Master of Japanese and Sri Lankan cuisine: Ministry of Crab’s Dharshan Munidasa is beyond the ‘celebrity’ tag

Indian foodies who love crustaceans are no stranger to the name Ministry of Crab. In 2019, the iconic restaurant arrived in Mumbai’s iconic Zaveri House in Khar all the way from the bustling Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. 

Founded by celebrity chef Dharshan Munidasa, along with cricket legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, the restaurant attracts the who’s who of India. It has also ranked 23rd at the Food Food Top 30 Restaurant Awards, 2022.

Nonetheless, much before Ministry of Crab became Bollywood celebrities' favourite restaurant, and got featured in Dharmatic Entertainment’s Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, it was causing waves in its flagship outlet in Sri Lanka. 

With the Sri Lankan crab as its menu’s core ingredient, Ministry of Crab has been consistently making it to the coveted Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list from 2015 to 2022. 

But why the name ‘Ministry of Crab’? YS Life asks Chef Munidasa. 

“I wanted to create a name for a crab restaurant that would have some power behind it. These crabs were already famous in Singapore as Sri Lankan Crabs and as Sri Lankan Mud Crabs for over three decades, and I needed to create a home for the homecoming of this national treasure that sounded powerful, hence the name Ministry of Crab!”

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While Munidasa has seven outposts of the Ministry of Crab across Colombo, Shanghai, Manila, Bangkok, Chengdu, Maldives and Mumbai, it is not the only feather on his cap. 

His first restaurant, Nihonbashi, serving authentic Japanese delicacies on the shores of Colombo, opened its door to diners in 1995. Subsequently, it went on to be featured on Asia’s first independent restaurant guide–Miele Guide; and became the first Sri Lankan restaurant to get featured in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant List from 2013 to 2018. 

In November 2023, the Tokyo-born chef was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Government of Japan for his contribution to enhance bilateral diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Japan, through ways of cultural exchange. 

“Japan is my heart and soul… I never did what I do for any awards or recognition, I simply did something that I believed was right. I think as restaurateurs, we are in the business of educating our guests and showing them what real Japanese cuisine is.” 

However, the most inspiring bit about Munidasa’s journey remains to be the fact that he is a self-taught chef. With no professional degree or certificate under his belt, what got Munidasa here is his pride for his culture and its food. 

“My hunger, passion, and love for great food is the reason that I never stopped looking to create dishes,” the quinquagenarian remarks. 

YS Life caught up with the celebrity chef and TV personality when Ministry of Crab was in Goa for a pop-up in collaboration with W Goa. Munidasa presented the best of Indian mud crab with the spices of Sri Lanka, through a menu featuring avocado crab salad, show-stopper pepper crab, and French dessert creme brulee, with a tropical twist of coconut, among other delicacies. 

The former host of Culinary Journeys with Dharshan, a food show where Munidasa journeyed through the local fish markets to source the best Sri Lankan ingredients, attributes his love for food to his parents.

Born to a Sri Lankan father and a Japanese mother, Munidasa recalls visiting restaurants and talking to chefs over sushi counters during his childhood. “My mother always made sure we had Sri Lankan food when we were living in Japan, and Japanese food when we moved to Sri Lanka,” he adds. 

His first instinct to become a chef ignited when he was pursuing a double degree in Computer Engineering and International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University in the USA. “I did not like the food that was served in the dorms and started cooking to feed myself.” 

“When I first started cooking, I slowly realised that I needed to have a method to the madness.” Thus, Munidasa started developing menus with corresponding grocery lists. 

Soon, he was hosting around 20 students from neighbouring universities for dinner every Friday night. “It became somewhat of a Japanese restaurant!” It later translated to Nihonbashi when Munidasa returned to Sri Lanka, the following year. 

In 2014, the Japanese Government awarded him the Minister’s Award for Overseas Promotion of Japanese Food. 

Despite creating two of Sri Lanka’s most successful restaurants, Munidasa rejects the title of a ‘celebrity chef’. “I created two restaurants and it is in my commitment to make these restaurants shine, and perhaps that is why I have become who I am.” 

Following Nihonbashi and the Ministry of Crab, Munidasa opened his third restaurant, Kaema Sutra in 2014, in Colombo, in partnership with Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez. “I brought my specific precision skill sets of Japanese cuisine into Sri Lankan food,” he adds. 

Later that year, he also founded The Tuna & The Crab, a hybrid restaurant featuring Japanese speciality from Nihonbashi and seafood delicacies from Ministry of Crab.  

Operating and supervising in multiple geographical locations and time zones is no cakewalk. “I spend a lot of time visiting each outpost and spending time with our partners to ensure that everything is up to the quality standards. The constant communication, strong connection and building of these relationships is key.” 

Munidasa continues to deal with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the hospitality industry. “The biggest challenge right now is finding team members to join us.” 

The chef currently has a lot on his plate and he is concentrating on expanding his existing restaurants to newer geographies. 

So what is his advice for budding chef-entrepreneurs? 

“Be honest, simple and humble about what you create… Don’t try to sauce it up, don’t fork it!”