a spicy curry sauce. It had adequate seasonings, but even the sauce couldn’t mask how dry the chicken was.
Mark got their Fish & Chips (RM16), which was breaded in a way that neither of us had ever seen before on fish & chips. It looked like when you order your chicken “extra crispy” at KFC. Whatever this lumpy batter is, it got the job done and the outer shell was crunchier than the usual breaded fish. Though the menu never specifies what kind of fish it is, it still had the expected flaky white flesh. Chilli sauce on the side… shoestring chips… this is a very nontraditional fish and chips, but the idea is still there. A Ceylon take on the English dish?
Saturday Worthy?
Serendib undoubtedly offers the most pleasant dining experience compared to the nasi kandars, kopitams and noodle houses it shares the basement with, but that ambience comes at a price. The lunch specials were not a great bargain, and there wasn’t enough variety to make you want to revisit often. If you work in the area, it’s a worthwhile option for a special occasion or staff lunch (where hopefully the boss is footing the bill!). No big complaints about the food, but it’s not noteworthy enough for me to come back.
Price for 2 Pax: RM37.40
Chilaw Chicken: RM18.00
Fish & Chips: RM16.00
10% Service: RM3.40
Serendib Restaurant & Bar
G Tower, LG 07 & 08, No. 199 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
Daily: 11am – 11pm
Alcohol Served: No
