My first encounter with Dharshan Munidasa came many moons ago when Nihonbashi was still the new kid on the block and my monthly allowance as a student wasn’t sufficient to try out their wares. Then Culinary Journey’s with Dharshan happened and a fan was born. Needless to say every recipe was tried with the best possible substitute to the maestro’s ingredients. As for skill, let’s just say my versions managed to never send anyone to a hospital!
During the years that followed, many are the times that I have been in the same room as Dharshan but never had the guts to actually go talk to him. That was until one fine day while casually trying out the food at Next Innings, the man himself walked right up to our table to say hello. I am not the typical “fan girl” type but during a brief but insightful conversation I was convinced as to why this self-taught chef was worthy of the title I have chosen to give this piece.
Born in Japan to a Sri Lankan father and Japanese mother, Dharshan brought with him the best of both worlds when he moved back to him homeland in 1994 and decided that Colombo needed a good Japanese restaurant. In 1995 Nihonbashi (The Bridge) was born giving way to a myriad of culinary adventures that would follow in the next 19 years. It was in 2011 that Dharshan joined forces with cricketing legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to open Ministry of Crab, a restaurant as its name suggests dedicated to the world-renowned local crustacean. The floodgates literally opened thereafter as recognition for this unique restaurant came from far and wide.
Nihonbashi was one of only two Sri Lankan restaurants selected to feature in the 2011/2012 edition of The Miele Guide (Asia’s first independent restaurant guide). In their 2013 Edition, Dharshan had the distinction of gaining both the coveted first and second place in Sri Lanka for the outstanding cuisine at both the Ministry of Crab and Nihonbashi, respectively. Nihonbashi also had the prestige of being the first Sri Lankan restaurant to have ever made it into Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List. Ministry of Crab was also honoured to be ranked on this prestigious list making Dharshan the only Asian chef to have two restaurants on this list.
As this piece was being written it was announced that Ministry of Crab was ranked 35th in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 at the awards ceremony held in Macau. The restaurant now boasts branches all over Asia including Shanghai (China), Manila (Philippines) and Mumbai (India), with many more in the pipeline. The Ministry of Crab along with Nihonbashi are the only two Sri Lankan restaurants that have been ranked in this list.
While travelling back to Sri Lanka with his coveted awards, we asked Dharshan a few things about his life, his passion and the future.
What does it take for a restaurant to be listed as one of the Best in Asia?
You need to stand out! How do you stand out? You need to be so unique, so avant-garde that people remember more than just your cuisine, ingredients and dining experience. I believe that we have created this impact on our guests, and it is truly an honour to be on the Asia’s Best list.
What makes Ministry of Crab special?
The Crab! We spend so much effort and energy to make sure that the crab is of the best quality and that it comes to us in the right way and is stored in the correct way until it’s cooked. Respect for ingredients is one of the pillars of a restaurant that many restaurants forget. This respect for our ingredients is reflected in our dishes and that is what makes us special!
What would you say is the secret to your success?
Never stop learning! You learn so much every day and if you ever think that you have reached a certain point where you believe that you are a master of something, you will never learn beyond that. Think of every experience to be something new, be a master of nothing and you may learn a lot more than you can.
From Nihonbashi to Ministry of Crab, Kaema Sutra and now Next Innings, what next?
Carpe Diem. It’s a steak restaurant but I’m designing the fire to cook the steak. It’s very unusual to start a restaurant concept by designing the heat source but this is what I’m doing right now!
How do you want to be remembered or what is the legacy that you will leave behind?I will leave it up to the people to decide…
For anyone who has dined at any of Dharshan’s restaurant it is evident that this man has a unique gift of taking simple things and making something extraordinary out of it. We also didn’t forget to pick his brains on a few quips…
Who is the better chef, Kumar or Mahela? Kumar
All-time favourite dish to cook? Wild Boar
Favourite dish on the Ministry of Crab menu? Pepper Crab
Favourite ingredient that you must have in your kitchen? Eggs
If you could create a hybrid of a Japanese and Sri Lankan dish, what would it be? Karapincha Tempura, it’s already on the Nihonbashi menu.
One type of food that you will never ever taste? Anything with coriander in it!
Favourite holiday destination? What is a holiday?
Sri Lanka in one word? CRAB!
Sri Lanka’s very own celebrity chef is by far one of the most enigmatic personalities one may have the privilege to meet in a lifetime. As for the food he puts on your table whether it’s sushi, a funky hopper, a cricket ball cutlet or a monstrosity of a crab curry, it is all truly worth it…
Written by Nishu Gunawardana
Images Courtesy Ministry of Crab