Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Crab (No. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018) opens its doors in Manila, Philippines at Shangri-La at the Fort on January 16! This is Ministry of Crab’s third location after Colombo and Shanghai– and soon, they will also be opening in Mumbai and later on, Bangkok. The restaurant, set up by chef Dharshan Munidasa (he is also behind Nihonbashi, No. 45 on Asia’s 50 Best), and cricket legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, is known for spotlighting Sri Lankan crabs. At the same time, they subscribe to an ethos of not serving anything frozen. (Ministry of Crab Colombo has no freezer.) Hence, the Manila outpost will have the crabs and seafood sourced fresh from our Philippine waters, while the spices will be brought in from Sri Lanka. “We are going to give you the best, biggest [Philippine] crabs in this restaurant,” Dharshan committed.
Ministry of Crab believes that the best produce should be enjoyed locally. “For decades, we have been sending our Sri Lankan crabs out of our own country to be appreciated by Singapore, Hong Kong and China,” shared Dharshan. “Sri Lankan crabs were getting a brand name overseas and we wanted to bring the crab back to Sri Lanka. So one night, the name Ministry of Crab came up, and we were looking for a ministerial property and by chance, the old Dutch hospital, which was a 400-year-old building came up. In December 2017, I came here [in Manila] to see the space and it’s almost like what we have. The work that was done to transform [this location] to our DNA has been amazing.” By the way, the Manila outpost can seat up to 126 pax!
The stars of the menu are obviously the crabs. You pick the size of your crab– how many kilos, and the way you want it prepared. I’m going to post the menu so you can plan in advance for your visit.
Ministry of Crab’s signature is the Black Pepper Crab. Black pepper has been around for 4,000 years; all Sri Lankan curries were black, as red chili was not native to the region. This dish is made using hand-crushed peppercorns (rolled on a traditional miris gala), whole peppercorns, and a pepper stock– it’s a must-try!
Another dish I really enjoyed at the preview dinner was the Baked Crab— which is kind of like a crab risotto made with Japanese rice and fresh crab meat. It arrives with just a shell and you lift it up to find this piece of heaven on a plate modeled after a real crab shell made by Noritake in Sri Lanka.
And in Manila, they also have Philippine-exclusive dishes, like Guinataang Crab (with fresh coconut milk and chillies), Pinakurat Crab (with spiced natural coconut vinegar), Crab Sisig and Lumpiang Ubod with Crab.
Also unique to Ministry of Crab Manila is the restaurant’s beverage program, created by Shangri-La at the Fort’s executive mixologist, Ulysse Jouanneaud. He incorporates cinnamon and ginger to pay homage to Sri Lanka’s rich history, with the cocktails inspired by sea travel and the concept of paradise. 
Some of the signature drinks at Ministry of Crab Manila: Ceylon Spritz, Spirit of the Sea, Ginger and Passion fruit Iced Tea, Kandy’s Loot (Photo courtesy of Shangri-La at the Fort)Ministry of Crab Manila is open daily from 6:00PM to 10:30 PM. It is located at Shangri-La at the Fort’s side entrance, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Philippines. For reservations, phone (632) 820 0888.
