Halal Food Journeys (2): Taipei, Taiwan

I just came back from Taiwan like a week ago and I must say it was one crazy hot and wet trip. I think May is probably a very wrong time to go there. Some parts of Taiwan was raining non-stop while in other parts especially in Taipei, was scorching hot. On a side note, I was incredibly disappointed that there were some halal food restaurants in Taipei that has closed down. I seriously did not expect it because they were pretty well known and had quite a number of good reviews. I will talk about em at a later part of this post.

One very important thing to note about all these halal restaurants is their opening hours. They will open at around 11am - 2pm and 5pm - 930pm. This seems to apply to every one of these restaurant so make sure to plan your day properly so that you are able to eat on time.

1.

Bismilla Restaurant *Halal*

No. 40, Beining Rd

886 (02) 2577-9271

Bismilla was the first restaurant that I went to in Taipei. Unfortunately, I did not manage to take any photos of the food because I was literally too hungry at that time and forgotten to take photos. This restaurant serves up Thai food and I must say its pretty good. There is also another Halal Thai food restaurant called Yunus Halal Restaurant just a few shops away from it. However, sadly again, I forgot to take any photos at that restaurant so I can't do a seperate review for it.

Out of the two places, it is an extremely tough fight and I just can't simply choose which is better. Yunus has a better restaurant ambience compared to Bismilla but in terms of price, Bismilla is slightly cheaper.
Still, I think both of these restaurants are worth a visit.

2.

Somewhere in Wulai.. *Not Recommended*

While I was on my way to Wulai Falls, I came across several shops and this place. The reason why I did not put the restaurant name or address is because I seriously do not think it is worth it. If Wulai is one of the places in Taiwan that you intend on visiting, then you might encounter this place on your way there. However if its not, then I strongly do not think you should come all the way there for the food. 

I do not think the food is terrible but I would say, just mediocre. What totally ticks me off about this place was the restaurant owner. He kinda has a bad attitude and you can also sense a little vibe coming from the locals that he wasn't very liked by them. When asked how long he has been in Taiwan, he said 6 months. Well, good luck with that. I don't think this place would last long. I was quite doubtful about the authencity of the halal sign as well. 

Therefore, this place is a huge no-no for me.

3.

Kunming Islamic Restaurant *Halal*

No. 6, Lane 81, Fuhsing N. Rd

886 (02) 2751 6776

Omelette NT$150 (~S$6.50)

Chili Prawn NT$260 (~S$11)

Fried Fish with Spicy Sauce NT$300 (~$13)

Bhindy (Lady's Finger) Arabian Style NT$230 (~$10)

Kung Pao Chicken NT$260 (~S$11)

Out of all the halal restaurants I've been in Taipei, this restaurant beats out the rest in terms of taste. For something as simple as an omelette, it is probably one of the best omelette I've ever tasted. In most of their dishes, they use a lot of red pepper, green pepper and whatnots to bring out its refined taste which is different.

Although I did not order chapati (because I just ate chapati earlier in the day at Wulai), I still think their chapatis are worth a try as most of the diners there had chapatis on their table. So it should be good right. Another recommendation to try is the Fried Fish with Spicy Sauce which also seems to be a popular choice among the diners there as well. The size of the fish is also a lot bigger as compared to fried fishes in other restaurants which makes it oh so satisfying.

One of the things I have to point out is that I find their briyani rice too expensive. I bought a plate of plain briyani rice which cost me NT$120 (~$5). Pretty extreme don't you think. Although the briyani rice tasted really good, I don't think its worth at all to spent around $5 for it, without any meat or toppings whatsoever. Well, probably its best to just settle with plain white rice which will only cost you NT$20 (~$0.90).

4.

Taipei Halal Bismillah Restaurant *Halal*

Taoyuan Airport, Terminal 1

Basement 1

Before departing from Taiwan, I decided to have my last meal at Taipei Halal Bismilla Restaurant. It is located in the basement food court at Terminal 1 and serves up mostly Mediterranean fusion food. (As usual, hungry me forgot to take photos of the food...) I'm really glad that my last meal in Taiwan ended up well. I like that the food is really simple yet tasty and at a pretty affordable price. 

Service may be a little slow as there is only one person taking care of the stall and doing the cooking. So, it may not be for those who are in a rush to catch a flight but if you are not, it will definitely be worth it to give this place a try.

Before & After

Here are the two places that I went to which has closed down. I was really disappointed especially with Enjoy Kitchen because it was a very popular burger place. Thank goodness there is Google Maps cus I almost thought I went to the wrong address or that my eyes are playing tricks on me. If you haven't notice you can actually turn back time using Google Maps. Pretty cool right? So all the photos below was taken from Google Maps. The before photos was from 2012. Its amazing how 3 years can change so much. 

If you happen to come across this post and planning to go to Taipei, make sure you take down this two places so that you won't have to waste so much time looking for them like I did.

Yuntai Muslim Food

4 Wenzho St., Da'an District

                                                 Before                                          After 

Enjoy Kitchen

No.2, Ln. 84, Sec.3, Roosevelt Rd, Da'an Distict

                                                  Before                                            After  

That's the end of my HFJ in Taipei but its not the end for Taiwan. I went to another part of Taiwan called Taichung . I did not want to add it in here or else this post will just be too long. It's gona be a short one cus I only spent like 1 night there. So, do look forward for the next HFJ in Taichung!

Updates: April & May

Guess who's back?? Haha. 

Anyways just an update on what I've been doing for the past two months; well, nothing much just that I've been mainly preparing for my exams and now that its all over, I can finally heave a huge sigh of relief. 

Its been two months since my last post and I'm really happy to say that I can get back to more blogging since its the June holidays!  

I will be heading over to Taiwan soon so I won't be able to post for the next week or so. But, once I'm back, I will definitely share more about my trip and give you guys some extra tips.

Other than that, hopefully I can post up more reviews as well and if you have any requests you'd like me to post, do leave a comment or simply send in a message aite!

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo

Wizah

Halal Food Journeys (1): Seoul, Korea

Since I've got some free time (for now..), just felt like updating this blog with a post about FOOD! Remember when I said I wanted to talk about my past travels? Well here it goes... 

I went to Seoul, Korea last April and I must say it is not easy finding real Korean Halal Food. Itaewon has tons of Halal Restaurants but they mostly serve Mediterranean or Indian Food which is totally NOT what I've come to Korea to experience. So, I shall not talk about it hahah. Anyways, here are some of my food picks while I was in Seoul. 

1.
Drama Cafe *Halal*
Nami Island

Korean Pancakes 

10,000 Won (~S$12)

'Dosirak'

6,500 Won (~S$8.00)

If you are travelling to Nami Island for a day trip, Drama Cafe is a great place to stop by and have

lunch. Their speciality is the 'Dosirak', which is like a Korean lunchbox packed with rice, egg, kimchi and other toppings. You will be a given a pair of gloves to shake these 'Dosirak' as violently as you can so that the ingredients mixes well. I ordered one with and cheese and the other with tuna. If I remember correctly, I think I preferred the one with cheese better. I also added in a Korean Pancake, which is not that bad but I would have liked it more if it was crispier. 

Price wise, its kinda expensive but most probably due to its location. 

You will be able to find it at the outside left of the Nami Library, further at the back.

2.
Osegyehang Restaurant *Vegetarian*
14-5, Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
+82 2-735-7171

(Photo from Tripadvisor)

Extremely SPICY Soup Noodles!!

Black Bean Noodles (Super YUMMY!)

Tucked away in one of Insadong's quiet alley, this vegetarian restaurant is probably one of the best finds. I've totally forgotten what I've ordered but there was one that is still stuck in my mind which was the BLACK BEAN NOODLES! It doesn't look like much but the taste it to die for! I totally recommend it and it would be such a huge miss if you don't try it. The other items were quite good as well. I really like the ambience of the restaurant as it exudes a kind of traditional Korean house feel. Other than that, the price is affordable too. So, if you are travelling on a budget and don't mind adding vegetables to your diet, this place is definitely a place to consider.

I found out about this place when I enquired about vegetarian restaurants at Insadong's information centre. It's pretty hard to find it if you don't have a map. So, I would suggest to go to an information centre and get directions.

3.
Yang Good Korean BBQ Lamb Restaurant *Halal*
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Nonhyeon-ro, 95 gil, 15
+82 02-567-7060

(Photo from Wordpress)

Really friendly and helpful staff!

Cold Noodles :P

Now, saving the best for last! After days of eating vegetables, desserts, seafood and whatnot, finally I found a place that serves halal MEAT!! Sadly, I visited this place during my last few days in Korea and I wished I had came here sooner. I could be a little bias when I say its one of the best BBQ meat I've eaten but I'm not kidding, especially when you are in a place where there is limited halal food choices. Its best to come to this place for dinner or supper as it only opens in the evening till the wee hours of the night.

Recommended: Marinated meat and cold noodles!

Being our first time eating Korean style BBQ, we put the whole piece of meat onto the grill (as you can see from the 2nd picture). 

However, it was apparently the wrong thing to do as the staff there were all looking at us in a weird and puzzled way. 

(Like where the hell do all these noob people came from?!)

 Thus, one of them actually came and help us cut up the meat. 

Thank you! Lesson learnt. 

Price is pretty reasonable for BBQ meat, around 20,000-35,000 Won (~S$25-S$40) for 2 portions, depending on what type of meat you choose.

It took quite a long time to find this place as I thought it was near Gangnam station as the address was in Gangnam but we were suppose to go to Yeoksam Station which was one station away. Even upon reaching Yeoksam Station, it took a couple of locals and turns before reaching. 

Apart from having to rely on these restaurants to fill our tummies, there are also many interesting cafes which Seoul is known for having. Here are some of which I've visited..

4.
Dal Cafe
Samcheongdong

Green Tea 'Bingsoo'

Along the streets of Samcheondong, you will be able to find this cafe known for its 'bingsoo' which is almost the same as our 'ice kacang'. I feel that this cafe is a little pricey for me but they are pretty generous with their bingsoo portion and additional toppings. The waffles are so-so (really like its presentation though). Overall, this cafe is a great place to chill and unwind awhile, after all those walking.

5.
Caffe Bene
near Ewha Women's University

SLURPP!

 I decided to visit popular Korean cafes in Seoul where Singapore has yet to have an outlet. One of them was Caffe Bene. Sadly I didn't manage to take photos at the other cafes :( Many of you may have heard of Caffe Bene before, cus its everywhere in Seoul! I went to the outlet nearby Ewha Women's University. I like that it was quiet and had a great alfresco area. 

At Caffe Bene, they also serve 'bingsoo' but with a variety of modern flavours. I choose cookies & cream which I absolutely LOVE! How I wish in Singapore there is such a thing as cookies & cream 'ice kachang.' However, I think that the ice portion for their bingsoo may have been a little too much. 

(Just look at the amount of ice I've wasted at the 2nd last pic! :O) 

Alright that's all from me! For the halal restaurants, even if they a hold a halal certificate, they will still sell alcohol or rice wine. So, don't be too surprise and doubtful as the reason why they are allowed to sell alcohol is mainly because of business survival.  

Next stop, I will be heading to Taiwan this coming end of May. 

So do look out for the next HFJ in Taiwan!