Disclaimer: The site is not taking responsibility that all the food served in restaurants listed here will be 100% halal. Please take own caution when doing your orders.
If you are planning to stay near Itaewon you won't face any problem looking for halal food. Itaewon is filled with halal restaurants, especially among the road heading to Seoul Grand Mosque. This site is therefore focusing on halal restaurants outside of Itaewon. While it is more difficult to find halal restaurants outside of Itaewon, it is not impossible. In addition to halal restaurants there are still many other options.
Including halal restaurants, described below are restaurants that serve meals that are permissible to Muslims.
ADDED 9th JULY 2012: I feel the need to clarify that I am not endorsing or recommending any of the restaurant listed here. This is just a listing of available halal/permissible restaurants in Seoul especially outside of Itaewon. It is not possible for me to have been to all the restaurants here (in fact I've only been to two). Reviews on the restaurants can be found in the sources I listed or if it is not there please search for it from Google. Thank you for your understanding.
ADDED 14th JANUARY 2014: There is disagreement on me choosing to list shrimp burger and vegetarian pizza as food that can be considered on the comment box below. Again I need to clarify that I am not a religious scholar, I do not wish to partake in any debate (again) on the permissibility of food. Please do your own research and get your own "yaqeen" from your findings ><. Thank you again for your understanding.
Halal Restaurants
These are restaurants that serve slaughtered meats, displaying Halal signs at their premise or claimed as Halal by their owners. To look at the list of halal restaurants listed in this site browse through the restaurant: halal tag.
Vegetarian Restaurants
These are restaurants that serve vegetarian/vegan meals exclusively or have a separate vegetarian menus. Browse these restaurants by tag restaurant: vegetarian.
Vegetarian Friendly Restaurants
These are restaurants that have one or two vegetarian options. Some have seafood options like prawns. Most options listed here are Indian restaurants. Most Indian restaurants have vegetarian or seafood options so if you stumble upon restaurants not listed here do go inside and look at their menus. These restaurants are listed here under restaurant: vegetarian friendly tag.
Seafood Restaurants
The riskier option. While all seafood is halal, other ingredients used may be of not permissible sources. Most Muslim travel agencies will take you to seafood restaurants but they probably have Korean speaking guide to instruct the restaurant servers. In backpacking case you have to tell them yourself that meat and chicken should not be put inside.
Here are some menus that are less likely to have the ingredients above and should be safe to order:
- MaeWoonTang / 매운탕 - Spicy Fish Stew
- Sundubu Jigae / 순두부 찌개 - Hot & Spicy Soft Tofu Stew
- Saengseon Gui / 생선구이 - Grilled Fish
- Saengseon Jeon / 생선전 - Pan-fried Fish Fillets
- Haemul Paejeon / 해물파전 - Seafood Pancake
Even if the ingredients for menus above show only seafoods are used, some restaurants may put beef inside the stews for stock. Make sure to tell them not to. This site list very few seafood restaurant, but you can just walk in to any seafood restaurants you found or hail a taxi and ask them to bring to nearest seafood restaurant. Try looking for this sign: 해물 (Seafood).
NEW: Use this table below to help you order in Korean:
Fast food Restaurants
Many must have experienced just buying french fries in fast food restaurants at that moment of hunger in foreign countries due to no halal restaurants nearby. Fortunately fast food restaurants nowadays have seafood menus in addition to their usual dishes. Fast food restaurants in Seoul are not exempted. Vegetarian pizza and shrimp burgers are among some dishes that Muslims can buy from outlets of KFC, Lotteria and Mr. Pizza. Browse the restaurant: fast food tag for more information and location.
KFC: familiar sight abroad
I hope this entry will be beneficial for travellers looking for permissible meals in Seoul. Browse through the related tags or just the category: restaurant tag for all restaurants listed in this site. InshaAllah you will not starve :)
Many must have experienced just buying french fries in fast food restaurants at that moment of hunger in foreign countries due to no halal restaurants nearby. Fortunately fast food restaurants nowadays have seafood menus in addition to their usual dishes. Fast food restaurants in Seoul are not exempted. Vegetarian pizza and shrimp burgers are among some dishes that Muslims can buy from outlets of KFC, Lotteria and Mr. Pizza. Browse the restaurant: fast food tag for more information and location.
KFC: familiar sight abroad
I hope this entry will be beneficial for travellers looking for permissible meals in Seoul. Browse through the related tags or just the category: restaurant tag for all restaurants listed in this site. InshaAllah you will not starve :)
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