One thing that keeps drawing us to Japan is its dedication to providing Muslim-friendly options to Muslim travellers ? Besides halal food in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, it's heartening to know that there's also been an increase in Muslim-friendly eateries in other parts of Japan.
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If you're planning to visit Nagoya (or finding a reason to ?), there's a Japanese karaage (fried chicken) eatery in town that just turned halal - Happy Karaage 178 (ハッピーからあげ178).
P.S. Nagoya is in our 2020 list of budget-friendly destinations! Check out other exciting Muslim-friendly destinations on our list!
Credit: からあげ・たません１７８ on Facebook
According to their Instagram post, they have started using halal products from 22 January 2020 and has stopped selling pork or alcohol. Though the store has been operating for 9 years, they have just managed to succeed in making a halal recipe after doing a lot of research. What's interesting is that Happy Karaage 178 used to be a food truck and they only opened a physical store last year.
P.S. Visiting outside Tokyo? Here are 10 IG-worthy destinations in Japan that'll fuel your wanderlust!
Credit: からあげ・たません１７８ on Facebook
There's a heartwarming story as to why the eatery decided to go halal. According to Japan Halal TV, the store is owned by a Japanese grandmother by the name of Kaori Inaba. After her first daughter married a Muslim and gave birth to her granddaughter, she wondered what Japanese people could do to accept Muslims into their society, considering the fact that there are limited options when it comes to eating out in Japan. That's when she started thinking about how she could provide a halal option for Muslims and worked tirelessly to find a new recipe. Thankfully, her effort paid off and she was finally able to prepare karaage with halal products and without alcohol. She hopes her karaage will bring happiness to people from all over the world, but what really makes her happy is that she's able to let her precious granddaughter enjoy her home-cooked karaage ❤️
We really applaud the grandmother's efforts and it shows that a mother's or grandmother's love for their children and grandchildren knows no boundaries!
P.S. Love fried chicken? You'd love this other halal fried chicken eatery in Nagoya!
Happy Karaage 178 serves various sauces to go with their karaage but one sauce that you definitely shouldn't miss at their Original Inaba Sauce which is also their most popular! For those of you looking for a little kick, their Spicy Miso might probably win you over ? Other mouthwatering sauces you can look forward to are Green Onion & Soy Sauce, Lemon & Cheese and Chilli & Mayonnaise. You can even have your karaage without any sauce if that's how you like it. A plate of karaage costs JPY730 and you can get a meal with rice and miso soup if you'd like (additional JPY 150 or JPY200).
So, if you've planning to visit Nagoya soon, make sure you give Happy Karaage 178 a visit and say hello to the kind Japanese grandmother. Thanks to her efforts, Muslim travellers to Nagoya can also enjoy yummy Japanese karaage without any worries. If you have any more heartwarming stories to share or know any more halal eateries in Nagoya, do share with us in the comments section!
Halal status: Halal-certified ingredients used, no pork or alcohol is sold in establishment
Average price of main dishes: JPY730
Opening hours: Tue-Sat; 11AM-8PM
Address: 3 Chome-19-2 Dekimachi, Higashi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 461-0032, Japan
Contact: +81 52-737-1785