Ministry of Crab arrives in Australia for month-long pop up at iconic Crown Melbourne

From left: Christina Stephens, High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka and Maldives Paul Stephens, Dharshan Munidasa, Deputy High Commissioner Amanda Jewell and Stephen Jewell

Dharshan Munidasa and his team from Ministry of Crab are presently in Melbourne for a month-long pop up at the elegant Evergreen dining space at Crown Melbourne. 

Ahead of the pop up, Dharshan hosted High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka and Maldives Paul Stephens and Deputy High Commissioner Amanda Jewell for an official lunch at the Ministry of Crab in Colombo, where they sampled the set menu that would be plated up to Australian diners. During this lunch Dharshan also presented the High Commissioner with a limited-edition apron that commemorated the event. 

Venturing to Melbourne for the first time, the pop-up at Crown will feature Ministry of Crab’s most iconic dishes including the fiery pepper crab made using the amazing Australian Mud Crab, avocado crab salad, crab liver pâté, garlic chilli prawn and coconut crème brûlée. Bespoke wine parings from leading Australian wineries including Penfolds, Wynns, Seppelt and Coldstream Hills, will be paired with this signature menu.

Australia is renowned for its phenomenal seafood and the pop up will showcase sustainably sourced Australian Mud Crab from Queensland and the Northern Territory, a slight departure from the norm for MoC’s pop ups which would typically showcase the Sri Lankan Mud Crab. Dharshan says, “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 privileged to be able to source these magnificent crustaceans locally, like what we do in Colombo. We are looking forward to cooking and plating them up in our unique style at Evergreen at Crown Towers.” The pop-up restaurant at Crown Melbourne will cater to approximately 100 guests per night on weekdays and 200 guests per night on weekends (a total of 3,200 guests for its duration), making it Ministry of Crab’s most ambitious pop up yet. The months of planning played on Chef Dharshan’s strengths of attention to detail and organisation, with most of MoC’s key brand touchpoints such as their signature crab bowls, napkins and even wine glasses being airlifted for the event. Accompanying Chef Dharshan on this pop up are his head chefs from Ministry of Crab Bangkok and Maldives, along with his team from Sri Lanka. 

With Australia recently opening 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 the collaboration, as part of the company’s recent diversification strategy and innovation of its food and beverage business. 

“Partnering Crown’s unparalleled hospitality expertise with one of Asia’s 50 best 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,” he stated.