Ministry of Crab & The Back Room, Manila

If you are looking for some excellent fine dining in Manila, you should check out the Ministry of Crab. As the name suggests, the restaurant specializes in crab, and every single dish is mouth-watering goodness! The original MoC is in Sri Lanka and was awarded n. 25 of Asia's best 50 restaurants in 2018. In January of 2019, the Ministry of Crab opened it's doors in Manila, inside the Shangri-La at the Fort. It was the most fantastic dining experience we've had in Manila. The restaurant is beautiful; the decor is so tasteful and full of life. I also love the vibrant orange touch everywhere you look.

Are the crabs fresh?

Rumor has it, MoC has no freezers, the crabs are fresh from the Philippine waters, and the spices are brought in from Sri Lanka. My favorite dishes and highly recommend are the Baked Crab (crab risotto, that's all you need to know, trust me on this one), the Crab Sisig ( crab meat, calamansi juice + sunny side up quail egg) and of course the star of the show the Pepper Crab. Why? Because they can! Don't get me wrong; you are not short on options. As soon as you get to the restaurant, you will see a giant display of crab sizes from 1/2 kilo to Crabzilla (around 2kg - yep, that's right). Since the crabs are fresh, it's unlikely they will have all of the sizes daily, but you can see the lights on the display showing the availability of the day.

What If I'm not into crabs?

If you don't feel like eating crab (don't go to a crab restaurant, ha!), don't you worry young Jedi, you can also have a feast and leave with a nice big smile on your face! They have other dish options such as chicken curry rice, chicken teriyaki, Pol Sambol, a handful of veggie sides and rice. I'm sure you can also appreciate their delicious desserts! We had the pistachio kulfi biscotti (soooo good!) and the agar-agar jelly with fresh Philippine mangoes and ice cream. We tried their fantabulous signature drinks, uniquely created by Shangri-La at the Fort's executive mixologist, Ulysse Jouanneaud. The cocktails were inspired by sea travel and the concept of paradise. We sure highly recommend it! And speaking of drinks, have the signature ones but also save room for more cocktails at the nicest speakeasy in town, The Back Room, you will be surprised.

The Back Room

After having dinner at MoC, we knew we had to experience this hidden gem. The Back Room scored the 50th spot in Asia's 50 best bars in 2019 - only three bars in the country made to that list. Somewhere inside the Shangri-La at the Fort, (they do a great job keeping this a secret spot), this classy speakeasy will leave you impressed. The ambiance is intimate and tasteful; dimmed lights, green leather walls, banquettes, black marble floor & bar. They offer over 120 brands of gin, including their own homemade delicious gin Bee's Knee's. You also won't experience any classic cocktails here. All 18 cocktails are uniquely created, each one inspired by the different signature elements of the prohibition era.

We got to visit the "lab" where the Bee's Knee's magic happens, and we had way too much fun and, of course, gin. There you have it, my friends. I hope you make your way to Manila soon and get to enjoy these 2 fantastic dining experiences. We sure can't wait to be back!

For reservations and more info about the Ministry of Crab - Manila, go HERE. For The Back Room, go HERE.

Disclaimer:

We were invited by Shangri-La at the Fort to experience the Ministry of Crab & The Back Room and share our honest review. As always, I'm very transparent with my audience, I keep it honest and all opinions are my own. Except when there is sarcasm, then, I don't know where it comes from  Thank you for reading! Be kind, be well & keep climbing!

RELATED POSTS:

• Where to Stay in Manila, Philippines - Shangri-La at the Fort