Iconic seafood pop-up adds flavor to first anniversary extravaganza
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Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a limited run of five-course beachfront dinners, prepared by the world-renowned Ministry of Crab. Guests can book the exclusive pop-up feast for 2nd and 3rd September, with a menu curated and prepared by the acclaimed culinary team of the award-winning seafood restaurant.
Helmed by renowned chef-restaurateur, Dharshan Munidasa, the original Colombo establishment is a perennial fixture on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The Tokyo-born Sri Lankan chef and his team have already designed the tantalising sample menu, which is available across the two-day pop-up.
Visiting gourmands can expect a sharing plate of Crab Liver Paté. Made using fresh crab liver, this delicately prepared plate is one for umami lovers, served with melba toast, with an added drop of Kitul Treacle (palm sugar syrup) for incredible flavour depth. For a similar, savoury indulgence, the Baked Crab is close to a risotto dish, with a savoury hint of soy sauce.
With a nod to Indian Ocean spice, the Garlic Chili Prawn introduces Sri Lanka’s oversized lake prawns, cooked with Italian olive oil, Japanese soy sauce, garlic, and chilli flakes in the unique Ministry of Crab signature style. Meanwhile, the Pepper Crab is a fusion of fresh ingredients, with the heat of hand crushed pepper corns, whole pepper corns, and pepper stock.
For a sweet finish, the Coconut Crème Brûlée brings a tropical twist on the classic French dessert, baked within a coconut shell, and made with rich coconut milk and plenty of TLC. The menu is an evolution of Ministry of Crab’s pop-up dining events across Asia, which have been incredibly popular since they first began in 2016.
The celebrated seafood concept is built on the ethos of serving high-quality ingredients at the peak of their freshness. As part of that philosophy, the fixed restaurants maintain a no-freezer policy, ensuring guests only sample the best catch of the day – with crabs caught in a traditional style, rather than being farmed. That means there are no small or meatless crabs, nor any crustaceans with uneven or small claws.
Ministry of Crab has had a transformative Colombo’s dining scene, affixing the Indian Ocean island on the global culinary map. As a result the restaurant has been recognised as one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants since 2015,where it remains to this day. The restaurant has also received worldwide press coverage via international media outlets, with foodies and fellow restaurateurs invited to partake in the experience at pop-up events around the globe.