As I age, my food habits have changed. One of such changes is my preference from red meat to the seafood. Perhaps easy to digest and clean flavours. And when I heard that the famous chain from Sri Lanka by Chef Dharshan Munidasa is doing a pop-up at Shangri-La hotel in Delhi, I just had to go. Such pop-ups are slightly more expensive than their regular restaurant to take care of travel and accommodation expenses of the team but offers some of the best dishes they have on their menu.
The restaurant was sold out for all 4 days of pop-up but I could manage a table for the last day. And what a fabulous meal it was. No wonder the Ministry of Crab is amongst the Top 50 Asian restaurants 8 years in a row. The 4 course meal priced at Rs7500++ with an additional surprise course saved me a trip to Mumbai or Sri Lanka to try the food.
The first course was steamed and chilled crab meat in wasabi sauce that had mild mayonnaise in an absolutely ripe avocado. Even the wasabi used was minimal but one could feel its presence on the back of the tongue. Sweet crab meat and buttery avocado. This salad is something I can eat on repeat.
The second course was the lake tiger prawn cooked in chilli garlic sauce with soy sauce. Served with Srilankan Kade bread that has a very crisp exterior and soft inside, it is a great accompaniment by soaking the gravy.
The third course was something I was waiting for the most. A full sized mud crab cooked in pepper sauce. Since my partner was a vegetarian and the restaurant still serves a similar portion, I got lucky to get the entire crab to myself. The large crab shell would come out easily without having to use the crab cutter. Inside was a meaty chunky sweet crab meat waiting to be relished. Pepper crab was served with sticky rice, but I hardly used it. Almost 30 minutes later on this course only crab shells could be seen on the table.
Before the surprise course came, I got to meet the chef who mentioned about the next course – Crab Biryani. During covid when no restaurant would run, he was looking for a dish that could be home delivered. In that instance he prepared crab biryani along with pickles and it became a big hit. And when I ate the biryani, I knew why. With no efforts required to de-shell the crab and still get to eat the flavorful meat in a very slowly cooked rice, this dish may not offer a luxury dining experience but is very comforting.
Such sessions are also a learning experience. I met Mr Ramit Mittal, Executive Chairman and Director of Gourmet Investment that has the franchise rights for India for Ministry of Crab, Pizza Express etc. He mentioned that unlike crabs that are kept in water to increase their weight, they taste best out of water. These mud crabs don’t need to be dipped but just sprayed with water to get the best flavours out of them. He also mentioned how these crabs are being flown on a daily basis from Chennai so that they are still active when they reach the location.
The last course was the coconut creme brule served in fresh coconut with coconut flesh intact. A delicious dessert of which I wouldn’t mind a repeat if I wasn’t so full by then.
Since the pop-up is already over, you may either wait for the restaurant to open up in Delhi, next pop up announcement or don’t forget to visit the Ministry of Crab on your next visit to Mumbai.
– Pawan Soni
