Sri Lanka’s iconic Ministry of Crab to pop-up at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle

Chef Dharshan Munidasa, founder of the world-renowned and award-winning restaurant ‘Ministry of Crab’ in Colombo will visit Anantara in Tangalle for an exclusive culinary event on 24 February. Assisted by the culinary team at the resort, Chef Dharshan will be serving the best quality lagoon crabs and prawns the island holds, together with some of his most popular signature dishes.

Chef Dharshan, who is of mixed Sri Lankan and Japanese heritage, will plate up a six-course menu, featuring a variety of the best seafood the island has to offer. Menu highlights will include chilled shucked oysters with homemade hot sauce and an aged soy sauce, a simple Japanese preparation of fresh clams with butter, a hearty broth that blends together the fresh flavours of Sri Lanka’s remarkable king prawns with a combination of local spices, baked crab that is akin to a crab risotto, Ministry of Crab’s signature garlic chilli prawn and the legendary pepper crab, which is a combination of two ingredients so prevalent to Sri Lanka’s cuisine.

Chef Dharshan’s hands-on involvement and his meticulous attention to detail have ensured the consistently high standards of his restaurants and revolutionised Sri Lanka’s gastronomic landscape, putting Sri Lanka on the global culinary map. Ministry of Crab has been listed on ‘Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ in 2015 and was awarded the Best Restaurant in 2016 and 2017. The restaurant currently ranks at no. 29 on the 2017 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, while his first restaurant ‘Nihonbashi,’ which serves inspired fine Japanese cuisine, ranks at no.49, making Dharshan the only chef-owner to have two restaurants on this prestigious list. He is also the only Sri Lankan restaurateur to have been recognised on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List since its inception in 2013.

The culinary event will be held at Verala, the resort’s very popular Teppanyaki restaurant, which is further enhanced by the unique flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine. The restaurant, with its unique architectural structure, which resembles the form of a sea urchin, holds a stunning vista onto a golden sweep of beach and the warm Indian Ocean. Diners at Verala will experience the vibrant theatrical tableside cooking of master chefs, who perform their skilful acrobatic shows to create succulent meat and fresh seafood dishes.  

Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort offers guests a unique resort experience in Sri Lanka. Located on the island’s southern coastline, the award-winning resort is set on a secluded stretch of beach amidst a 21-acre coconut plantation. Each of the 120 guest rooms and 32 private pool villas exude serenity with spacious interiors that blend comfortable luxury with modern amenities. Distinctive local experiences and rich cultural traditions are woven into the fabric of the resort and its diverse offerings.