Chef Dharshan Munidasa, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, co-founders of Ministry of Crab.
Regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s top dining destinations, Ministry of Crab has opened its doors at TUAH 1895. Although, you may be surprised that the restaurant doesn’t exactly serve Sri Lankan fare, but honours the cuisine through chef and co-founder Darsha Munidasa’s Japanese and Sri Lankan roots.
Founded by chef Dharshan alongside cricketing legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, the award-winning restaurant blends Japanese cuisine’s simplicity with Sri Lankan ingredients and follows a strict no-freezer policy when it comes to serving the freshest crabs and seafood.
This is the same hallmark of quality that has been upheld by the Ministry of Crab’s flagship in Colombo where the seafood here is flown in regularly from Sri Lanka for its Malaysian outpost.
Signature Garlic Chilli Crab.
Among the menu highlights is the Black pepper Dashi Crab, a tribute to Sri Lanka’s “king of spice”. This hearty dish features a base of dashi of whole black peppercorn that is hand-crushed and rolled on a traditional grinding stone.
If you’re looking for a subtler flavour, the Pure Crab highlights the unique sweetness of Sri Lankan mud crabs. The crabs are steamed with hints of chilli to enhance the flavour and are served with warm butter and chilli padi with soy sauce and chilli vinegar. (Their tip: Order male crabs for extra meaty claw meat and female crabs for tender sweet meat.)
Prawns are cooked in a variety of ways to bring out the purest flavours.
Other dishes to expect are the crab liver paté that is filled with umami goodness and the perfect start to a meal. As for other crustaceans on the menu, Sri Lanka is known for its large freshwater prawns. The Garlic Chilli Prawn is cooked in Italian olive oil with Japanese soy sauce, garlic, and chilli flakes.
