At a slight marginal cost to The Collinson Group (Priority Pass, and also ICLP- the 'consultants' to CX/MPC), just nipped into Lotus for a quick comparison with Serendib.

Summary: run by different Operators (AAS-SL vs UL), but with the same caterer (UL- possibly the only one on-site), with slight differences in the F&B offering (Serendib has way more variety, and on direct comparables, 'higher' products). Lotus, while more worn, is quieter (wall to wall carpeting helps!). If you're hungry, head to Serendib (one world J bp needed), while if peace and quiet are what you crave, head to Lotus. I ended up back in Serendib as the shower room there is much better!

The 3month long runway resurfacing project is a blessing in disguise. The authorities are forcing airlines to open check-in counters at T-5hrs. Twofold benefit: those with checkin bags/no access to mobile boarding passes can get to the lounges ~7-8pm for the midnight-ish departures, and, UL being forced to have its takeoffs and landings (departure to and arrival back from the destination, vs the ~hourlong turnaround for most others) in the 1700-0800 window, has had to move up its 9pm-midnight regional departure bank to a 5-7pm one, making for a much less crowded Serendib ~10pm. Seriously, I've never seen so few people at Serendib at ~10pm.

The gory details::
Serendib buffet:
Dessert: Dark n white chocolate terrine,Fruit, pineapple jalousie, Fruit cake, Butter cake, Chocolate croissant bread pudding.
Cheese plate.

Roast chicken,Tempered beans,Tempered potato, Lamb , Creamy spinach tuna casserole,Chicken masala, Bell peppers stuffed with couscous and basil sauce, Japanese style shrimp and soba noodles, Veg biryani, Vegetable + fish consommé

Salad station: Potato salad, Salmon roulade, Duck n orange terrine, Triple vegetable mousse , Asian cadju chx salad with sesame soy vinaigrette, Pear with greens and feta

Booze: Very Special Old Arrcak, Bacardi, Smirnoff vodka, Colombo-London Dry Gin, Gordon's, Glenlivet, JW Black, Chivas 18, Camus XO, Drambuie, Cointreau, Harvey's Bristol Cream, Cockburn's Special Reserve Port, Harvey's medium dry sherry, Martino Extra Dry/Rossi, Campari
Dona Paula Malbec-Syrah, Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere, Laboure' Roi Chablis, Katnook Founder's Block Coonawarra Sauvignon Blanc, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

Lotus Buffet (* on food items that are the same as Serendib)
Dessert: just 1 dessert- local Wattalapan- better than Serendib.
Different cheese, only 1 kind.

Vegetable fish consommé* ,Veg biryani*
Mixed seafood noodles, Chicken masala*, devilled potato,Dhal curry,

Salad: same as Serendib, but in sorry looking plates in the fridge- and no Asian chicken.

Booze: JD, JW Black & Red, Chivas 12, Skyy vodka, Camus VS, Bacardi, Bombay sapphire, Cinzanzo Bianca/Rossi, Cointreau
Muddy boots Shiraz, Le grand siege chardonnay and merlot, Orange river cellars Chenin Blanc

PS: the short foot/shoulder/neck massage in Serendib is good- I asked for meanness to my feet, and proper meanness I got.
PPS: Around for another hour or so, in the unlikely event of another FT'er being at VCBI and needing access to Serendib- buzz! (Tad unsure of guesting rules on a other-oneworld boarding pass though)