Ministry of Crab

1/226 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
https://ministryofcrab.com.au/

Ministry of Crab does one thing, and they do it well (no prizes for guessing). With branches across the globe, they do have a bit of that generic high-end restaurant feel. But that’s not a bad thing – Rockpool is technically a chain, and they are excellent. Service is hit and miss. Though super friendly, it oscillates wildly between smooth and knowledgeable, and well-intentioned confusion. Ultimately, if you want a fancy night out with crab as the guest of honour, this is the obvious choice.

Rating: 13/20 – BEEEEEEG crab.
How much to order: approx. 500g crab per person, maybe a little less if you want more of the other stuff.

The crabs are live and cooked to order, so there’s about a 20-minute wait. Hence we were encouraged to get a snack to tide us over. They were unfortunately out of the crab liver pate, but the Baked Crab ($20) was a hearty start on a cold night. This turned out to be a rich, sticky risotto, with a crab flavour that is distinct yet delicate. Really gets you keen for the main course.

Speaking of. We got the Chilli Crab ($198, kilo crab), because classics are classics for a reason. And you know what? Crab hits different when you are scoffing down mouthfuls from an entire claw. Though I will say, I also enjoyed picking out every last bit of flavour-soaked meat from the crevices

In lieu of steamed/fried mantou, the must-have accompaniment is Kade Bread ($6) – a fluffy, brioche-like bread, perfect for scooping up the rich, spicy, and slightly sweet sauce.

To cut through the richness, the garlicky stir-fried Water Spinach ($18) is a good choice. Pair it with a bowl of Steamed Japonica Rice ($6) – the chewy yet fluffy grains perfect for soaking up the remainders of the crab-infused sauces.

Most of the mocktails are relatively unexciting (variations of juice + sparkling water), but you could do worse than the Honey Yuzu Soda ($13), with floral smoothness accentuated by a hint of zest.