We all know how awesome Korea is – from its lovely culture to breathtaking landscapes and most importantly, the delicious cuisine! If you’re visiting Korea anytime soon, lucky for you as Halal Restaurant Week Korea is here ?
But don’t you worry, the event is actually held over a period of two months – from 16 Aug to 14 Oct and the best part is that you can get discount coupons at more than 120 restaurants around the country.
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Whether you’re in the main cities – Seoul, Jeju and Busan – or heading out of town for a day trip, there are Muslim-friendly restaurants all around Korea. But to get you started, here are a list of 8 of them you can’t miss out on!
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P.S. Not sure how to get the coupons for the event? Check out our guide here.
Seoul:
1. Makan Halal Korean Restaurant
If there’s one restaurant you’ve got to try while in Seoul, it has to be Makan Halal. This humble eatery has been around since 2015 and it serves a good range of Korean cuisine – including familiar favourites like bibimbap, bulgogi and jjajangmyeon!
But when we were there in July, one dish that stole our hearts was Dakdoritang (10,000 KRW) – Korean-style braised chicken stew. The mix of sweet and spicy flavours was perfect and the chicken meat was so soft, it was such a delight to eat ?
Credit: @afiq_samat on Instagram
We highly recommend getting their Dalkganjeong (sweet and spicy chicken) too. For just 20,000 KRW for two portions, this is easily one of our favourite halal dishes in Korea and we’re still dreaming of its sweet and succulent taste. We loved how the chicken soaked up every bit of the sauce – every bite of this chicken promises a delightful treat.
#HHWT Tip: The side dishes at Makan Restaurant are really yummy and the best part is, you can ask for refills without any extra charge!
Discounts available: 3,000 KRW coupon
Halal status: Halal-certified, Mosque nearby
Address: 52 Usadan-ro 10-gil, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: 10.30am – 10pm daily except Tuesday
Contact No: +82 2-6012-2231
2. Osegyehyang
Located in the historic district of Insa-dong, Osegyehyang serves vegetarian fare in a traditional Korean setting. You’d need to take off your shoes and sit on the floor at this eatery, making the experience even more authentic. Perhaps many of you will put off the idea of eating vegetarian food but trust us, this place will take you by surprise!
One of the dishes we’d recommend is their Fried Dumpling (9,000 KRW). Dumplings are usually filled with meat but this one is made with starch noodles instead. We had this during our visit here and we loved how the dumpling skin was fried to a perfect crisp. Another dish that’s worth trying is their Grilled Soy Protein Stew (10,000 KRW). This is unlike your usual kimchi stew as the meat is substituted with soy protein and is interesting to say the least.
Wash your meal off with their refreshing Mushroom Stew (30,000 KRW). With 3 different types of mushrooms and various vegetables, this dish is light on the palate and is perfect from mushroom lovers!
Discounts available: 3,000 KRW coupon
Halal status: Vegetarian options available
Address: 14-5 Insadong 12-gil, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: 11.30am – 9pm daily (break from 3.30pm – 5pm)
Contact No: +82 2-735-7171
Gangwon-do (Nami Island):
3. Asian Family Restaurant Dongmoon
Treat yourself to an enticing variety of Asian food at this eatery located at the picturesque Nami Island. The best part is, it’s halal-certified by the Korean Muslim Federation too ? Savour authentic Korean dishes like bibimbap and bulgogi or have some tantalising pad thai, pho or even nasi goreng – this place seems to have it all!
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But perhaps one of their must-try dishes is their Octopus Bibimbap (10,000 KRW). Stir-fried in spicy sauce, you’ll definitely enjoy chewing on the tasty octopus meat. As bibimbap is usually eaten with beef or chicken, this take on the well-loved dish is a refreshing change.
#HHWT Tip: Need to do your prayers after a satisfying meal? Head up to the second floor of the restaurant where there are prayer mats and garments.
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The portions at Asian Family Restaurant are generous too, so what’s not to love about it? After having a hearty meal, you’ll be all set to admire the wonderful scenery of Nami Island ?
Discounts available: 10,000 KRW coupon off pre-fixed menus
Halal status: Halal-certified
Address: 1, Namiseom-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
Opening hours: Open daily, 10am - 7pm (weekdays and winter season), 10am - 8pm (weekends and non-winter season)
Contact No: +82-31-580-8099
Gyeonggi-do:
4. Namisum Kkokko Chuncheon Dakgalbi
If the thought of perfectly marinated chicken meat mixed with gochujang (Korean red chilli paste) and sizzling on a hot pan appeals to you, then THIS place is like a dream come true. It’s hard not to fall in love with this amazing dish called dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken). There are 2 dakgalbi sets here which cost 8,000 KRW or 11,000 KRW.
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As if the idea of having dakgalbi hasn’t enticed you enough, here you can also enjoy your chicken meat grilled! Eating this juicy goodness piping hot and fresh off the grill will definitely be a treat to your taste buds ?
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Did we mention that this eatery is located close to Nami Island too? So that means you can have a yummy feast after a lot of walking and rest your tired feet here.
Discounts available: 3,000 KRW coupons
Halal status: Halal meat available, reservation required for halal menu, alcohol served in establishment
Address: 1045, Bukhangangbyeon-ro, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 9am – 8pm, Sat – Sun, 9am – 10pm
Contact No: +82-31-581-2127
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Jeju
5. Bada Punggyeong
Sipping on fresh seafood stews while admiring the stunning view of the sea? Count us in! Bada Punggyeong specialises in a variety of fish stews and grilled fish. If there’s one thing you can’t miss here, it’s their Braised Mackerel Stew (from 29,000 KRW).
Served over a hot stove, you can taste the freshness of the mackerel, coupled with a tinge of spices from the red pepper stew. As the sauce dries up, the mackerel will soak up all the flavours. Somehow, the stew isn’t that spicy so it’s enjoyable to just keep savouring it.
But if stews aren’t your thing, get their Grilled Mackerel (14,000 KRW) instead! The fish skin is grilled to a perfect crisp but the fish is still fresh and tasty ?
#HHWT Tip: If you need to do your prayers, inform the staff and they’ll bring you up to the third floor where you’ll be praying in a room with a lovely view of the sea.
Discounts available: 3,000 KRW coupons
Halal status: Seafood options available, alcohol served in establishment, prayer room in establishment
Address: 654, Seohaean-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Opening hours: 9am – 11pm daily
Contact No: +82 64-711-7992
6. Cheonhaecheon
Who would have thought you can have halal shabu-shabu in Jeju? At Cheonhaecheon, you can indulge in an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu buffet for just 34,000 KRW! This is perfect if you’ve been spending your days in Jeju eating seafood.
Not only do they serve halal-certified beef slices, they also have a variety of seafood items. like crabs, crayfish, prawns, mussels and abalone! Trust us, the spread is totally worth your money. Plus, there’s a wide range of veggies and mushrooms, enough to complete your hearty steamboat meal ?
But wait, that’s not all. Cheonhaecheon also has an amazing cooked food section where you can savour tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken and beef bulgogi. So you can definitely eat to your heart’s content!
Discounts available: 3,000 KRW coupons
Halal status: Halal meat available, prayer room in establishment, alcohol served in establishment
Address: 25, Halladaehak-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Opening hours: 11am – 10.50pm daily
Contact No: +82-64-742-1101
Busan:
7. Wonjo Halmae Bokguk
Ever wondered how a puffer fish would taste like? Well, here’s your chance! Wonjo Halmae is famous for their Bokjiri (pufferfish stew) and it’s been around for about 50 years. The puffer fish is known for having a soft and clean taste, so it’ll definitely be a refreshing treat.
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If you’re craving for something with a little more taste, get the Bok-maeuntang (spicy puffer fish soup) instead! It’s definitely the perfect dish when it’s a rainy or cold day outside. Both dishes will cost about 9,000 KRW.
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The eatery is located in the centre of the tourist area of Haeundae Beach, so you can conveniently pop in after a day of chilling out by the beach!
Discounts available: 3,000 KRW coupons
Halal status: Seafood options available, alcohol served in establishment
Address: 1 Dalmaji-ro 62 beongil, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Opening hours: 7am – 9pm (closed on holidays)
Contact No: +82-51-742-2789
8. Namcheon Grilled Eel
Busan is known for having great seafood and one of the delicacies that you can’t miss is the grilled eel. The eel is cut into small pieces and charcoal-grilled so you definitely won’t be able to resist the alluring aroma of it.
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Take a bite of it and you’ll be greeted with the freshness of the fish. Have it on its own or with spicy sauce – either way, you’d be left thoroughly satisfied. Plus, there are two types of eels that you can try here – Grilled Conger(15,000 KRW) and Sea Eel(15,000 KRW).
Credit: Halal Restaurant Week Korea
Other than grilled eel, Namcheon also serves Spicy Fish Stew (10,000 KRW) – a perfect way to complete your meal!
Discounts available: 3,000 KRW coupons
Halal status: Seafood options available, alcohol served in establishment
Address: 71-1, Hwangnyeong-daero 489beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan
Opening hours: 10.30am – 12am daily
Contact No: +82-51-623-9276
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Believe us, what we’ve provided here is just a small fraction of all the halal and Muslim-friendly options which are participating in Halal Restaurant Week and we highly recommend that you head over to the event website to check out the full restaurant list!
Whether you’re in the mood for some traditional Korean fare, yummy seafood stews or grilled meat, there’s definitely something for you! So, remember if you’re in Korea from now till 14 Oct, don’t forget to use the Halal Restaurant Week coupons to get amazing discounts off your meal.
#HHWT Tip: Not sure what other deals you can get during Halal Restaurant Week? Check out our handy guide here.
This article is brought to you by Korea Tourism Organization (Singapore).