Popular Sri Lankan restaurant Ministry of Crab is doing the sideways shuffle south this spring, opening its doors for a month-long pop-up at Crown Towers in Melbourne.

Ministry of Crab in Colombo was founded more than a decade ago by one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated chefs, Dharshan Munidasa, alongside cricketing legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. It has since become one of the most famous crab restaurants in the world, with outposts in Shanghai, Manila, Maldives, Bangkok and more. Ministry of Crab has featured on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the past five consecutive years, where it is currently ranked number 35.

The crustacean chain is famous for slinging crabs in 10 different sizes, ranging from half-kilo baby crabs up to 2kg crabzillas.

Ministry of Crab will scuttle into the Crown’s exclusive event space Evergreen on October 14, where it will trade until November 12.

Founding chef-restaurateur, Munidasa said: “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.”

The menu will feature all the Ministry of Crab classics, swapping out the Sri Lankan lagoon crab for sustainably-sourced seafood from Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The impressive shellfish selection will include a creamy crab liver pate enriched with kithul treacle, a sweet, smoky sap from the kithul palm tree, accompanied with melba toasts. The crab salad will use steamed and chilled crabmeat, gently mixed with a wasabi mayonnaise, served in a scooped-out avocado.

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The highlight of the feast will be the Ministry’s signature dish – the Original Pepper Crab made from local mud crabs cooked in a pepper dashi broth made from hand-crushed native Sri Lankan black peppercorns.

Ministry of Crab offers just one dessert on its Colombo menu, and you’ll be able to try it at Crown Melbourne, too. Offering a tropical take on the French classic, the coconut creme brulee is made from a silky egg custard baked in a coconut shell and finished with a shattering toffee lid.

Diners will need to shell out for the experience, with the five-course set menu priced at $185 per person or $240 with matching wines. The pairings will include five wines from leading Aussie labels including Penfolds, Wynns, Seppelt and Coldstream Hills.

The Evergreen, which is known for its marble bar and plush, luxurious surrounds, will channel the original crab house with branded plates, napkins and bibs.

Crown Melbourne’s executive general manager of food and beverage, Enda Cunningham, says: “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.”

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