Muslim visitors to South Korea don’t have to worry about not getting a taste of the local cuisine
PLANNING a visit to South Korea and worried that you may not find halal food? Don’t worry. Here’s a list of top eight halal restaurants in Seoul, compiled by Have Halal, Will Travel.
This list will definitely give you the heads-up. Don’t forget to download the HHWTTravel Planner app on App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android to plan your itinerary for your trip! Details at www.hhwt.io.
1. EID, ITAEWON
If you’ve visited Seoul recently, it’s most likely that you’ve heard of this restaurant which serves avariety of South Korean dishes and refillable banchan (side dishes)!
EID is located in Itaewon and, if it isn’t already on your itinerary, we highly recommend making a trip there to try halal authentic Korean food. After all, what’s a trip to Seoul if you’ve not tried the local cuisine!
If you want to be in close proximity to all these yummy food, be sure to check out the EID guesthouse for Muslim-friendly accommodation.
2. MAKAN HALAL KOREAN RESTAURANT, ITAEWON
Also located inItaewon, Makan Halal Korean Restaurant is a relatively new restaurant which opened early this year.Like Eid Restaurant, it serves local fare such as bulgogi (grilled marinated beef), dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken), mulnaengmyeon (cold noodles, a must in summer!) and more!
If you can’t stop to dine in, just ask for dosiraks (packed lunches) to go.
3. BOA GUESTHOUSE
Strictly, this is a guest house, not a restaurant but BoA offers dine-in as well as eight halal dosiraks, including jajangmyeon (black bean sauce).
You can also have rice cake (tteokbokki) and fried chicken from the side menu. If you’re a fan of K-dramas, you will know that South Korean fried chicken is wonderfully yummy.
BoA Guesthouse is located in Hongdae, one of the trendy, must-visit spots in Seoul. It will definitely fit into your itinerary!
4. DONGMUN, NAMI ISLAD
Okay, technically Nami island isn’t in Seoul but it’s a must-visit destination and it has an authentic halal restaurant!
Dong Mun is the fourth halal-certified restaurant in South Korea and it has an extensive menu of Asian cuisine, from Vietnamese to South Korean food!
Think bibimbab (mixed rice), jajangmyeon and bulgogi!
It’s the perfect place to rest and grab a bite after a long day ofsightseeing on the island.
5.YANG GOOD BBQ,GANGNAM-GU
If you’ve been staring longingly at locals enjoy their barbecue meat and hoping to try some too, we are pleased to say you can, at Yang Good!
It’s all about lamb here. Choose from unmarinated lamb to enjoy the natural-tasing tender lamb meat or the marinated lamb to savoura juicy lamb rack coated with Korean sweet sauce!
Yang Good also offers lamb soup, deonjang-jjigae (fermented soya bean paste soup), mulnaengmyeon (cold noodles) and other dishes.
It’s the perfect place for dinner after shopping at Gangnamorcafe-hopping at Garosugil!
Do note that alcohol is served here as the restaurant serves locals too, but the ingredients and the lamb meat are halal-certified.
6. NAMIOK, GYEONGGI-DO (NEAR NAMI ISLAND)
On Nami Island, you must make a side trip to Namiok for halal dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken)!
Just picture chicken marinated with gochujang (red pepper paste) and served on a sizzling hot plate, with sliced cabbage, tteokbokki and rice!
That’s enough to make us want to fly to South Korea this very minute!
7. MURREE MUSLIM FOOD, ITAEWON
Before restaurants such as Eid Restaurant and Makan Halal Korea opened, Murree used to be the go-to restaurant.
Although it’s on the high end, it has one of the most extensive menus offering traditional dishes such as samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice), bulgogi, kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake) and more!
The best part? The refillable banchan (side dishes), which is as authentic as you can go in Korea.
8. NORYANGJIN FISHERIES WHOLESALE MARKET, DONGJAK-GU
For seafood, go to Noryangjin Fish Market for the freshest seafood, South Korean style!
King crab, lobster, abalone, scallop, prawn, rare species of shellfish and more. If you can name it, they probably have it!
At the market, go straight to the first floor to select your seafood (don’t forget to bargain!). The stallholders are usuallywilling to offer discounts if you purchase more items from them.
When you’ve made your choice, go to the second floor where the seafood will be prepared in a restaurant to your liking such as steamed, grilled or raw.
Do note that there is a preparation fee charged per item if you want them grilled or steamed. The restaurants at this fish market are not halal-certified, so visit at your discretion.