Ministry of Crab Shanghai opened on the ground floor of the landmark Barbarossa in People’s Park last October. It’s the only other branch of Sri Lanka’s famed Ministry of Crab, and has generated quite some buzz since opening. (Update: There’s now a Ministry of Crab in Manila.)
Ministry of Crab, Colombo is ranked #29 in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and has received high praise and fanfare for serving ginormous crustaceans, their claim to fame.
The opening presents Shanghai, or rather the seafood-loving nation of China, with the means to eat impressively large crabs in a classy setting.
3 Reasons Why Ministry of Crab is Worth Visiting
Direct From The Source
The restaurant air freights fresh live crabs and prawns direct from the source. It’s unequivocally fresh, high-quality seafood, which obviously, doesn’t come cheap.
Internationally Recognized
I haven’t been to Colombo, but the menu here is exactly the same as the Colombo restaurant, and boasts the same quality as the Asia’s 50 Best ranked restaurant.
Size You Can’t Get Anywhere Else
The crabs range from 500g (¥288) and up, providing ten sizes to choose from. The largest crab, aptly named Crabzilla, weighs in at 2kg (¥1,988). The Crabzilla is the answer to the Tomahawk steak, a prime cut of meat that would usually weigh in under 1.5kg.
Same goes for the prawns—from a half dozen plate of Black Tiger prawns (¥168) to the Prawnzilla 500g+ (¥368).
All can be cooked in the following flavors: pepper, chili, curry, garlic chili, Sichuan peppercorn, or butter.
Ordering A Dinner For Two
To start, the clams (¥88) are fantastic—plump mollusks cooked in butter and soy sauce.
Pair that with a serving of Crab Liver Pate (¥98). It comes with a few slices of toasted bread.
The Kilo Crab (¥788) is more than enough to satiate a table for two, with a few supplemental dishes. The crab sits towering over a small portion of rice drenched in sauce, and comes pre-cracked. It’s fleshy claws and feathery meat is just divine.
Butter is the best option if you want to appreciate the taste of the crab itself. I opt for garlic chili.
They provide bibs, too, so you can crack away without ruining your clothes.
Get sides with your crab—steamed rice (¥18/small, ¥28/large) or bread (¥28) is great with the sauce that comes with the crab.
Add to your order a plate of morning glory (¥48) stir-fried in spicy shrimp paste.
The prawn is glorious, but if you’re unaccustomed to slurping the heads dry, stick to the crab.
They do have a few chicken entrees that are much more affordable than the sea-faring dishes, starting at ¥68.
In Summary
Nothing beats the taste of fresh seafood done well. Sri Lankan crabs are highly sought after worldwide, and continue to be an extremely popular order in neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
If you’re a fan of crab, you should definitely try it, especially if you haven’t had the Sri Lankan variety yet.
Ministry of Crab
Address: Inside People’s Park, 1/F (Barbarossa), 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huangpi Nan Lu 南京西路231号1楼, 人民公园内, 近黄陂南路
Tel: 63180220
Hours: Mon-Sun 11am-11pm
