Shangri-La at the Fort welcomes a new addition to its dining destinations, the award-winning Sri Lankan seafood concept, Ministry of Crab, Manila.
Founded by culinary figure Dharshan Munidasa and cricket players Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, Ministry of Crab has proven its expertise, landing the 25th position in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 while being a consistent awardee since its inception in 2015. It has also made its mark in the Asian food scene in Japan, India and most recently, China.
In Manila, guests can expect a no-frills, casual and spontaneous experience as they step into the restaurant, set against a colonial architectural backdrop inspired by the Colombo flagship. While they may also look forward to Sri Lankan signatures, they will be pleased to know that Ministry of Crab, Manila’s menu philosophy is not only heavily rooted in Filipino flavors, but the crab, prawns and most ingredients are sourced from the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao regions.
The restaurant’s menu lays out the varieties for both the crab and prawn, with the former ranging from the half-kilo crab to the two-kilogram, larger-than-life Crabzilla. The prawn also has its share of the spotlight beginning with the one-half dozen batch of black tiger prawns to the 600g Prawnzilla.
Guests can look forward to a library of flavors including the flagship’s signature Pepper Crab and Chili Crab, as well as Filipino favorites like guinataan (coconut milk and chilies) and pinakurat (spiced natural coconut vinegar). Guests will also be surprised to know about the Filipino crab-based dishes available as well, like crab sisig, lumpiang ubod with crab and more. The dining experience is capped off with a special dessert menu, featuring a marriage of Filipino and Sri Lankan flavors, with ingredients such as agar agar, kulfi, pistachio, rice and the Philippine mango.
A component unique only to Ministry of Crab, Manila is the restaurant’s curated 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 highly inspired by sea travel and the concept of paradise. Homemade ginger beer and distillates were especially created as well for this restaurant alone, as well as a diverse selection of tea.
With such a flavor-rich menu to whet a seafood fan’s palate, the restaurant has only this to say: ‘keep calm and crab on.’
Restaurant Information:
Ministry of Crab, Manila
Located at Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila, Philippines
Address: 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 1634, Metro Manila, Philippines
E-mail: moc.slfm@shangri-la.com
Tel. (63 2) 820 0888
Tel. (63 2) 8820 0888*
*from March 20, 2019 onwards
Stay hungry,
thehungrychef
Nathaniel C. Uy
The Hungry Chef 