Halal Havens: Authentic Flavors from the Muslim World

TEXT　Jenna Lynn Cody

PHOTOS　Ray Chang

Halal, which means "lawful" or "allowed" in Arabic, in dietary terms refers to food standards permissible under Islamic law, focusing on cleanliness, humane animal treatment, and ethical sourcing. In recent years, Taipei has become a popular Muslim tourist destination and is internationally recognized as Muslim-friendly. From larger restaurants serving food from various Muslim countries to authentic Turkish cuisine, halal beef noodles, and fast food, the city's halal dining options are constantly improving.

Mouna Restaurant

On a quiet stretch of Yanping South Road near the Taipei Botanical Garden, Mouna serves up some of the best halal food in Taipei, with dishes originating across the Muslim world, from Morocco to northern India. Moroccan lamps hang from the ceiling, and a zellige tile pattern adorns the walls. Comfortable seating rounds out a spacious dining area, with a buffet set up at one end for busy times and large groups.

Owner and proprietor Mouna's story of founding her eponymous restaurant is tinged with both tragedy and inspiration. A native of Morocco, she met her late Taiwanese husband and moved to Taipei to start a family. After his passing, she stayed to raise their children, opening a small shawarma stand in Maji Square near MRT Yuanshan Station. Her food was popular enough that it turned into counters at high-end department store food courts and a stall at the Ningxia Night Market. After hearing from Indonesian and Malaysian tourism officials that there "was no halal food in Taiwan" despite her locations being halal, she decided to open a restaurant.

▲Flatbread with chicken

The concept at Mouna is not food from a specific country, although dishes from Mouna's native Morocco are on the menu. Instead, it is a halal dining experience; more generally, each dish is executed with admirable skill. Travelers from across the Middle East and Southeast Asia come to Mouna for everything from hummus to tajine (a slowcooked stew) to curry.

▲Biryani

The hummus and baba ghanoush (an appetizer with a creamy dip) are quite possibly the best in Taipei. Biryani (a mixed-rice dish) with lamb and rosewater is served on gilded, onion-domed platters. Lamb and chicken kebab, fresh from the grill, arrive sizzling at the table. Moroccan dishes such as cubed beef with plums and chicken with preserved lemon are served in ornate tajines, some colored a deep turmeric yellow and embellished with designs, others painted in detailed patterns. Snacks and sides include luscious flatbread with perfect chewiness and peanuts tossed in the restaurant's own blend of spices.

Mouna Restaurant 暮娜餐館

🚩252, Yanping S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.

📞(02) 2389-6093

🔗instagram.com/mouna_restaurant

🕝Tue-Sun 11:00am-2:30pm, 5:00pm-9:30pm

Safranbolu Turkish Restaurant

Mention Turkish food in Taipei, and the first word on the lips of many people in the know will be "Safranbolu." Located at the intersection of Jilin and Nanjing East roads near MRT Songjiang Nanjing Station, this restaurant has been serving up authentic Turkish fare for years.

Running a halal restaurant comes with specific challenges, as some ingredients are difficult to import, and others are subject to price fluctuations and other factors. "There's only one halal chicken supplier in Taiwan, so they can change prices at will," proprietor Recep Cetin points out. "All of what we use has to be halal, and that's very important."

At Safranbolu, all the chefs are from Turkey, and they cook their native foods with gusto. There are different chefs for different types of food, as Cetin believes in matching the best-suited people to each kitchen task.

The grilled meat platter for groups is popular, piled high with succulent lamb chops, shish kebabs (skewered and grilled cubes of meat), grilled chicken, and beef köfte (meatballs) served on mounds of buttery pilaf. Turkish dips with homemade bread or balloon lavash (a type of flatbread that puffs when cooked) go quickly, especially the ezme, a spicy pepper and tomato salad with herbs, and mutabal, a yoghurt, roasted garlic, and roasted eggplant dish.

▲Turkish dips with homemade bread

The lahmaçun and pide taste exactly as they would in Turkey. Lahmaçun is a f latbread that has both a crispy and tender mouthfeel, topped with spiced ground lamb and herbs, best eaten when wrapped around a serving of salad in a tangy dressing. Pide, a boat-shaped flatbread dish, consists of a fluffier bread topped with cheese, meat, and occasionally egg, and is sometimes called "Turkish pizza."

▲lahmaçun & Ali Nazik

The individual meat dishes at Safranbolu are not to be missed. Adana Kebab is a type of shish kebab that is spiced and grilled. Or try Ali Nazik, featuring a mutabal base topped with grilled lamb. Beyti Kebab, which features tender grilled minced meat wrapped in flatbread and melts in the mouth, is also popular.

Safranbolu Turkish Restaurant 番紅花城土耳其餐廳

🚩60, Sec. 2, Nanjing E. Rd., Zhongshan Dist.

📞(02) 2522-2939

🔗facebook.com/safranboluturkishrestaurant

🕝11:00am-10:00pm

Halal Chinese Beef Noodles

Located just a few minutes' walk from MRT Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station, the first signs that this otherwise unassuming beef-noodle joint is a standout are evident before you walk in: a street-level sign in Arabic, several Michelin stickers, and the line that often forms outside.

In fact, Halal Chinese Beef Noodles is not only halal, as the name proclaims, but has also been a Michelin-recommended restaurant. It earned a place on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for seven consecutive years before that.

▲Clear-broth beef noodles & Middle Easter-style flatbread

The noodles come in two varieties, clear broth and red-braised broth, both of which are simmered for hours to develop an unctuous, meaty flavor. The clear broth allows diners to enjoy a purer beef flavor, while the red-braised broth contains more herbs and spices. Tender beef cuts such as shank, neck, and short rib are sourced from freshly slaughtered Taiwanese cattle. The restaurant also offers Middle Eastern-style flatbread, as well as dishes for larger groups.

Halal Chinese Beef Noodles 清真中國牛肉麪食館

🚩1, Aly. 7, Ln. 137, Yanji St., Daan Dist.

📞(02) 2721-4771

🔗facebook.com/halal.chinese.beef.noodle

🕝Thu-Tue 11:30am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-8:30pm

Furger

This takeaway spot in the Gongguan Shopping District provides a combination of halal-certified vegetarian burgers and fast, friendly service popular with the local university crowd, especially Muslim students. Breakfast is a busy time, with the shop opening at 7:30am. This isn't your run-of-the-mill vegetarian burger joint offering just one type of patty with different toppings. Rather, Furger has sweet potato, taro, mushroom, and mountain yam burgers on the menu, with one especially popular option, the truffle burger, imitating a steak and truffle burger. Other options include a numbing-spice mushroom burger and a lion's head mushroom burger.

©Furger

Patrons pair their burgers with tea or lemonade, with an intriguing salted lemonade drink available. Tea options include green, oolong, and honey-scented black tea, which isn't sweetened with honey but rather has a natural honey aroma. Sides include fried mushroom "chicken nuggets," fries, and sweet-potato balls.

©Furger

Furger 芙格漢堡

🚩2, Ln. 52, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.

📞0910-033-568

🔗facebook.com/future_burger

🕝7:30am-8:30pm

Fried Chicken Master

This is not just the only halal-certified fried chicken franchise in Taiwan (there are several branches in the city, including one in the Gongguan Shopping District); it has also branched out internationally, with stores in Southeast Asia. In operation since 2015, its outlets deliver crispy and juicy fried chicken seasoned with a proprietary marinade that highlights local Taiwanese flavors.

There is a wide array of fried chicken on offer. Flavors include Taiwanese salt and pepper, Thai spicy sauce, and Chinese hot sauce, as well as powdered flavorings such as cheese, black pepper, plum, and seaweed. The half and whole chicken options are popular, but customers can also choose wings, boneless chicken breast, chicken tenders, or chicken cartilage. Chicken gua bao ("Taiwanese hamburger"), fried chicken breast, and thigh are also on offer, along with a variety of set meals.

©Fried Chicken Master

In true Taiwanese fashion, fries are not the only side dish. Hash browns, purple sweet-potato fries, and Taiwanese radish cake all rank highly with customers.

In true Taiwanese fashion, fries are not the only side dish. Hash browns, purple sweet-potato fries, and Taiwanese radish cake all rank highly with customers.

Fried Chicken Master 炸雞大獅

🔗www.chickenmaster.com.tw

Beyond the above halal dining options, you can find a comprehensive Halal Travel Guide online at travel.taipei/en/must-visit/halal, featuring Muslim-friendly attractions, facilities, and services throughout the city. Muslim travelers are warmly welcomed to explore Taipei with confidence and peace of mind.