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ministry of crab

The Declaration

Ministry of Crab was created in 2011, as a culinary homecoming of Sri Lanka’s legendary mud crab, which has long gained popularity outside of the island for decades.

Our Crabs - The ‘stars of the show’ range from 500g to 2KG with ‘Crabzilla’ being our ‘showstopper’. We have been plating crabs of these sizes in various cooking styles that encompass the Japanese, Sri Lankan, Mediterranean flavours from our one-of-a-kind Dashi-based Pepper Crab to our Garlic Chilli Crab. Our Freshwater Prawns are sourced from the lakes and tanks in the country and grow up to a mammoth 500g ‘Prawnzilla’.We also celebrate the culinary gems of our freshwaters; with our amazing clams and oysters.

We take the freshness of our ingredients seriously by incorporating a daring no-freezer policy. Our infamous printed ‘yellow menu’ at our flagship restaurant starts with the Ministry of Crab constitution as an indication of our commitment towards plating up fresh ingredients to our guests.

THE CRAB STORY
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Founders

ministers

Meet the founders behind Sri Lanka’s most iconic restaurant
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Kumar
Sangakkara
Regarded as one of the world's most influential cricketers and a past captain of the Sri Lankan national cricket team, Kumar is presently the Chair of the prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) World Cricket Committee.
Dharshan
Munidasa
Sri Lanka’s most renowned Chef and Restaurateur, Dharshan is the mastermind behind some of the country’s most prolific restaurants, having the distinction of being the only Sri Lankan to have had two of his restaurants ranked on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Mahela
Jayawardene
A former captain of the Sri Lankan national cricket team, considered one of the best cricket tacticians in the world, Mahela is the Global Performance Director for the Mumbai Indians overseeing its Men’s IPL, Women’s IPL, SA20 and ILT20 franchise teams.
Philosophy

Constitution

Read Articles
Article I
When it comes to crab, we don't serve them small, meatless, with one claw missing, or with unevenly sized claws – only the best of the catch.
Article II
We don't buy anything frozen and we do not freeze our seafood. The only use we've found for freezers is storing our food refuse for disposal.
Article III
If a restaurant serves good quality seafood, it should be able to serve it as Sashimi. Many don't/can't/won't. We do.
Article IV
We treat all our ingredients with the utmost respect, using techniques which stem from Japanese culinary philosophies and practices. These same principles are employed at the finest Japanese restaurants, such as our sister restaurant Nihonbashi.
Article V
We consider forks and knives merely an option. We have specialized crab utensils to help you pry succulent crab meat from its shell, but digging in with your hands is NOT frowned upon.
Article VI
We aim to remind you that Sri Lanka is a beautiful island nation, which is reflected in the seafood available to us. Our oceans, unlike those in many Southeast Asian countries, are clean and this is why our seafood is simply amazing.
Article VII
We aspire to be one of the lowest 'food-mile' restaurants in the world; hence we do not import any major ingredients.
Article VIII
We are proud of the reputation enjoyed by Sri Lankan Crab in Singapore - thank you Singapore! But we're even prouder of being the first institution in Sri Lanka dedicated to serving you the best of our Mud Crab here in their home country.
Article IX
Our crabs are not farmed and are wild-caught. Their supply is based on the daily catch which is absolutely dependent on rainfall, strong winds and ambient temperature. We apologize in advance if the size (of crab) you require is not available. We consider it a privilege to serve you this crab in Sri Lanka, the true home of the legendary Sri Lankan Crab.
Article X
We are privileged to be serving you inside a building that was constructed over 400 years ago by the Dutch. We designed this restaurant to exemplify the beauty and history of this building, using special methods to preserve the floor and walls. Your chair may wobble a bit, but we hope you will enjoy such charms!

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NEWS AND BLOGS

Hansard

What’s cooking in Dharshan’s Kitchen
Saturday, December 1st, 2018
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THE SRI LANKAN MUD CRAB’S JOURNEY TO MOC
Saturday, June 2nd, 2018
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THE STORY OF THE CRAB BOARD
Friday, June 1st, 2018
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SPICE ISLAND: BLACK PEPPER
Friday, September 1st, 2017
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