Speaker Profile

Dharshan Munidasa

Chef/Owner, Ministry of Crab

Dharshan Munidasa is Sri Lanka’s most renowned chef-restaurateur, best known for having founded Nihonbashi, Ministry of Crab and Kaema Sutra, some of Sri Lanka’s most successfulrestaurants.

Nihonbashi, Dharshan’s first venture founded in 1995, serves inspired fine Japanese cuisine and uses local ingredients, creating unique dishes employing Japanese cooking philosophies. It wasone of the only two restaurants in Sri Lanka to be listed on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (2013- 2018). He followed this up with Ministry of Crab in 2011, partnering with Sri Lankan cricket legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, listed on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurantssince 2015.

Dharshan also owns Kaema Sutra in partnership with Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, plating up Contemporary Sri Lankan Cuisine. He then ventured into establishing The Tuna & The Crab in Galle, a hybrid Japanese and Seafood restaurant that combines the best of Nihonbashi and Ministry of Crab. Having opened Café Nihonbashi at the Radh Hotel in Kandy, Dharshan introduced Casual Washoku serving a selection of signature Japanese dishes from Nihonbashi. In 2018, Dharshan together with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara opened Next Innings in Colombo, a sports lounge featuring 14ft Video Walls and 75” Large Format Displays.

Dharshan is known for his focus on high quality, fresh ingredients that he often pairs with Japanese cooking philosophies. Over the years Dharshan has been invited to prepare degustation menus in various establishments across the world; including the Regent in Taiwan, the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney, the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore, Shangri–La at The Shard in London, Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, Four Seasons in Mumbai, Cheval Blanc Randheli, Huvafen Fushi Maldives, and The Sukhothai Shanghai.

Moreover, being of Japanese-Sri Lankan descent, Dharshan’s contribution to Japanese Culture was recognized by the Japanese government when he was presented The Minister’s Award forOverseas Promotion of Japanese Food for the year 2014. Dharshan is also an ambassador for‘Cool Japan’, appointed by the Japanese government for the spread of Japanese culture.

Having gained a reputation for his out-of-the-box thinking and his knack for pushingboundaries, Dharshan revolutionized Sri Lanka’s gastronomic landscape and his restaurants have put Sri Lanka on the global culinary map. For these efforts, he was awarded the Business Today Passionate award 2017.

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