Halal food has become increasingly popular in Tokyo with a growing number of traditional Japanese restaurants rolling out Halal menus. With many different cuisines on offer, Halal restaurants have attempted to cater to greater and more diverse dietary requirements, to the joy of many visitors.
1. Ramen Ouka
Credit: fooddiversity.today
Ramen Ouka located in Shinjuku is a restaurant owned and staffed by Muslims. Its menu is very simple there are three different ramen to choose from: halal ramen, halal spicy ramen and vegan ramen and are available portion sizes from small to extra large. You can choose your preferred broth whether its high-quality sea bream, sea kelp or a vegetarian option. Each serving also comes with some grilled chicken and yakitori (or a vegetarian option) as well as a complimentary bowl of rice and specialist tea at the end. A regular portion of ramen costs ¥1,100.
Website: https://ramenouka.com/
2. Honolu Ebisu
Located a few minutes walk from Ebisu station, Honolulu Ebisu is one of the most popular ramen restaurants in Tokyo. They have a halal-friendly menu and serve some creative halal ramen. You can enjoy the ramen any way you like, whether it’s spicy, with soy sauce or with karaage. Other than the ramen there are also takoyaki and gyoza, which is made from chicken and tofu. Ramen from ¥780.
Website: http://halalramen-honolu.net/halal/
3. Tentei
Credit: http://ginza-tentei.jp/
If you love tempura then Tentei is definitely worth checking out. The food is fresh and not oily, unlike most tempura dishes. Each order is chosen and fried right in front of you so know it is of good quality. The crispy batter is cooked in light tempura and goes well with cold soba noodles. There are also set meals if you’re really hungry, which comes with both soba and tempura over rice. The staff here are also very friendly and welcoming and are able to make special requests for your food.
Lunch meals start from ¥2,500.
Website: http://ginza-tentei.jp/
4. Gyumon
Credit: www.facebook.com/gyumon29
Credit: www.facebook.com/gyumon29
A popular halal restaurant for Muslims is Gyumon, located just off Meiji-dori in Shibuya. This yakiniku restaurant has delicious cuts of beef for you to grill. All their meat is certified by the Malaysia Halal Corporation as well. Ordering is simple, just choose the cut you would like and they’ll serve it to you raw. The meat is marinated in salt and pepper allowing you to savour the beef. It is considered one of the most authentic Japanese halal restaurants due to its intimate setting, making it a popular place for both tourists and locals. The ¥4,000 set is a good option as it features three of their most popular cuts of beef.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gyumon29/
5. Tokyo Chinese Muslim Restaurant
Located just a few minutes walk from Kinshicho station in Sumida is Tokyo Chinese Muslim Restaurant. Chinese food or Chuka is incredibly popular in Japan. This restaurant has some very tasty Chinese halal food that is definitely worth trying. Here you can expect the highest quality of halal food prepared by their in-house halal chef. They don’t serve pork and instead use beef which is all sourced from a halal-certified American company and a halal butcher in Saitama. There is also a prayer room where customers are welcome to use before and after meals. Prices are under ¥1,000 during the day and between ¥2,000 and ¥3,000 during the night.
Tokyo Chinese Muslim Restaurant on Google Maps
6. Origami Asakusa
Located in Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist destinations is Origami Asakusa. The food here is not only presented immaculately, but also tastes good. The fact it is also inclusive to Muslim means they can enjoy their authentic Japanese meal without worrying. The halal food is prepared in a separate halal kitchen by halal staff. One of the highlights on the menu is the Special Domestic Beef Shabu-Shabu Set (¥5000) is a full course and includes sashimi, starters and desert. The average price of main dishes is ¥3,000.
Website: https://www.origami-asakusa.jp/
Origami Asakusa on Google Maps
7. Sumiyakiya, Nishi Azabu
Located only a 6 minute walk from Roppongi station is Sumiyakiya, Nishi Azabu is the place to go for halal yakiniku with a Korean twist. You can order cuts of wagyu and side dishes although it is recommended to order course set menus. The Sumiyakiya set course costs ¥5,000, for which you will get three different cuts of meat, some salad, homemade kimchi, buchimgae (Korean pancake) a changing side dish and salad leaves to wrap your meat in. The restaurant is popular with tour groups so it is strongly advised to book in advance.
Website: http://www.sumiyakiya.com
Sumiyakiya Nishi Azabu on Google Maps
8. Hanasakaji-san, Shibuya
Credit: https://hanasakaji-san.jp/
Located in Shibuya, Hanasakiji-san is the most popular halal-certified shabu-shabu restaurant in Tokyo. It was also the first restaurant in Japan that was certified as a local halal restaurant, which combines halal and authentic Japanese food, allowing customers to get the best of both worlds. The meat is sourced from Miyazaki, Kyushu, where one of the very few halal butchers prepare the meat before sending it to be served. All the ingredients in the shabu-shabu courses are 100 per cent halal certified. The shabu-shabu starts from ¥4,000 per person.
Website: https://hanasakaji-san.jp/
9. CoCo Ichibanya
At CoCo Ichibanya customers can enjoy halal-certified Japanese curry at its restaurant in Akihabara. The Akihabara branch opened in September 2017 receiving certification from the Nippon Asia Halal Association (NAHA). Here you can eat tasty Japanese curry choosing your own toppings, spiciness and rice volume. Around ¥1,000 per curry.
As you can see there is a wide selection of halal restaurants to choose from in Tokyo offering delicious Japanese food and this should not let you feel limited in your choices. So next time you are in Tokyo why not try one of these places?
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Alex Coles
Alex is a graduate of photography from London. He has a strong interest in visual arts and culture. Alex is half Japanese and has a great knowledge of Japan, having spent several years living there, visiting many parts of the country.
