Halal restaurants in Manila : the expat’s guide
For this lazy Thursday, am suddenly craving for a tasty serving of shrimp biryani at Ghazal, the best little hole-on-the-wall for Middle Eastern food in my book, even better than Shawarma Center. Don’t expect anything fancy, the resto is an affair of eight or so tables in the busy thoroughfare that is Mabini St. in Manila, a walking distance from the Hyatt Hotel. What you can find here: various kinds of biryani and tikka, kebabs, lassi and other home-cooked specialties that escape me now. In this place, I go to the extremes and slather my hot rice with butter… it’s really good!
Ghazal just happens to be one of a few restaurants in the city serving authentic halal food. There is certainly much demand for places offering halal food… but the question is, where to go?
For purposes of this discussion, halal means food that’s permissible to consume by Muslims and non-pork eating people. They shouldn’t contain pork or pork-related products (such as lard) and must have gone through the proper slaughtering process.
Luckily, I have Facebook friend Fahim to show us. There happens to be a useful guide being distributed to students of Asia’s top management school AIM which should come in handy for expats and Muslim tourists to the country looking for genuine halal food. Here it goes:
Assad’s Café – Pakistani joint serving decent Indian and Pakistani fare. Value for money. Meals cost P400 for two. U.N. Avenue, opposite Unilever, Paco, Manila. Telephone No. 5261349, 5265034
Ghazal – Muslim-owned eatery. 1551 A. Mabini Street, Ermita, Manila
Halal Caterer to Indonesian & Brunei embassies (Gerry) – serves/caters halal meals on daily basis on request; separate cutting boards, knives & utensils for halal meal preparation. Charges Peso 40 delivery charge per dinner, if less than 5 orders. Cebu Financial Services, Rolex Building, Paseo De Roxas (next to AIM)
Hossein’s Persian Kebab – Meals for two cost an average of P1,000. Original branch at 7857 Makati Avenue, Makati (Telephone no. 890-6137) Can also be found in Serendra.
Jakarta Inn & Restaurant – Serving mainly Indonesian specialties. 2082 F. Benitez St. near cor. San Andres, Malate, Manila. Tel. No. 521-4116
Jerusalem – two branches, in Malate and Makati Avenue.
Kashmir – Indian fine dining restaurant. Branches in Padre Faura St., Malate, Manila and Pasay Road, Makati City (tel. no. 8444924)
Makati Cinema Square – Filipino Halal cuisine. Owner speaks on Tagalog when contacted by phone. They also have a Musalla next door.
Manita Caterers – Serves halal Lunch & dinner on all weekdays at AIM pool side. Also undertakes catering of Indian food and snacks on request. Mobile No. 09189235696
Moud’s Chicken Halal – located just a stone’s throw away from the Golden Mosque in Quiapo. This district also has a number of other halal restaurants. 827 Globo de Oro Street, Quiapo, Manila. Tel. No. 488-5006
New Delhi Restaurant- Only the lamb is Halal, not the chicken. 1418 President Quirino Avenue, South Superhighway Paco, Manila. Tel. No. 5629160
Prince of Jaipur – Owner says he procures the lamb in Australia for the shawarma, not sure if this is halal. Branches in the Mall of Asia and Unit -E, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig ( Tel. No. 8841692-94)
Queen’s Restaurant, Jupiter St., Makati City – halal on prior request only.
Swagat Indian Restaurant – 119 FCC Building, Rada Street, Legazpi Village, Makati. Telephone No. 7525669.
Shawarma Snack Center – A place famous for their shawarmas, priced between P48 to P70. Rice dishes also available. 485B R. Salas Street, Ermita, Manila
The Curry Leaf – Can be contacted at 776-3084 or 0915-7704433.
Claims to be certified Halal by Imams and also the Philippines Halal Fatwa Council.
Chicken Bacolod (different from Bacolod Chicken Inasal) – eat at your own risk; the chicken cannot be confirmed as halal, although the owner is Muslim
Ziggurat – cozy resto serving African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern & Indian cuisine. Sunette Tower, Durban Street corner Makati Avenue, Barangay Poblacion, Makati. Tel. No. 8975179
The anonymous guide ends with a note on “international chains misunderstood to be halal in the Philippines:”
KFC – KFC Philippines use pork lard to fry its chicken and patties. This has been confirmed by very good sources.
McDonalds – McDonald’s in the Philippines is NOT halal. Although they have started using vegetable oil for the past two years to fry their patties, the meat is still not halal. However, the fillet-o-fish burger may be consumed.
Pizza Hut – not halal in the Philippines, not sure even about the oil being used for veggie pizzas
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Interesting list you have here, Ajay. I’d love to try Ghazal’s shrimp biryani. Would you know if they’re open on Sundays?
now you got me craving, buddy!
Wow, the Shawarma Snack Center is still open after all these years! It used to be known as the Golden Ship Canteen back in the 90’s.
Hi!
Just want to share this with those who are looking for Halal restaurants.
A leading and largest café chain in Malaysia, with Halal certification awarded by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), Secret Recipe is a unique, casual dining café serving more than 50 types of menu selection and over 40 types of cake creations and baked deserts, not forgetting a flavorful range of ice cream and beverages. Offering consumers it’s award winning cheesecakes, baked desserts and fusion food with friendly and personalized service, Secret Recipe has become a leader in the global lifestyle café chain industry ensuring that there is something for everyone at anytime of the day. It currently has over 170 outlets in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Shanghai, China and Philippines with more stores opening this year in other countries.
Store location:
Ground Level, 32nd St. cor. 5th Ave.Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Philippines
TEL NO: (+632) 856-2953
Level 4 Robinson’s Midtown, Ermita, Manila
TEL NO: (+632) 567-2042
Level 5, Shangri-La Mall, EDSA corner Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City.
TEL NO: (+632) 637-0367
Try the Persian Grill – Corner of Sedeneo/Valero in Makati. Fantastic Halal Persian Food. Check out the Briyani !
Thanx for the information.. they are really useful! Just wondering whether the Secret Recipies outlets outside Malaysia are still maintaining the ‘halal’ certification.. because as far as i am concern, the certification is only valid in Malaysia.. No party can verify or give any assurance whether all the ‘halal’ conditions are being fulfiled outside Malaysia.. Plz response and clarify anybody… Thank you..
Dear Razalie,
Secret Recipe is NOT HALAL CERTIFIED IN THE PHILIPPINES. They probably procure the meat and oils locally. Can be non-Halal and have some elements of Pork by-products… Lard(fat) for e.g. could be used as oil.. like in the case of KFC.
Here’s the response from Secret Recipe, Philippines:
“Greetings from Secret Recipe Philippines.
Thank you for your inquiry. Our branches in Manila are not Halal-certified locally, however, majority of our ingredients are imported from our principal (Malaysia). Secret Recipe in Malaysia is fully HALAL-certified.”
here’s the link to the list that Ajay talks about in her blog : http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pBHLPXfRohdAWiltuLeHUHw&hl=en&pli=1
I am new to Philippine and will be on bussiness travel on 23 Nov to Alabang City. And suggestion on the halal food specially near to Vivera Hotel in Alabang?
Hi…currently i’m staying at Edsa Shangri-La, Manila. Is there any Halal restaurant that i can find near the hotel? My office is at 1800 Building, Eastwood City. Is there any Halal restaurant that i can find near the office? Please advise where can I eat. Thanks.
“In my recent trip to Clark Freeport, I chanced upon an amazing restaurant inside Mimosa. It’s just past the Holiday Inn. It was better than the high-end restaurants in 5-star hotels in Manila! I think the name is YATS Restaurant. It is not that expensive but the food is great and they have an incredible wine cellar too.”
“I have to share this with you – the lamb rack at YATS Restaurant is out of this world. Aside from the fact the lamb is cooked to perfection, the sidings are even more exciting. This is real fine-dining stuff, best I have seen in this country, and second to none that I have seen in other cities including Singapore and Tokyo.”
Hi guys everybody missed out on Farniza Halal Food Restaurant situated just 50 meters from the City Garden Hotel at Mabini/Padre Faura St. walk in direction of the blvd. The restaurant is very clean and serve variety of food similar to Malay food. The price is very cheap compared to other restaurant serving halal food in Manila. I have been visiting Manila for the last 12 years and this is still the best restaurant serving delicious muslim food.
hi there…
Im currently at makati city and I am working in somewhere at Greenbelt area. I am staying at Perla Mangions. Any recommendation because I am desperately looking for the halal food restaurant. I also will celebrate my ramadhan month here. Please someone do advise me.
thanks
hi.
this is my frist trip to manila in this coming february 2010. could you please give some imformation
about the halal restaurant/halal food around manila. in also the hotel nearby halal restaurant.because
i notice from friends of my they desperately looking for halal food restaurant in manila.
thanks so much
hi,
the information is very usefull for the moslem community, but i need a favor. please inform me halal food in quezon city, near visayas avenue.
regards.
any halal restaurants in clark freeport zone? or if don’t have…how about indian/vegetarian restaurants?
Inviting everyone to join our group,, the Halal Advocacy, just visit my facebook account….
Abdulatif “Chef Tato” Sangcupan
http://www.mostinstitute.org
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172684070338
To all brothers and sisters,
i’m usually gonna be in Las Pinas City. Is there any HALAL food that i could get around here?
but by the way, how is jollibee…? is it HALAL..? and i dunno how will i know if a stall selling gonna be HALAL here in Philippines. Is there any things that i can look out for..? please help…THANKS… As’salam mualaikum, Peace be with you.
salam.
could you give some imformation about the cheper hotel around manila for my trip this coming feb 2010
and also the halal restaurant.i planning to stay 4 night.tq
If in the event the people. authority, ulama, offices or associations approved that the products is halal. But in reality is not halal in processing in making in ingredient, content the people involve in making doesn’t care haram or halal. Then whole Muslim World will blame you in eating a haram foods. Because your logo is on it, and you certified that the product or restaurant is Halal. You are answerable to Allah. For the sin the we done.
Greeting’s everyone,
this is my frist trip with my husband to manila in this coming january 2010. could you please give some imformation
about the halal restaurant/halal food around greenbelt makati. in also the hotel nearby halal restaurant.
thanks so much
I come along with my muslim colleague for biz trip, do you know any halal restorance at Alabang ?
i’ve tried the chicken biryani and hari mirch chicken at new bombay, delicioso!
they have couple of branches in makati (glorietta and the columns) as well as in podium.
khyal rakho guys!
Secret Recipe outlets in the Philippines are not yet Halal; they just do not serve pork dishes but they are not halal and do not have a halal certification yet. Only their other Southeast Asian outlets are halal (e.g.,Malaysia and Singapore). They said they are working on this certification though.
salam alaykum bro. and sis out there,
we are preparing for our vacation this coming nov. with my family. only one thing make us worried is the place where to find halal foods specially our destination in pampanga. is there any place where to buy kobooz? and im looking also for halal caterer if there is any? inshallah the god will help me to find the way..
thanks..salam alaykum.
Thanks so much! we have a Muslim guest coming this 15th and your info is truly a huge help. More power God bless