As a Muslim, I always try to look for halal or Muslim-friendly food wherever I go. During my seven days in Tokyo, I felt comfortable with the local cuisine. Many restaurants offer halal-certified menus with delicious and authentic local dishes. At first, I thought halal food could only be found at Middle Eastern restaurants. However, I was wrong. I was able to find halal food easily, even near my hotel. Alhamdulillah…
Japan, particularly
Tokyo, is one of the favourite destinations in Asia, including fo Muslim
travelers from Middle East and Southeast Asia. Therefore, many restaurants have
obtained halal certification for their menus to expand their customer segments,
including Muslim consumers.
Advances of technology
and social media, such as Youtube and TikTok, have contributed to the expansion
of halal-friendly cuisine. I found information about halal-friendly food recommendations
through social media. Many influencers provide practical and reliable information,
such as Navito Halal. He is a non-muslim Japanese who is interested in halal
living. He also has an application called Halal Navi, which provides more
information about the Muslim environment in Japan, such as halal food, mosques,
and halal souvenirs.
For restaurants, being certified by a halal authority can help expand their market share, especially among Muslim tourists, and create clear positioning in a competitive market. For example, a restaurant may offer Wagyu ramen. With the same quality, Muslim travelers are often willing to pay more for halal-certified Wagyu Ramen than for a similar dish from a food stall without halal certification.
However, obtaining halal
certification is not easy. Restaurants must carefully manage their materials,
ingredients, and even utensils to fulfill halal requirements. For instance, the
need separate storage and utensils from restricted ingredients such as pork,
alcohol, mirin and sake. As a result, halal menus are often slightly more
expensive.
Here are some of my favourite halal restaurants in Tokyo:
1. Halal Wagyu Restaurant Shinjuku-Tei Akasaka
Japan, 〒107-0052 Tokyo, Minato City, Akasaka, 2 Chome−21−1 川本ビル １F
I was very happy staying in Tokyo because I could find many halal ramen options using high-quality Wagyu beef. One of my favourite ramen is Halal Wagyu Restaurant Shinjuku-Tei Akasaka. The broth was rich, and the wagyu was extremely tender, almost melting on my tongue. The waitress was also friendly and fluent in English, which made the dining experience even more enjoyable.
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| Halal Wagyu Restaurant Shinjuku-Tei Akasaka |
2. Gyumon Halal Ramen Asakusa
〒111-0032
1st floor, Kakuda Building, 6-12-5 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Gyumon Group is a halal-certified
restaurant group with several branches in Japan, including Gyumon Halal Ramen
Asakusa, Halal Wagyu Yakiniku Gyumon Shibuya, as well as branches in Osaka and
Kyoto. At the Asakusa branch, I ordered spicy Wagyu ramen, white broth Wagyu
ramen, fried gyoza and karaage, along with Hata Ramune as a beverage. Everything
was delicious! Not only was the food satisfying, but the service was also very convenient.
The waitresses spoke fluent English and were friendly, which made ordering easy.
Most importantly, the dining space especially at the Asakusa branch is quite spacious
and comfortable for families.
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| Gyumon Halal Ramen Asakusa |
3. Halal Wagyu Karemen King
Tokyō Metropolitan
Route 302 1-18-2 Sudacho, Kanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0041, Japan
I ordered a special spicy chicken ramen and a special non-spicy chicken ramen, with additional karaage. The broth was very flavorful, and the karaage was juicy. The waitress was also very friendly, although his English accent was not very clear. The seating area was wide enough (by Japanese restaurant standards) and my son felt comfortable during the mealtime.
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| Halal Wagyu Karemen King |
Japan, 〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 5 Chome−1−10
カドガンビル, 1F
The steak was amazing!
The restaurant offers halal menu for its meat selection. I ordered sirloin and
kalbi, and both were very satisfying. I even took away a kalbi bento box because
my son couldn’t stop eating it. Unfortunately, the seating area is limited because
the restaurant is not very large. However, the food quality made it worth the
visit.
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| Satsuma Roppongi |
Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 5 Chome−2−1
GinzaNovo 地下 ２F
When I wanted to try another
type of Japanese cuisine besides ramen and Wagyu, I found a halal-certified
tempura tendon restaurant called Tendon Itsuki. The tempura is a dish where
crispy tempura is served over hot rice with special sauce. My husband really
loved it because of generous portion and the rich tasty flavour.
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| Tendon Itsuki Ginza |
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