From October 14, Crown Melbourne will welcome one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated and renowned restaurants, Ministry of Crab, to its stylish Evergreen dining space for a month-long pop-up, continuing its commitment to Melbourne’s diverse and iconic food scene, championing local produce alongside internationally renowned chef talent.
Ministry of Crab was founded over a decade ago by eminent chef-restaurateur Dharshan Munidasa alongside Sri Lankan cricketing legends Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara, and has since become one of Sri Lanka’s most famous restaurants and arguably one of the best crab restaurants in the world.
Ministry of Crab has repeatedly appeared on ‘Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list, recently ranked number 35, and is celebrated as a culinary homecoming of Sri Lanka’s legendary mud crab, which has long gained popularity beyond Sri Lanka. The restaurant has since opened successful overseas outposts in Shanghai, Chengdu, Manila, Mumbai, Maldives and Bangkok.
Venturing to Melbourne for the first time, the month-long pop-up at Crown will reflect Chef Dharshan’s dual Japanese and Sri Lankan lineage and culture, featuring a variety of Ministry of Crab’s most iconic dishes including the fiery pepper crab, avocado crab salad, crab liver pâté and garlic chilli prawn. Enhancing this incredible menu will be bespoke wine parings from leading Australian labels including Penfolds, Wynns, Seppelt and Coldstream Hills. The pop-up will showcase sustainably sourced local Australian crab from Queensland and the Northern Territory, curated by one of Asia’s finest chefs, adding yet another unique dining experience to the already vibrant food scene in Melbourne.
After years of limited interstate and international travel, Crown Melbourne’s Executive General Manager of Food and Beverage, Enda Cunningham, says he’s looking forward to bringing such an iconic global restaurant concept to Melbourne.
“There’s no denying we’re all still yearning for the bucket list food experiences that come with the adventure of travel and Crown Melbourne’s Ministry of Crab pop-up is set to satisfy that hunger,” he says.
“Partnering Crown’s unparalleled hospitality expertise with one of Asia’s finest restaurants is an exciting alignment for us. We are proudly continuing Crown’s tradition of bringing some of the most unique and iconic culinary experiences across the globe to our guests, working alongside some incredible local Australian suppliers.”
Founding chef-restaurateur, Dharshan Munidasa, says the Ministry of Crab was built on the ethos of serving the highest quality ingredients in their freshest form, so this Melbourne pop-up is the perfect fit given Australia is renowned for its phenomenal seafood.
“We are excited to be bringing the Ministry of Crab experience to Melbourne for the first time. Australia is a country that is home to mud crabs and we are honoured to be cooking and plating up these crustacean giants in our unique style at Evergreen at Crown Towers,” says Munidasa.
The collaboration from Crown comes as part of the company’s recent diversification strategy and innovation of its food and beverage business, including this year taking on the management of the VRC’s hospitality offering at Flemington Racecourse, extending to its restaurants, bars, retail and function venues for all race days, as well as the club’s non-race day events business.
“At Crown, our passion is creating exceptional hospitality experiences, and we love supporting Melbourne’s mantle as the food capital of Australia. We’ve got some very exciting plans ahead for Crown’s dining portfolio and are pleased to be contributing to the broader revival of Melbourne’s hospitality scene” added Cunningham.
Bookings for this limited-time-only dining experience are now available.
