Up For Crabs!

Sri Lankan award-winning restaurant Ministry of Crab has clawed its way and docked in Mumbai. Now, it is all about getting your hands dirty, says chef-owner Dharshan Munidasa and his Indian partner, Ramit Mittal

- Shafquat Ali

If you are one of those who have been trying to plan a vacation to Sri Lanka just to get a table at the Colombo-based Ministry of Crab – yes, there are people who actually do that – don’t bother anymore. Owned by celebrity chef Dharshan Munidasa in partnership with Sri Lankan cricketers Mahela Jayawardane and Kumar Sangakkara, the award winning restaurant has catapulted from the land of flavours to India and is waiting for you with a menu full of all kinds of crab. This is one ministry where anyone can set foot on, and get his/her request fulfilled in no time.

While Ministry of Crab has done numerous pop-ups all over the world, this is only the third time the restaurant is expanding to a new country. Ministry of Crab has opened in Mumbai with franchisee Gourmet Investments Pvt Ltd (GIPL), the creative force behind restaurants such as PizzaExpress and Typhoon Shelter.

Why Mumbai

Ramit Bharti Mittal, CEO, GIPL, says that one of the reasons behind opening first in Mumbai is because people in the bustling metropolis have an evolved palate. But that’s not all. He adds: “I think just in terms of price point positioning, we also know very few cities in the country which has the appetite to be able to pay for and Mumbai is definitely one. Plus, people in Mumbai are always up for experimentation.”

Ramit also points out that the franchise involves a lot of investment. When we ask if the quality produce will reflect in the menu prices, he says it is much like hand-crafted leather or champagne. So the answer is, yes.