Bangkok’s favorite Sri Lankan crab restaurant in Phrom Phong is now offering Thai mud crabs alongside whopping great Sri Lankan crabs.
The most famous dish at the Ministry of Crab, or MoC, is the Crabzilla, which weighs in at over 2 kilograms. In fact, on a recent visit, the restaurant boasted a 3.5-kilogram kraken that was less of a main course and more of a video game boss. The Thai crabs, sourced from Samut Songkhram’s mangroves, are a little smaller but no less delicious.
“Thai crabs, the meat is a little bit tougher, but the taste is just as good,” said owner Chandini Gulrajani. “Thai crabs are not inferior to Sri Lankan crabs in any way. Sri Lankan crabs have this reputation of being best because of their size.”
Only six cities in the world have a Ministry of Crab, and the brains behind the Bangkok venue is Gulrajani, pescatarian and restaurateur extraordinaire. She opened MoC in 2019.
‘Ministry of Crab’ brings costly crustacean delights to Bangkok
We know what you’re thinking, crabs can’t have a ministry because crabs are bad at paperwork. Very astute. The Ministry of Crab comes courtesy of Chef Dharshan Munidasa’s Sri Lanka sensation, originally set up in an old Dutch hospital building in Colombo.
“I’m Thai-Indian but I have family living in Sri Lanka, and one of the best restaurants to go to in Sri Lanka is Ministry of Crab. I always loved going there. That’s where I learned to love seafood.” Chandini says. “I thought, ‘Thailand doesn’t have a restaurant that focuses on such good quality crabs, so I’ll bring it to Thailand.’”
Though obviously smaller than the OMG!!! Crab or Crabzilla, Thai mud crabs weigh in at the lower end of the crustacean spectrum, just 500 grams to 900 grams.
In Bangkok, Chef Harsha runs the kitchen — shipped over from Sri Lanka just like the crabs, Chandini says. An interest in Thai crabs was spurred by the pandemic, which put a bit of a damper on crustaceans with a Sri Lankan passport, but some prefer their claws framing a Thai smile.
“The Thai crab meat some people notice is a little more firm. And the Sri Lankan crab is very, very soft,” said Chef Harsha. “But to a lot of people, to Thai people who eat a lot of crab, soft crab can mean it’s a bit old. So Thai crab is better for them.”
The crabs here are fresh indeed; the chef will happily bring one dancing out to your table for a look.
So, let’s talk about crustaceans. The Thai crabs start at about ½ kilo (THB800) to 900 grams (THB2,000), and the sizes go up from there, with the frankly unbelievable Crabzilla starting at 2 kilos for THB8,150. Every 100 grams after that will cost another THB500. For your crab coating, try the garlic chili, a heavy but not overpowering flavor that compliments the refreshing crab ripped from the already broken claws.
Before digging into any of this, take the oh-so buttery clams (THB290) for a spin. The key is to remember the airy kade bread, dipped liberally in the rich clam butter sauce. Prawns follow a similar pricing system, going all the way up to (you guessed it) Prawnzilla at upward of 500 grams (THB1,280). But for the meal, opt for the clay pot prawn curry, showcasing freshwater and black tiger prawns in an aromatic curry, a dish that allows you to savor the bigger and sup the smaller at your leisure. And, again, don’t forget to dip the kade bread in the curry until you’re out of bread.
The best part of MoC is it is very, very Sri Lankan in flavor — from the sambal to the coconut creme brulee — with just a dash of Japanese inspiration peppered throughout the menu. Also, not to sound childish, but if you do it right you won’t even have to look at a vegetable; it is a savory, filling, adventurous night of food.
For Chinese New Year, MoC is running a promotion for parties of five or more to get a free half kilo of crab (minimum spend THB3,500 on food) Tuesday through Thursday.
“When we opened in December 2019 and when pricing the crabs we ensured we were pricing 10% cheaper than the other seafood restaurants in the market,” Chandini says. “Most seafood restaurants in Bangkok like to charge per 100 grams, which gives you the perception that they are cheaper but in reality that’s not the case.”
From booking to the graveyard of exoskeletons piling up around you, this is an indulgent crab smorgasbord worth getting excited about.
This story originally appeared in BK.
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