Reposted from the web

Summary: A practical Beijing halal restaurant guide answering where to find halal food, from Gulan Renjia and restaurants near mosques to stews, craft-beer-style dining notes, and Jingnan hotpot.

When I reached the 9th installment of my Beijing halal dining guide series, I thought I was near the end. But I keep finding new and interesting halal restaurants that I just have to try. Thanks to contributions from followers and recommendations from foodie friends, I have reached the 12th installment. With a list of places I still want to visit, I think I will easily reach 200 restaurants.

Restaurant 169: Gulan Renjia



This small shop is in Doudian, Fangshan, not far from the Doudian mosque. I walked in after seeing a sign for dipping beef tripe (zhan niudu). I had this in Kaifeng, Henan, years ago and have never forgotten it.



They recently added roasted rabbit head to the menu. Rabbit meat is halal to eat. I once had halal spicy diced rabbit and Shuangliu rabbit head in Chengdu, Sichuan.



Their roasted steamed bun slices (kao mantou pian) are delicious. They are toasted until very crispy and sprinkled with barbecue seasoning, making them smell and taste great.



The dipping beef tripe is tender, but the flavor is a bit mild. The clay pot also comes with vegetables for dipping, so be careful not to burn your mouth.



Address: 50 meters north of the 993 bus terminal, south of Doudian Village, west side of the road.

Restaurant 170: Zhangji Dayangshu Restaurant



Zhangji is right across from the Doudian mosque. Many Hui Muslims in Doudian have the surname Zhang; the owner of the Tongshunzhai restaurant next door is also named Zhang. I have been here twice, and what impressed me most is how fast they serve the food.



Maybe it is because I usually order things that are already prepared, but their stir-fried dishes also come out incredibly fast. My food was ready by the time I finished washing my hands.



I recommend the mixed beef and lamb liver. They are very flavorful, and you can order a platter with a mix of different ingredients.



The lamb trotters are great for gnawing on and really satisfy a craving.



Address: Directly across from Doudian mosque.

Restaurant 171: Liangji Braised Noodles (huimian)



My last post recommended the spicy soup (hulatang) at Mawu in Zhongguancun, and the response was huge. This time, I am recommending a place for halal braised noodles. The noodles at Liangji are very fragrant and tasty.



Because it is in Huilongguan, far from the city center, the spicy soup is only 10 yuan a bowl.



The overall style is very Central Plains, and the shop always plays Henan opera.



The pan-fried buns (shuijianbao) are not as authentic as Mawu's and cost 5 yuan each, but they taste okay. In Henan, you can get three for 1 yuan.



Spicy soup recipes vary wildly, and Liangji's version is not as spicy as the one at Mawu.



The braised noodles are decent, though of course they cannot compare to the ones in Zhengzhou.



Address: Unit 104, Ganglong Commercial Area, 18 Huilongguan West Street, Changping District (east side of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) (Huilong Clearance Center).

Restaurant 172: Guan Craft Beer Restaurant



This place is quite unique. Although it is a bar, it serves halal food. The owner is a Hui Muslim from Beijing.







They have burgers, pizza, seafood barbecue, and cold vegetable dishes. It is a mix of Chinese and Western styles, blending local and international flavors.



The food is quite tasty.







Address: Courtyard 35, Huilongguan West Street.

Shop 173: Erjie Earth Pot Stew (Erjie Diguo Dun).



Xueying Village in Daxing is a treasure. The area is surrounded by halal restaurants, and a common feature of halal spots in Daxing is that they have plenty of space.



Erjie Earth Pot Stew is run by a woman from Heilongjiang nicknamed Erjie. Both Erjie and her sister, Sansan, work there, and all the staff are young women from Heilongjiang.



The portion in this large iron pot is enough for 10 people.



We chose a pot of beef tendon and brisket (jintou banao), and this huge pot of meat only cost 158 yuan.



We added some fish tofu, corn on the cob, black wood ear mushrooms, and potatoes, then let it stew and stew...



For our staple food, we had unleavened steamed flower rolls (huajuan). We placed them right in the pot, and they were cooked in no time.



The pot was filled with a fragrant, delicious meal. Three of us ate for a long time, but the amount barely went down. The portions are truly huge, so I suggest coming with at least 5 people.



Address: No. 6, North Fourth Alley, Qingren Road, Daxing District.

Shop 174: Jingnan First Hot Pot (Jingnan Diyi Shuan).



This is a massive farmhouse-style restaurant. It must be the largest hot pot place in Beijing, and there is free parking in the courtyard.



The owner has their own farm, which provides their own vegetables and homemade tofu.



No matter how many people are in your group, you get a private room. These private spaces are great for chatting and are not as noisy as a main dining hall.



Besides hot pot, they have a full range of stir-fried dishes and snacks.



The quality of the meat is good, and there is no foam in the broth after boiling the meat.



The red willow skewer barbecue (hongliu kaorou) is 15 yuan per skewer, which is a very fair price.



Address: No. 1 Jia, Qingzheng Road, Xueying Village, Panggezhuang, Daxing District.

Shop 175: Runde Xuan Halal Restaurant.



It follows the Daxing tradition of having spacious halal restaurants. You can see the huge sign from the Line 4 subway.



This place is a full-service halal restaurant with over a hundred different dishes.



They serve hot pot, lamb spine (yangxiezi), and flour-based dishes like pot stickers (guotie).



The beef in the stewed beef brisket with potatoes is delicious.



Address: No. 14 Hongsheng Road, North Second Street, Xihongmen, Daxing District (300 meters north of Xihongmen Subway Station, on the east side of the road).

No. 176: Azhen Taste Rice Noodles (Azhen Weidao Mifan).



This shop moved here from its original location in Weigongcun and occupies two floors. They offer two choices: chicken rice noodles and beef rice noodles.



Rice noodles are common in many regions, but this place serves Xinjiang-style rice noodles.



I had the cold chicken rice noodles, mild spicy, but it was still a bit too spicy for me.



Address: Building 5, 2nd Floor, No. 18 Minda West Road.

No. 177: HI HELLO Western-style Grilled Rice.



This is one of the few halal shops in Weigongcun that does not serve Xinjiang or Northwest Chinese cuisine; they make Western-style fast food.



It is very busy at lunchtime. You order and pay by phone yourself, which is very convenient.



I had the spaghetti with steak, and a large portion was only 38 yuan.



Address: Shop 4, Ground Floor, Building 2, Weibohao Garden.

No. 178: Musefilin Xinjiang Restaurant.



Although Xinjiang restaurants are common, this one is worth recommending first because the food tastes good, and second, the decor is quite modern, making it suitable for dates.



The guy at the front desk is a Uyghur, and he is very handsome.



The yogurt is very sweet and has a good texture.



The grilled lamb liver is truly fresh and tender; I wanted more after eating it.



The spicy lamb trotters (hula yangti) are mild spicy and very flavorful.



Thin-skinned steamed buns (baopi baozi) are a Xinjiang specialty. You have to wait a while for this dish because they wrap and steam them to order.



You have to pair grilled meat with flatbread (nang). Overall, the food at this shop is really good. Every dish is made with care, and it is worth a try.



Address: No. 27 Xidawang Road, Chaoyang District. It is right at the exit of Pingleyuan Station on Subway Line 14.

Previous links:

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 1)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 2)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 3)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 4)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 5)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 6)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 7)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 8)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 9)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 11)
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Reposted from the web

Summary: A Beijing halal restaurant guide for Ramadan-season dining, covering beef soup, old Beijing zhizi barbecue, Xi'an yangrou paomo (lamb soup with bread), pizza, and other qingzhen restaurants.

I am posting my tenth guide to Beijing's special halal food during Ramadan. This one took a long time because it is hard to find halal restaurants in Beijing I have not tried yet. I welcome all halal food lovers to share new spots with me. If you know a good place, do not keep it to yourself—please leave me a message.

151. Hu's Original Beef Soup (Huji Yuanzhi Niuroutang)



Last week, a friend stumbled upon a beef soup shop run by Hui Muslims from Huainan, Anhui. It has been open for over five years, and I only just found out about it. I tried local beef soup in Huai'an, Jiangsu last year, and now I have found authentic Huainan beef soup here in Beijing. It is similar to the Huai'an style but with a stronger flavor. One bowl of beef soup costs 18 yuan and you can add noodles or rice noodles. You can pair it with two sesame flatbreads (shaobing) for 2 yuan each; they have green onions inside and are very crispy. The shop has Anhui-style decor, is clean and tidy, and the service is great.













Address: First floor, Shuangtian Building, 30 Jia, North Third Ring West Road

152. Houweiju Old Beijing Iron Griddle Barbecue (Zizhikaorou)



Most old Beijing iron griddle barbecue spots are halal. This one is near Taoranting Park. It is spacious and popular. The meat is fresh and tender, and they have marinated eggplant that smells amazing when grilled. The prices are also very reasonable.







Address: 31 Nanwei Road, Xicheng District, Beijing (the first traffic light south of Xiaoxiang Building, then head west)

153. Qinshengxuan Xi'an Lamb Pita Bread Soup (Yangrou Paomo)



There are not many halal pita bread soup shops in Beijing. Besides Xi'an Restaurant, Old Yang's Pita Bread Soup, and Jia San Soup Dumplings, this is one of the most authentic ones. Of course, it cannot compare to the taste of the Muslim Quarter in Xi'an, but it is a shop with a good variety of pita bread soup.



Address: 40-10 North Third Ring Middle Road (near Taipingzhuang Bridge)

154. Laikebi Happy Pizza



This is a delicious and comfortable halal Western restaurant next to the University of Political Science and Law in Changping. Prices in Changping are lower than in the city center, so a simple pizza meal here only costs a few dozen yuan.

Many international students eat here at noon. I heard the owner opened another branch in Ningxia. Overall, it is great value for money.













Address: 17 Songyuan Road, Changping District, Beijing

155. First floor of Qianmen Old Zhalan Mall



After renovations, many old halal brands have moved into Qianmen Street. You can buy delicious chicken leg rice wraps at the takeout window of the Donglaishun Dazhalan branch.





The Old Zhalan food street now has new halal octopus balls and Korean-style spicy rice cakes.





Address: First floor, Jilong Old Zhalan Mall, 7 Dazhalan

156. Second floor food court of Qianmen 1796 Mall



The first floor of 1796 Mall sells clothing for seniors, while the second-floor food court is mostly halal snack stalls. They have Baye Halal Grilled Beef Scorpions, soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian), meat pies (xianbing), spicy hot pot (malatang), and savory crepes (jianbing guozi), all of which are halal.







Address: Second floor, 1796 Mall, Qianmen Dazhalan Commercial Street

157. Hailiye Yunnan Halal Restaurant



This shop is in its trial opening phase. They do not sell alcohol, and the environment and food are both good. I tried the Zhaotong potato chicken, braised beef, black goat milk cheese, beef rice noodles, and passion fruit lemon juice. Everything was delicious. It is a good place for a date, and the average cost is 60 yuan per person.

















Address: First floor, World Financial Center.

158. Nangeng Street, Miyun District.



Nangeng Street is a halal food street in Miyun town. Many local restaurants are here, serving dumplings, seafood, barbecue, snacks, and hot pot. It is quite far from downtown Beijing. There is also an old mosque here, though its construction date is unknown.









Address: Nangeng Street, Miyun District, Beijing.

159. Tanghe Halal Restaurant.



This restaurant is inside the Gubei Water Town scenic area. You must buy a ticket to the scenic area to enter and eat.



Even though it is inside a tourist spot, the service and food quality are excellent, and the prices are cheap. There is a river right next to the restaurant. The outer walls are made of transparent glass, so you can enjoy the view while you eat.







Address: No. 011, Huanjie, Gubei Water Town Square, Miyun.
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Reposted from the web

Summary: A famous Chinese Muslim food guide for Beijing, covering Longtan hotpot, Niujie lamb spine, halal dumplings, pancakes, snacks, and restaurant addresses, with the long original article kept as one full post.

Through years of travel, I have gradually discovered that Beijing has the most complete variety of halal food in the world, bar none. Even in an international metropolis like New York, the variety of halal restaurants does not compare to Beijing. Beijing not only has halal restaurants with flavors from many countries, but also gathers halal food from all over China. You can find almost any halal food you can think of in Beijing.

1. Longtan Hot Pot (Longtan Shuanrou)









This copper pot hot pot restaurant near Longtan Lake Park is run by the seventh-generation descendant of the Niujie Yongli family. Yongli is short for the Li family of Yongan Tang. Yongan Tang was a shop opened by the ancestors of the Yongli family at Yongdingmen during the Qing Dynasty, with the hall name Yong Sanyuan. The owner's father was an apprentice at Donglaishun in his early years. The restaurant uses high-calcium lamb from Sunite, Inner Mongolia, which is halal-slaughtered. They serve Niujie sesame flatbread (shaobing), and the sesame paste dipping sauce is stamped with the character for good fortune (fu). The small shop is full of Beijing character and is often used as a filming location. If you do not want to wait in line at Jubaoyuan, come here instead.

Address: No. 16 Zuo'anmen Inner Street, next to the northwest gate of Longtan Lake Park.

2. Laochengyi Lamb Spine Hot Pot (Laochengyi Yangxiezi)





The lamb spine hot pot at Laochengyi tastes truly excellent. The lamb chops are stewed until very tender. The mouth-watering chicken (koushuiji) is also a must-order dish. After finishing the lamb spine, you can add vegetables to the pot. The shop has two floors and plenty of seating, so even if you come during meal times, the wait will not be too long.

Address: No. 3 Commercial Street, Niujie North Entrance, Beijing.

3. Dashuntang





Dashuntang has been around for a long time. They make very authentic Beijing-style halal food. Usually, when families have special occasions, Dashuntang is the first choice. I recommend the roasted lamb chops, boiled beef, deep-fried lamb tail, and roast duck. The crispy-skin roast duck and lamb chops are especially well-received.

Address: Building 5, Jia 4, Fayuan Mosque West, Jiaozihu Tong, Xicheng District.

4. Junlian Halal Dumpling House



This shop has dumplings with all kinds of fillings, like pineapple or tomato. It is very popular, and you need to queue during meal times. My favorites are the traditional beef and lamb with green onion, and chive and egg dumplings.

Address: South Gate, Niujie Xili District 2, Xicheng District.

5. Shandong Sha Dacu Pancake (Jianbing)







This shop used to be in Jiaozihu Tong. Later, due to urban renovations, it moved into the vegetable market in Shuru Hutong. They have added several new flavors, but I still like the classic version best.

Address: Entrance of the Shuru Hutong Halal Vegetable Market.

6. Suzhou Hui Muslim Restaurant





Although soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian) are a representative Beijing dish, there are not many halal versions. Some small Beijing-style eateries make them, but the taste is average. Most Hui Muslims make soybean paste noodles at home. This Suzhou Hui Muslim Restaurant is not run by Suzhou people; it is just named that because it is located in the Suzhou community. It is actually a small Beijing-style eatery, and I recommend their soybean paste noodles.

Address: No. 36, Suzhou Hutong, Dongcheng District.

7

Dardanelles Turkish Restaurant







Beijing has four halal Turkish restaurants: Istanbul Restaurant, Turkish Mama Restaurant, Doner Turkish Cafe (which serves kebab wraps) near Xiushui Street, and Dardanelles Restaurant. Dardanelles is my favorite because of its beautiful Ottoman-style decor. The salmon, grilled meats, and steaks are all delicious and reasonably priced.

Address: Units 1-21-22, Courtyard 39, Shenlu Street, Ritan North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing (west of the North Korean Embassy).

8. KAVKAZ Azerbaijani Restaurant



At KAVKAZ Azerbaijani Restaurant, I tried the Caucasian salad, Azerbaijani soup dumplings, Caucasian beef, and Azerbaijani salty yogurt drink. The staff are all from Azerbaijan. The young waitress did not speak much Chinese, but she was very cute and enthusiastic.

Address: East side of Shenlu Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

9.

Shashi Castle Restaurant



This is an Uzbekistan-style restaurant themed around a romantic meeting between a prince and a princess. They serve Middle Eastern, Russian, and Western food. You must order the grilled steak, and the Napoleon cake is quite delicious. There is belly dancing at 7:30 PM.

Address: First floor of the Saint Angel Hotel, near Exit E of Hujialou Subway Station, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

10.

Persepolis Restaurant



Persia is Iran. The restaurant next door changed its sign. I used to go there often for the lunch buffet. You must order the Iranian black tea and the grilled meats. You can also eat saffron fried rice here.

Address: Right at Exit A of Tuanjiehu Subway Station, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

11. Lazeez Indian Music Restaurant







Beijing has many halal Indian restaurants, such as Indian Kitchen, Ganges Restaurant, and Sadhu, but I like Lazeez Music Restaurant the best. The halal sign is hung inside. Luckily my classmate reminded me, or I would have missed this uniquely styled Indian restaurant. The atmosphere inside is very exotic, and you can hear beautiful Indian songs. You can eat authentic Indian spicy beef curry, chicken curry, cream of mushroom soup, Mughal royal flatbread (naan), samosa chaat, and rose yogurt lassi. There is a wide variety of dishes.

Address: 31 Gulou West Street, Xicheng District.

12. Sukhothai Thai-Malaysian Restaurant







Sukhothai was the capital of the first Thai dynasty, the Sukhothai Kingdom. The Nanyang Yiyicheng Malaysian restaurant in Dongzhimen closed, and I was worried about where to find halal Malaysian food. I recommend the original milk tea, pineapple fried rice, and coconut pudding with sago.

Address: Ju'er Hutong, Nanluoguxiang, opposite Saduli Restaurant.

13. Hefeng Banquet (Hefeng no Utage)



This is the first halal Japanese restaurant in Beijing. The head chef is the former Japanese cuisine chef from the Kempinski Hotel. The space is bright and roomy with private rooms. The food is carefully prepared for its look, smell, and taste, and you can order Australian wagyu hot pot. The owner is a Hui Muslim from Lanzhou who is very devout, so you can trust the ingredients. The palm-sized prawns are fresh and tender. The tempura sushi and Pacific saury (sanma) taste just like they do in Japan, and they serve free pudding after the meal.

They recently launched a 298 yuan seafood buffet. You can order anything from the menu, including abalone, lobster, king crab legs, Pacific saury, salmon, oysters, and other treats. It also includes fruit juice and desserts, making it a great value.

Address: 1st Floor, Shaanxi Building, Shilihe, Chaoyang District.

14. Alameen Lebanese Restaurant



Lebanese food is one of my favorite Middle Eastern cuisines. This place has a nice, quiet atmosphere and reasonable prices. They serve pizza, steak, and salads, and the grilled chicken breast is delicious.

Address: Next to the German Embassy in Sanlitun.

15. Khan Baba Pakistani Restaurant







Pakistani food is as common abroad as Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles (Lanzhou lamian) are here. There are two Khan Baba locations in Beijing: one in Wudaokou and one in Sanlitun. The Wudaokou shop is larger. There is also a Shalimar Indian and Pakistani restaurant near the Shunyi China International Exhibition Center.

Address: Room 511, 5th Floor, Building 2, Sanlitun SOHO, No. 8 Gongti North Road, Chaoyang District.

16. One Thousand and One Nights







One Thousand and One Nights is a high-end Middle Eastern Arabic restaurant with two branches in Beijing: one in Solana and one in Tuanjiehu. You can eat pan-fried foie gras here, and there are song and dance performances every night on the hour.

Address: No. 6 Chaoyang Park Road, Solana, Chaoyang District.

17. Changji Iron Griddle BBQ (Changji Zhizi Kaorou)











Changji Iron Griddle BBQ is a very authentic old Beijing halal restaurant. It only has six tables and specializes in iron griddle barbecue. The soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian) and quick-boiled tripe (baodu) are absolutely perfect. Next time, I will try the barbecue and the lamb noodle soup (yangrou cuamian). The decor in the shop has a cool, confident vibe. Everyone calls the owner Fourth Master Chang (Chang Siye), and he is very hospitable. These kinds of small hutong eateries are rare now. They serve grilled pickled cabbage, grilled shiitake mushrooms, grilled chicken cartilage, grilled beef, and grilled lamb. They marinate the meat before grilling it. The taste is just as good as the famous Kaorouji, but because it is a small hutong shop, the price is less than half of what you would pay there.

Address: In the bungalows south of Guangnei Street that are waiting to be demolished. There is a wall built in front of the entrance, so you cannot see it unless you walk inside.

18. Tangdou Conveyor Belt Buffet Hot Pot





This is the first halal conveyor belt buffet hot pot restaurant in Beijing. It costs 59 yuan per person, and you can eat dozens of different items, including seafood, cooked dishes, vegetables, peanuts, fruit, various staples, snacks, and ice cream. Drinks are unlimited. A conveyor belt runs through the whole restaurant, so you can eat everything without moving from your seat. It is quite a good deal.

Address: North side of the 8th floor, Souxiu City Shopping Plaza, Chongwenmen Outer Street (opposite the 2nd phase of the New World Department Store in Chongwenmen).

19. Xingyuege Muslim Restaurant



Friends (dosti) from Northeast China in Beijing are in luck, because I finally found a restaurant that specializes in halal Northeast-style dishes.



The restaurant's home base is Harbin.



The decor style is also very Harbin.



Double-cooked pork (guobaorou) is a famous Northeast dish, served here in the Harbin-style savory version.



Steamed dumplings (shaomai) are also a common Northeast home-style dish.



They also have home-style tofu (jiachang doufu). Friends (dosti) from the Northeast who miss the taste of home should take the chance to try it.

Address: Shop 102, Building 2, Courtyard 2, Lixiangcheng, Hongye Road, Xihongmen Town.

20. Ningxia Flavors, Summer Language



This is a halal restaurant serving Ningxia-style food. It is located in the busy Chaoyangmen area and has a great atmosphere.



Our group of over ten people tried almost everything on the menu.



Sweet rice made by Northwest Hui Muslims.



The lamb trotters are very flavorful.



Every dish is solid and they put a lot of effort into the presentation.



Rice sausage (michangzi).



Hui Muslim fried dough (youxiang).



Hui Muslim snack platter.



This place is great for group meals. You can push tables together for over ten people, and the prices are not expensive.

Address: 2F, Fenglian Plaza, No. 18 Chaoyangmen Outer Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

21. Eliya Halal Bakery



This is a high-end halal pastry shop.



They have all kinds of beautiful desserts.



They use imported halal cream as an ingredient. The prices are actually not expensive, and the taste is top-notch.

Address: Ground floor shop 06, Building 56, Changying Minzu Jiayuan, Changying Middle Road, Chaoyang District.

22. Xingu Halal Charcoal Barbecue



This shop was originally labeled as Korean BBQ, but business was affected by the THAAD incident, so the owner removed the word Korean. After all, the owner is from Changying and has nothing to do with Korea.



Walk up the stairs to the second floor and you will find a hidden gem. The owner bought the whole building and rented the space next door to the Changying Three Brothers.



If you go in the afternoon, you do not need to wait in line. People say it was packed when it first opened, but business is not as good as before due to the THAAD incident.



The meat is fresh and the service is top-tier.



Servers help you grill the meat the whole time, so you do not need to do it yourself.



The lettuce is for wrapping the grilled meat.



You can also eat the steamed egg custard and cheese on the side of the grill.



Halal soybean paste soup (dajiangtang).



Dip the tender beef in five-spice seasoning to eat it.

Address: Opposite the south gate of Minzu Jiayuan residential area on Changying Middle Road, next to Yunding Billiards Club (west side of Minzu Primary School).

23. Aiyidian Halal Yunnan Cuisine



It is not easy to find authentic halal Yunnan food in Beijing, but this restaurant is quite genuine. There is another halal Yunnan restaurant in Yizhuang called Dianxinyuan. It has a nice atmosphere, but the food is average and it is quite far away.



The decor is fresh and elegant, and the owner is a young woman from Yunnan.



Tamarind (suanjiao) is a local specialty of Yunnan, so I chose to try the tamarind juice.



Beef wrapped in mint leaves; mint is as common in Yunnan as cilantro and is delicious even when eaten raw.



This is fried grasshopper.

Ibn Abi Awfa narrated: We went on seven expeditions with the Prophet, and we ate locusts. Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 37;

The Prophet described the sea, saying: 'Its water is pure, and its dead creatures are halal.' He also said: 'We are permitted two types of dead creatures: fish and locusts;' and two types of blood: liver and spleen.' (Musnad Ahmad)



Sour soup beef jerky (niuganba); you must eat beef jerky in Yunnan cuisine because the most famous beef jerky in Yunnan is made by Hui Muslims.



It happened to be just before the Dragon Boat Festival, and the restaurant was developing beef rice dumplings (zongzi). The manager gave me two; I had only eaten sweet ones before, so this was my first time trying a meat version.



Yunnan cold rice noodles (mixian); the broth is rich and fragrant, and the noodles are chewy.

Address: First floor, north commercial section, axes 19-21, west side of Fengyayuan Zone 2, Huilongguan Town.

24. Old Ma's lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) and pan-fried dumplings (guotie).



Halal lamb spine is easy to find, but halal potstickers are rare these days. This shop makes pretty good ones.



Beef and green onion potstickers were my childhood favorite. There used to be a tent in Xuanwu District that sold halal snacks, but after it was torn down, I never found good potstickers again. I later heard the old man who made them passed away (wuchang), so that authentic skill is likely lost forever.



I was surprised to find they also sell spicy hot pot (maocai), a Chengdu snack similar to spicy soup (malatang), but you can drink the broth.

Address: South entrance of Hongju Street, Xicheng District.

25. Eating noodles at the Drum Tower.



I found this popular restaurant on Dazhong Dianping. At first, I thought it was categorized incorrectly because it had no obvious halal sign. I learned from the reviews that it is a halal shop owned by a Beijing Hui Muslim, and the halal sign is in a very inconspicuous spot inside.





This is a Western-style rock music restaurant.



They have mushrooms with foie gras.



Roasted chicken leg, but it is named Eight Hammers (badachui).



It is called Gold Medal Meat Sauce Noodles, but when it arrived, it was just soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian).



Vegetable salad. Overall, the taste suits women, and the environment is good for dates.

Address: No. 25 Gongjie, Gulou East Street.

26. Old Yang's halal restaurant.



This is the highest-rated restaurant in the Changping area and is highly recommended.



Let's start with the environment: they have small semicircular tables that make it easy to chat.



I told the owner I came here specifically to break my fast. He recommended the house-made sour plum drink (suanmeitang). It was very thirst-quenching, sweet, and tart. I ordered two pitchers and took the second one to go.



I ordered the restaurant's signature dishes, starting with the cold shredded bottle gourd with sesame paste (majiang liangban hulusi), which was crisp and refreshing.



Fairy tofu (shenxian doufu) is another popular delicacy, and the tofu is made in-house.



Old Yang's beef pie (lao yangjia niuroubing) is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You have to eat it with raw garlic.



The dry-pot duck heads (ganguo yatou) are spicy, numbing, and fragrant.



The stir-fried radish sprouts (qingchao luobomiao) were great. Another feature of Old Yang's restaurant is the attentive service. They greet you with a smile and check in on how you like the food. It is rare to see such good service in a place that is so busy. I didn't get to eat the fish head with flatbread (yutou paobing) at Old Yang's today, so I will have to try it next time.

Address: No. 30, West Lane 1, Xiguanshi Village, Yangfang Town, Changping District.

27. Cheng's Shan County Lamb Soup (yangtang) Restaurant



I did not expect to find such good lamb soup (yangtang) in Beijing. Shan County is a place in Shandong famous for its lamb soup. There is a Gao Laosi Lamb Soup shop on Niujie Street, but it does not taste as good as the Shan County lamb soup.



The oil and salt flatbread (yousuan shaobing) is hollow inside, perfect for soaking in lamb soup or stuffing with spiced beef.



The soup is milky white, a natural color from boiling lamb bones.



Large starch noodles (dalapi).



Half a jin of spiced beef (jiang niurou) stuffed into a freshly baked flatbread is delicious.



I also had some grilled fish tofu and seafood skewers.

Address: Sanzhong Lane (near Xingfeng Street), about 525 meters from Huangcun West Street Station.

28

. Roubing Wan



This small shop is run by a young Beijing couple born in the 80s, specializing in meat pies (roubing) and beef tendon (banjin).



Almost every table orders the meat pie; it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and truly delicious.



It lives up to its reputation as the best small beef tendon spot in the south city, with carefully selected ingredients and a great texture.



You have to pair the meat pie with a bowl of corn grit porridge (bangchazhou), which is cooked until very thick. Overall, it is quite rare to find a small Beijing-style skewer shop left in the Niujie area.

Address: Entrance of Chengshi Hutong, Guangnei Street, next to Guidu Hotel.

29. Chongqing Sausage Lips Old Stove Hot Pot



I first had halal Chongqing hot pot in Chongqing, and now I have finally found one in Beijing. They have the traditional nine-grid pot and the split-pot (yuanyang guo).



The nine-grid pot is too spicy for me, so I chose the split-pot, but it was still very spicy.



The hand-cut fresh lamb is average in quality, but when eating Chongqing hot pot, the ingredients do not matter much because your mouth goes numb from the spice anyway.



Duck intestine is a must-order dish for people from Sichuan and Chongqing when eating hot pot.



The bamboo shoots are crunchy when cooked in the pot.



When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Northerners are used to sesame paste (majiang) for hot pot, but for Sichuan-style hot pot, I suggest trying sesame oil with minced garlic.



They have sesame flatbread (shaobing) here too, but I prefer this hand-torn pancake (shoushibing), which is crispy.

Address: Room 201, Building 16, Jiayuan District 1, Beijie, Higher Education Park, Shahe, Changping District.

30. Camel Caravan Moroccan Halal Restaurant



I once saw a Moroccan restaurant in Urumqi, and now there is a Moroccan halal restaurant in Beijing too.



This blue color scheme is the style of the ancient city of Fez.



Moroccan snack platter



Marrakesh chicken stew; the chicken is tender and falls right off the bone.



Casablanca noodles



They also have snacks like sandwiches and burgers. This is a music-themed restaurant and bar, perfect for dates and chatting.

Address: No. 44 Guanghua Road, outside Jianguomen

31. Cantonese-style seafood bistro



This is a halal restaurant serving Cantonese-style seafood.



The environment is quite nice, fresh, and natural.



They serve Cantonese-style hot pot (dabanlu) with a clear broth base.
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Reposted from the web

Summary: A Nanjing halal food map covering historic Hui Muslim restaurants, classic local snacks, duck dishes, and old neighborhood food stops, with names, addresses, photos, and cultural context kept from the source article.

Hui Muslims have a very long history in Nanjing. During the Ming Dynasty, they made up a large part of the population in the old city. When the capital moved to Beijing, many Hui Muslims moved north with it. Many northern Hui Muslim family trees can be traced back to Nanjing. During the Republic of China era, Nanjing became the capital again. Many high-ranking Nationalist generals were Hui Muslims, which helped Nanjing's halal food culture grow quickly during that time.

1. Maxingxing



Maxingxing Restaurant is the oldest halal restaurant in Nanjing. It has been around for over 160 years, dating back to 1845 during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. It is one of the four great traditional halal brands in Nanjing. Its four signature dishes are beauty liver (meiren gan), phoenix tail shrimp (fengwei xia), egg steamed dumplings (dan shaomai), and squirrel fish (songshu yu). Today, Maxingxing is listed as a Jiangsu Province intangible cultural heritage and was among the first group of time-honored Chinese brands named by the Ministry of Commerce.



Visitors to Nanjing usually want to try the local snacks. Maxingxing's pan-fried dumplings (guotie) and soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) are delicious treats you should not miss.

Address: No. 32 Yunnan North Road, Gulou District (near Hubei Road)

2. Qifangge



Qifangge is one of Nanjing's four great traditional halal brands. It was founded in 1917 by socialites and business leaders like Li Yangchao, Zhu Shouren, Liu Hairu, and Yu Zikuan. They pooled their money to open the Qifangge Halal Tea House near Chengsi Mosque on what was then Qiwang Street (now Jiankang Road), focusing on halal snacks.



This place serves the 25 varieties of Qinhuai River snacks. Because Nanjing has so many types of snacks, Qifangge offers a snack set to help diners try them all. Each item comes in a small plate, allowing you to sample the entire range of Qinhuai River snacks at once.



The diners here include both long-time Nanjing locals and tourists from out of town.



The shepherd's purse steamed dumplings (jicai zhengjiao) are not only beautifully made but also perfectly seasoned, soft, and tasty.



Four-color cakes (sise gao) are a traditional snack in the Jiangsu region, carefully made from ingredients like glutinous rice flour and rose petals.

Address: No. 12 Gongyuan West Street, Confucius Temple, Qinhuai District

3. Lvliuju



Founded in 1912, Lvliuju is a Jiangsu Province intangible cultural heritage site famous for its vegetarian and halal dishes. Records show that Bai Chongxi, Sun Yat-sen, and the Soong sisters were all regular customers at Lvliuju.



The first floor is a shop for homemade food, selling hundreds of finished or semi-finished products. The second floor serves snacks, the third floor serves stir-fried dishes, and the floors above have private rooms.



Since I prefer local snacks, I naturally went to the second floor to try them.



I had a vegetable bun (sucai bao). These Jiangnan-style buns really show a refined quality from the outside in.



These are small sweet rice balls (xiao tangyuan), round and chewy.



Sugar taro seedlings (tang yumiao) are a Jiangnan snack made by boiling taro in sugar water.

Address: Floors 1-6, No. 248 Taiping South Road, Qinhuai District (near Taiping Shopping Mall)

4. Anleyuan



Anleyuan is the largest halal restaurant in Nanjing, known as the premier halal establishment in the Jiangnan region. This building is just for stir-fried dishes. Next to it, there is another building for snacks and one for hot pot.



The diners inside all sound like locals from Nanjing. Don't ask me how I know; the person who brought me here is a Nanjing Hui Muslim.



Nanjing's famous salted duck (yanshuiya) is a local specialty. Even though it is called salted duck, Jiangnan cuisine is generally light in flavor.



Tofu pudding soup (douhuageng) served with deep-fried dough twists (sanzi) to mix together.



Hui Muslim snack deep-fried dough twists (sanzi).



Vegetable steamed dumplings (su zhengjiao) are also one of Nanjing's famous snacks.



Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish (songshu guiyu) is a famous Jiangsu dish with a sweet and sour taste.

Address: 138 Wangfu Street.

5. Jiang Youji.



Jiang Youji is also a century-old halal shop in Nanjing. Its most famous item is the beef potstickers (niurou guotie), which are known as one of the Eight Wonders of Qinhuai. I heard they had a lawsuit over the brand a few years ago, but it doesn't matter to the diners. We don't care if the successor is authentic; if it doesn't taste good, being authentic is useless.



The beef potstickers at this Laomendong branch on Santiaoying in Qinhuai District are delicious.



Have a bowl of wontons (huntun) for breakfast; the soup is fresh and the ingredients are plentiful.

Address: 40 Santiaoying, Laomendong.

6. Yiguangge.



Yiguangge is another old shop in Nanjing. The owner owns the storefront, so they don't pay rent, which keeps the prices cheap.



I came here to eat crayfish (xiaolongxia). Crayfish is a common home-cooked dish in Jiangnan, and you naturally have to eat authentic halal crayfish when in Nanjing. This time, I learned the proper way to eat crayfish from a friend and realized my previous simple and rough way of eating them was a total waste.



Stir-fried celery with dried tofu (ganzi). Dried tofu is a common soy product in the south.

Address: 15-2 Beimenqiao Road, Beimenqiao Street (near New World Department Store).

7. Lan Laoda Sugar Porridge and Lotus Root Shop.



I really like these kinds of street-side shops. Lan Laoda is also an old brand with several branches in Nanjing.



They mainly sell snacks like sugar porridge with lotus root (tang zhou ou) and sugar taro seedlings (tang yumiao). Sugar porridge with lotus root is a sweet porridge made from lotus root and glutinous rice, and it is one of Nanjing's famous specialties.

Address: 22 Shuangtang Road, Qinhuai District.

8. Li Ji Halal Restaurant



Li Ji Halal Restaurant has only this one location in Nanjing with no other branches. It is a long-standing shop that sells a variety of Nanjing snacks.



There are so many types of snacks, and each one comes in different flavors. People in the south are truly meticulous when it comes to cooking.



I tried Nanjing soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) for the first time. The skin is thin and there is a hole on top. You can suck out the soup first before eating the dumpling, but be careful not to burn your mouth.



The wontons and beef offal vermicelli soup are both made fresh on the spot.



A famous Nanjing snack is duck blood vermicelli soup, but Hui Muslims do not eat blood, so we eat beef offal vermicelli soup or beef vermicelli soup instead.

Address: No. 1 Dading Lane, Qinhuai District

9. Taoyuan Village



Taoyuan Village pastries originated in Beijing's Niujie and have a history of over 150 years. They later moved to Shanghai and opened a factory near the Xiaotaoyuan Mosque, which is how they got the name Taoyuan Village. During the Republic of China era, Taoyuan Village was invited by the government to open in the Nanjing Central Shopping Mall, officially becoming a local Nanjing halal pastry brand.



Beijing-style pastries like honey-glazed dough cubes (misandao), Beijing eight-piece gift boxes (jingbajian), and fried flour cakes (saqima) will surely feel familiar to people from Beijing.

Address: No. 264 Baixia Road, Baixia District

10. Jinhongxing Duck Shop



Jinhongxing's duck is as popular as the deli food at Jubao Yuan, with people lining up all day long.



You must try authentic Nanjing roast duck when you are in Nanjing. It is very different from the Beijing style. Nanjing roast duck can be sliced and eaten by dipping it directly into the sauce.



This is a takeout shop, and you can ask the owner to vacuum-pack it on the spot to take away.

Address: No. 5-1 Mingwalang

11. Han Fuxing



Founded during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, Han Fuxing Pressed Duck Shop is the largest halal food company in Nanjing. It is a time-honored Chinese brand that mainly sells pressed duck and other duck products.



Han Fuxing Duck Shop now has several branches in Nanjing, and the Han family's osmanthus duck (guihuaya) is their signature dish.

Address: No. 32 Hubu Street, Qinhuai District

12. Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) Jiangjun Road Campus Halal Canteen



After recommending old-fashioned restaurants in Nanjing, I will finally recommend a halal canteen. The halal canteen at NUAA is not an ordinary canteen; it is the highest-rated canteen in the local area.



The variety of specialty snacks is enough to dazzle your eyes.



NUAA has many international students, so the halal canteen is quite large. Anyone can come to eat here, and you can pay with cash.



It is hard to believe these snacks come from a cafeteria. The bear-shaped red bean buns (doushabao) are chocolate-flavored, and they also serve stir-fried dishes and barbecue. Being a student at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is truly a blessing.

Address: Second floor of the Fourth Cafeteria, Jiangjun Road Campus, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Some friends (dosti) ask me how I find so many local halal specialties and what apps I use. I tell them I use locals. I praise Allah for letting me meet such wonderful friends (dosti) in Nanjing. No app is better than a local who knows the area inside and out. I have been treated very well by friends whenever I travel. All Muslims are one family. May Allah reward everyone who helps others with a kind heart.
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Reposted from the web

Summary: A Beijing halal food guide focused on Xinjiang restaurants, Yunnan Muslim dishes, Niujie snacks, beef noodles, and other local qingzhen (halal) finds, keeping the original restaurant names, addresses, and photos in order.

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 1)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 2)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 3)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 4)

101. Jinjiang Western Regions Restaurant



This is a high-end Xinjiang restaurant very close to Olympic Forest Park.



The space is quite large with a nice dining atmosphere, making it suitable for banquets and group meals.



The lamb chops are a bit gamey, but the overall taste of the dishes is decent, costing about 100 yuan per person.



Address: No. 411, Zone 4, Huizhong Beili, Asian Games Village, Chaoyang District.

102. Ayidian Chang Halal Yunnan Cuisine



It is not easy to find authentic halal Yunnan food in Beijing, but this restaurant, which opened recently, is quite genuine.



The decor is fresh and elegant, and the owner is a young woman from Yunnan.



Tamarind (suanjiao) is a local specialty of Yunnan, so I chose to try the tamarind juice.



Beef wrapped in mint leaves; mint is as common in Yunnan as cilantro and is delicious even when eaten raw.



This is fried grasshopper.

Ibn Abi Awfa narrated: We went on seven expeditions with the Prophet, and we ate locusts. Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 37;

The Prophet described the sea, saying: 'Its water is pure, and its dead creatures are halal.' He also said: 'We are permitted two types of dead creatures: fish and locusts;' and two types of blood: liver and spleen.' (Musnad Ahmad)



Sour soup beef jerky (niuganba); you must eat beef jerky in Yunnan cuisine because the most famous beef jerky in Yunnan is made by Hui Muslims.



It happened to be just before the Dragon Boat Festival, and the restaurant was developing beef rice dumplings (zongzi). The manager gave me two; I had only eaten sweet ones before, so this was my first time trying a meat version.



Yunnan cold rice noodles (mixian); the broth is rich and fragrant, and the noodles are chewy.

Address: First floor, north commercial section, axes 19-21, west side of Fengyayuan Zone 2, Huilongguan Town.

103. Dai Family Savory Crepe (jianbing) on Niujie Street.



This savory crepe is made by Hui Muslims from Niujie, and the neighbors all say it tastes great.



The savory crepe is a breakfast item, sold only in the morning, and they are closed on Mondays.

Address: Niujie Xili, in front of the barbershop.

104. Old Neighborhood Beef Noodles (laojiefang niuroumian).



The row of snack shops on Jiaozihu Hutong in Niujie has been mostly cleared out due to wall-breaking renovations. Only this Old Neighborhood Beef Noodles remains. The owner, Uncle Ma, is a true old neighbor who lived on the same Shouliu Hutong as my family. His beef noodles and small bowls of beef are excellent. It is not easy to find an authentic bowl of Beijing-style beef noodles these days.

Address: Ground floor shops on the west side of Jiaozihu Hutong.

105. Old Ma Halal Lamb Spine Potstickers (guotie).



Halal lamb spine is easy to find, but halal potstickers are rare these days. This shop makes pretty good ones.



Beef and green onion potstickers were my childhood favorite. There used to be a tent in Xuanwu District that sold halal snacks, but after it was torn down, I never found good potstickers again. I later heard the old man who made them passed away (wuchang), so that authentic skill is likely lost forever.



I was surprised to find they also sell spicy hot pot (maocai), a Chengdu snack similar to spicy soup (malatang), but you can drink the broth.

Address: South entrance of Hongju Street, Xicheng District.

106. Noodles at the Drum Tower.



I found this popular restaurant on Dazhong Dianping. At first, I thought it was categorized incorrectly because it had no obvious halal sign. I learned from the reviews that it is a halal shop owned by a Beijing Hui Muslim, and the halal sign is in a very inconspicuous spot inside.



This is a Western-style rock music restaurant.



They have mushrooms with foie gras.



Roasted chicken leg, but it is named Eight Hammers (badachui).



It is called Gold Medal Meat Sauce Noodles, but when it arrived, it was just soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian).



Vegetable salad. Overall, the taste suits women, and the environment is good for dates.

Address: No. 25 Gongjie, Gulou East Street.

107. Old Yang's Halal Restaurant.



This is the highest-rated restaurant in the Changping area and is highly recommended.



Let's start with the environment: they have small semicircular tables that make it easy to chat.



I told the owner I came here specifically to break my fast. He recommended the house-made sour plum drink (suanmeitang). It was very thirst-quenching, sweet, and tart. I ordered two pitchers and took the second one to go.



I ordered the restaurant's signature dishes, starting with the cold shredded bottle gourd with sesame paste (majiang liangban hulusi), which was crisp and refreshing.



Fairy tofu (shenxian doufu) is another popular delicacy, and the tofu is made in-house.



Old Yang's beef pie (lao yangjia niuroubing) is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You have to eat it with raw garlic.



The dry-pot duck heads (ganguo yatou) are spicy, numbing, and fragrant.



The stir-fried radish sprouts (qingchao luobomiao) were great. Another feature of Old Yang's restaurant is the attentive service. They greet you with a smile and check in on how you like the food. It is rare to see such good service in a place that is so busy. I didn't get to eat the fish head with flatbread (yutou paobing) at Old Yang's today, so I will have to try it next time.

Address: No. 30, West Lane 1, Xiguanshi Village, Yangfang Town, Changping District.

108. Cheng's Shan County Lamb Soup Restaurant (Chengji Shanxian Yangtangguan).



I didn't expect to find such good lamb soup in Beijing. Shan County is a place in Shandong famous for its lamb soup.



The oil and salt flatbread (yousuan shaobing) is hollow inside, perfect for soaking in lamb soup or stuffing with spiced beef.



The soup is milky white, a natural color from boiling lamb bones.



Large starch noodles (dalapi).



Half a jin of spiced beef (jiang niurou) stuffed into a freshly baked flatbread is delicious.



I also had some grilled fish tofu and seafood skewers.

Address: Sanzhong Lane (near Xingfeng Street), about 525 meters from Huangcun West Street Station.

109. Huguosi Snack Shop (Airport Branch).



I found a Huguosi Snack Shop at Terminal 2 of Capital Airport. Many traveling friends (dostis) are used to eating hand-pulled noodles (lamian) at the airport, but now with Huguosi, there are more options.



The prices are relatively cheap compared to noodles, and most importantly, there is a wider variety of dishes.

Address: B1, Terminal 2, Capital Airport.

110. Northwest Muslim Restaurant.



There are not many restaurants in the Niujie area that don't have a line. This Northwest Muslim Restaurant has become even more popular after a renovation, and it is still packed every day since switching to 24-hour service.



Summer is the season for skewers. There are all kinds of large skewers to choose from. Since the small alley shops were cleared out, you have to choose these mid-range restaurants for skewers in Niujie, but at least the meat quality is guaranteed.



It is popular because everyone comes for the skewers. What annoys me is that I used to be able to eat without waiting, but now I have to wait at least half an hour.

Address: Nanheng West Street, ground floor shops on the north side

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 1)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 2)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 3)

A Guide to Halal Dining in Beijing (Part 4)
Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: A Beijing halal restaurant guide covering Zhizi barbecue, Diji snacks, Xuezhan big plate chicken, halal hotpot, Xinjiang dishes, and Hui Muslim dining details, with the original addresses, photos, and food notes preserved.

This is the fourth collection of information on special halal restaurants in Beijing that I have put together. Links to the previous parts are below:

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 1)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 2)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 3)

80. Zhizi Revolution (Zhizi Geming)



This is an old Beijing iron-griddle barbecue (zhizi kaorou) shop with several branches. This is the Gulou branch.



The decor is in the style of the early post-liberation period, and they even use enamel mugs for drinking water.



The walls are covered with old newspapers, and it is very popular.



Beijing-style pickled cabbage (suancai), which you grill to eat.



For the best experience, pour the whole plate of meat onto the iron griddle and flip it while it cooks.

Address: No. 25 Lingdang Hutong, Jiugulou Street (Gulou Branch)

81. Di's Braised Meat Snack Shop (Diji Jiangrou Xiaochidian)



This shop is a very small takeout window. They recently started selling braised chicken with rice (huangmenji mifan), but I tried it once, didn't like it, and they stopped selling it later.



However, their snacks and pastries still taste great. This is a brown sugar sesame cake (tanghuoshao).



This is aiwowo, a type of Beijing snack.



The glutinous rice roll with bean flour (lvdagun) tastes just as good as Hongji's, and the advantage is that you don't have to wait in a long line.



The sesame flatbread (shaobing) also tastes very authentic.

Address: First floor of Dahuozhi Barbecue, Nanheng West Street.

82. Blood Station Big Plate Chicken (Xuezhan Dapanji)



People say this is a very popular big plate chicken (dapanji) chain from Xinjiang that just opened near Beijing West Railway Station. The name comes from the fact that the original shop in Xinjiang was located near a blood station, so locals know to go there for big plate chicken.



For the grand opening, the owner is giving away yogurt.



Authentic spicy lamb trotters (hula yangti).



I often eat the stir-fried meat with flatbread (nang chaorou).



The potatoes in the big plate chicken are stewed until very soft, and the flavor is good.

Address: Second floor of Ruihai Building, next to Beijing West Railway Station.

84. Islam Lan Hot Pot.



I highly recommend this new restaurant. It specializes in hot pot buffets and costs 63 yuan per person with a group discount.



Besides the hot pot buffet, each person can pick up two skewers of tender grilled meat from the window at a time.



They also have excellent matcha cake. It is not like the cheap cakes at typical buffets; everyone who tries it says it is good.



The restaurant is clean and tidy. The waitresses wear headscarves, there is a prayer room, and the restaurant is smoke-free and alcohol-free. Even the fermented bean curd (jiangdoufu) is made without alcohol.



The vegetables and fruits are fresh. If you want fruit, the staff will cut it fresh for you.



Each person gets a small individual pot, or groups can choose a split-pot (yuanyang guo).



You can also ask the chef to make pizza, and the taste is just as good as a dedicated pizza shop.



After the meal, there is high-quality ice cream you can eat to your heart's content. The whole meal really only costs 63 yuan per person. The owner is very devout, and during Ramadan, they provide free meals for suhoor and iftar.

Address: No. 11 Huixin East Street, Chaoyang District.

85. Jiaoming Peppery and Numbing Restaurant.



This restaurant is ranked number one for food in Wudaokou on Meituan.



It specializes in peppery and numbing chicken (jiaomaji) and offers various flavors.



Stir-fried small cucumbers.



The big plate chicken (dapanji) is a must-order at any Xinjiang restaurant, and the taste is fantastic.

Address: 3rd-4th Floor, Phase 1, International Food Court, No. 29 Chengfu Road, Wudaokou, Haidian District. It is near Exit A of Wudaokou Subway Station, opposite the Hualian Shopping Plaza (300 meters west of Wudaokou Cinema, on the third floor of Richang Restaurant).

86. Xingyuege Muslim Restaurant.



Friends (dosti) from Northeast China in Beijing are in luck, because I finally found a restaurant that specializes in halal Northeast-style dishes.



The restaurant's home base is Harbin.



The decor style is also very Harbin.



Double-cooked pork (guobaorou) is a famous Northeast dish, served here in the Harbin-style savory version.



Steamed dumplings (shaomai) are also a common Northeast home-style dish.



They also have home-style tofu (jiachang doufu). Friends (dosti) from the Northeast who miss the taste of home should take the chance to try it.

Address: Shop 102, Building 2, Courtyard 2, Lixiangcheng, Hongye Road, Xihongmen Town.

87. Suzhou Hui Muslim Restaurant.



Many friends see the name and think it is a Suzhou-style halal restaurant, but it is not. This shop is in the Suzhou community near Beijing Railway Station and is an authentic old Beijing restaurant.



I highly recommend their soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian). The toppings look tempting, and the taste is very authentic.

Address: No. 36, Suzhou Hutong, Dongcheng District.

88. Jingmen Old Stir-fry Trio (Jingmen Lao Bao San).



The stir-fry trio refers to lamb heart, lamb liver, and lamb kidney. This place specializes in Beijing-style hot pot.

Address: No. 45, Yinmajing, Fangzhuang East Road.

89. Jufuyuan Hot Pot.



Although the shop claims to be an old brand from Niujie, as someone from Niujie, I have never heard of this place.

Address: No. 14, Haihu Xili, 100 meters south of Dazhong Electronics.

90. Jingdong Meat Pie.



A small shop with a modest storefront that specializes in Jingdong meat pies (Jingdong roubing).



I tried a beef one. The crust was crispy and the meat was tender. It is worth recommending.

Address: Yinmajing, Fangzhuang East Road, near Jingmen Old Stir-fry Trio. Find Jingmen Old Stir-fry Trio and walk 100 meters south.

91. Ningxia Flavor Summer Language (Ningwei Xiayu).



A newly opened Ningxia-style halal restaurant in the busy Chaoyangmen area with a very nice environment.



Our group of over ten people tried almost everything on the menu.



Sweet rice made by Northwest Hui Muslims.



The lamb trotters are very flavorful.



Every dish is solid and they put a lot of effort into the presentation.



Rice sausage (michangzi).



Hui Muslim fried dough (youxiang).



Hui Muslim snack platter.



This place is great for group meals. You can push tables together for over ten people, and the prices are not expensive.

Address: 2F, Fenglian Plaza, No. 18 Chaoyangmen Outer Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

92. Dianxinyuan Yunnan-style halal restaurant.



I found this Yunnan halal restaurant by accident in Yizhuang.



There used to be only one Yunnan halal restaurant in Beijing called Dalifu, but it has already closed.



When you come for Yunnan food, the steam pot chicken (qiguoji) is a must-order.



Stir-fried yellow beef (xiaochao huangniurou).



Pineapple rice (boluofan). This shop has a quiet, elegant atmosphere and the prices are cheap.

Address: Ground floor shop on the north side of Yongkang Apartment, No. 18 Kangding Street (100 meters west of Exit A, Tongjinanlu Subway Station).

93. Eliya Halal Bakery.



This is a high-end halal pastry shop.



They have all kinds of beautiful desserts.



They use imported halal cream as an ingredient. The prices are actually not expensive, and the taste is top-notch.

Address: Ground floor shop 06, Building 56, Changying Minzu Jiayuan, Changying Middle Road, Chaoyang District.

94. Xingu Halal Charcoal BBQ.



This shop was originally labeled as Korean BBQ, but business was affected by the THAAD incident, so the owner removed the word Korean. After all, the owner is from Changying and has nothing to do with Korea.



Walk up the stairs to the second floor and you will find a hidden gem. The owner bought the whole building and rented the space next door to the Changying Three Brothers.



If you go in the afternoon, you do not need to wait in line. People say it was packed when it first opened, but business is not as good as before due to the THAAD incident.



The meat is fresh and the service is top-tier.



Servers help you grill the meat the whole time, so you do not need to do it yourself.



The lettuce is for wrapping the grilled meat.



You can also eat the steamed egg custard and cheese on the side of the grill.



Halal soybean paste soup (dajiangtang).



Dip the tender beef in five-spice seasoning to eat it.

Address: Opposite the south gate of Minzu Jiayuan residential area on Changying Middle Road, next to Yunding Billiards Club (west side of Minzu Primary School).

96. Beijing Dumpling House



I found an old Beijing halal dumpling house. People say they get a huge crowd for breakfast.

Address: 200 meters south of Ciqikou subway station.

97. Yijinzhai



They sell all kinds of old Beijing halal snacks and pastries.

Address: A row of storefronts next to the Changying Mosque.

98. Yongchang Old Restaurant



Yongchang is a place in Gansu. This shop serves home-style Northwest Chinese food, but it is not your typical Northwest restaurant. I saw many dish names for the first time, such as highland barley fish-shaped noodles (qingke mian cuoyu), old restaurant spicy noodles (laoguanzi mian lazi), and lamb nest rice (yangrou wowo fan).

Address: West side of the storefronts at 13 Guanzhuang Road, Haitianyise.

99. Daka Barbecue



The old halal seafood stall changed its sign and is now called Daka Barbecue. They have roasted squab and spicy crayfish here.

Address: Haitianyise storefronts, 13 Guanzhuang Road, Chaoyang District.

100. Silk Road Impression



For my 100th restaurant recommendation, I chose the newly renovated Silk Road Impression restaurant.



They have cold tossed mint leaves, which I previously only ate in Yunnan.



You can eat Kazakh-style potatoes here.

Address: 1st Floor, Building C, Wudong Building, 9 Chegongzhuang Street, Xicheng District (Beijing Drainage Group).

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 1)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 2)

[Beijing Special Halal Dining Guide (Including the Most Complete List of Foreign Restaurants)] (Part 3)
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Reposted from the web

Summary: This Japan halal food map gathers Muslim-friendly restaurants, ramen, travel food stops, and practical halal dining notes for readers planning food-focused trips in Japan.

You can find halal restaurants in almost every Japanese city. Halal food in Japan is mostly Indian-Pakistani and Turkish cuisine. There are also Japanese restaurants run by local Muslims, noodle shops run by Hui Muslims from Northwest China, and of course, Xinjiang restaurants.

1. Mount Fuji Indian Cuisine



This is an Indian restaurant very close to Lake Kawaguchi. Note that Mount Fuji is a fair distance from Fuji City, so be careful not to get them mixed up when searching on a map.

Address: Google Maps does not work well in China. I suggest using Google Maps to search for "インドレストラン" once you arrive at the foot of Mount Fuji.

2. Niku no Hanamasa Tsukuba Branch



This store is in Tsukuba, a science city in Ibaraki Prefecture. There are many Muslims here, and you can buy halal meat at this supermarket. This is the halal chicken my Japanese friend bought. My friend specifically prepared a home-cooked Japanese meal for me using halal ingredients.



If you want to eat this, make a Japanese friend to cook it for you.

Address: 305-0834 309-7 Teshirogi, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Website: http://www.hanamasa.co.jp/shop/index_en.html

2. Tokyo Indian-Pakistani Cuisine



Many Indian-Pakistani restaurants in Tokyo are halal. For Muslims abroad, Indian-Pakistani food is like ramen for Muslims in China. When you are in a strange country and cannot find a halal restaurant, try searching for an Indian-Pakistani or Turkish restaurant. These are very likely to be halal.

Address: 4-chome, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

3. Sumiyakiya Nishi-Azabu Main Store



Grilled meat is also a popular way to eat in Japan.



The diners inside look like they are from the Middle East.



Complimentary kimchi.



The most reassuring thing about eating in Japan is that the ingredients are guaranteed to be fresh.



This is a bit like a combination of scallion pancake (cong huabing) and grilled cornmeal bun (wo tou).



The meat is marinated.



This is the grilled lamb, served directly. It is rare to find lamb in Japan.

Address: 3-20-16 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo

4. Kebab



Turkish kebab is a type of fast food that students studying abroad are familiar with; it is convenient and delicious. The server at this shop is Turkish, but he calls out in Japanese. It felt strange to hear a white face speaking Japanese for the first time.



Maybe I was just hungry, but I ate two in one go. Turkish kebab (doner kebab) has saved the stomachs of so many international students.

Address: Ueno Shopping Street, Taito Ward, Tokyo.

5. Yokohama: Kissho Wagyu Hot Pot.



I actually found halal Japanese Wagyu beef in Yokohama. I have to thank Sister Amina for the treat, or I would have missed out on such delicious food.



Kissho Wagyu beef with clear marbling.



Fresh vegetables. The types of vegetables here are the same as in China.



The Japanese people are experts at eating raw food, so sashimi is naturally a must.



Don't let the small portion size fool you; this dessert is made with great care. Japan has the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, which shows the deep culinary skill of the Japanese. To the average diner, dishes at Michelin restaurants might look plain, but the selection of ingredients and the processing methods reflect years of the chef's hard work.



This is a screenshot of the website. Remember to call and book in advance so the shop can prepare fresh halal Wagyu beef.

Address:

Landmark Plaza 5F, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Website: www.kioicho-kissho.com/yokohama/menu/index.html

6. Kerimu Xinjiang Restaurant.



This is a Xinjiang restaurant that every Xinjiang person coming to Japan must visit. The owner is a Uyghur from Northern Xinjiang, and his whole family has immigrated to Japan.



The server is also a Uyghur girl.



The taste of the grilled meat is not much different from what you get in Xinjiang.



The mung bean jelly (liangfen) has been modified. Japanese people cannot eat food that is too spicy, while Xinjiang-style cold noodles (liangpi) are usually spicier.



I was surprised to find dumplings (jiaozi) at a Xinjiang restaurant in Tokyo.



The hand-pulled noodles (latiaozi) have been Japanized. The portion is half of what you get in Xinjiang, but the taste remains the same.

Address: 1F Nishi-Shinjuku Bar Building, 3-15-8-103 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.

There are many more halal restaurants in Tokyo, but I only chose to feature the ones I took photos of. Therefore, the following two restaurants do not have pictures, but here are some specialty restaurants that friends have visited:

7. Mongolian Meat Pie.

Address: 5F, Shinto Building, 2-14-7 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.

8. Japanese ramen

Address: 1-11-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.

Website: http://www.m-ouka.jp/sp/access/index.html

9. Iftar meal



My time in Japan happened to coincide with the holy month of Ramadan, when mosques in Tokyo prepare iftar meals for fellow Muslims (dosti).



This is Indian-Pakistani style rice pilaf (biryani). Pakistanis eat it with their hands, but I prefer a spoon. When traveling, I first find the local mosque to get information about halal restaurants. You can find mosques easily on Google Maps.

Address: Tokyo Okachimachi Mosque, Tokyo Camii.

10. Nagoya: Asian cuisine



Asian means Asian, but this place actually serves South Asian flavors. The servers are from Nepal.



Influenced by Japanese habits, restaurants in Japan are kept very clean and tidy.



The Nepali brother spoke English with a heavy accent. I couldn't tell where he was from for a long time, until he said his country is between China and India, and then it clicked.



He knew I was from China and asked if I wanted to eat momo. I was confused, so he brought a picture from the back, and I realized they call dumplings momo.



Fresh vegetable salad. Foreigners like to eat raw vegetables. Right, I am a foreigner in Japan too...



This is a set meal. Ordering a set at a South Asian restaurant usually means getting these items: a soup, a beef or chicken dish, a flatbread (naan), and a bowl of rice.

11. Osaka Mosque



A Pakistani man I met at the mosque brought me to a halal restaurant across the street.



This is a mango milkshake (lassi) a fellow Muslim (dosti) gave me.



As usual, I had a set meal. The rice here is very fragrant; the quality of Japanese rice is excellent.



A very small vegetable salad. Portions in Japan are quite small, which is fine because it prevents waste.

Address: Opposite Osaka Mosque, right next door (Baidu Maps is not convenient, and Google is blocked, but you can use Google Maps once you are in Japan).

12. Kyoto: Turkish restaurant



I followed Google Maps to find this Turkish restaurant in downtown Kyoto.



The upstairs area is decorated in a Turkish style.



The shop is very clean and tidy.



The dishes are served in order, starting with cold appetizers.



Next comes the creamy soup.



I ordered a piece of baked flatbread (naan) as the main staple, as is customary.



Turkish and Middle Eastern grilled meats are served with roasted tomatoes and green peppers to cut through the richness.



Dessert is served after the meal.



Turkish coffee is very famous. European coffee culture originated in Africa and spread to the West through the Ottoman Empire.

Address: Once you arrive in Kyoto, search for "トルコ" on Google Maps.

13. Genghis Khan barbecue (jingjisihan kaorou)



A Japanese friend introduced me to this barbecue restaurant run by a Japanese Muslim. It is said they sell halal food, but I have not eaten there yet.



If you are interested in trying it, please remember to come back and share your thoughts with me.

Address: 3-19-6 Kandatsuchuo, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture 300-0011 (3 minutes by car from JR Joban Line Kandatsu Station).

Website: http://www.hitsujinokoya.jp/info/index.html Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Langfang travel note visits Nanying Village near Beijing for an aqiqah feast, Hui Muslim lamb dishes, local restaurants, butcher shops, and Nanying Mosque.

On Sunday, I was invited to Nanying Village in Langfang, Hebei, to attend a feast for a friend's newborn. In our faith, this is called Aqiqah, a way to give thanks to Allah for the baby's arrival.

The entire street in Nanying Village is packed with restaurants and butcher shops run by Hui Muslims. We ate at Laowu Restaurant, right at the south entrance of the village. Our friend had a sheep slaughtered, and the restaurant prepared a full lamb feast for us. It included roasted lamb chops, braised lamb knuckle tendons (wogujin), stir-fried lamb offal with coriander (yanbao yangza), sesame lamb, and clear-boiled meatballs (qingcuan wanzi). Of course, we also had the fried dough (youxiang) that is essential for any religious feast. Their cooking was better than many places I have tried in Beijing, partly because they use freshly slaughtered lamb. The fresh lamb offal had no chili or Sichuan peppercorns, just a quick stir-fry with coriander stems. It is rare to taste such a clean, fresh flavor in lamb offal. The lamb knuckle tendons had a great texture; they were softer than regular hoof tendons but still had a nice chew. The sesame lamb was also very tender. Many Beijing restaurants make it tough, but this was the best I have ever had. The meatballs were firm and meaty, unlike some places in Beijing where they are full of starch and you can barely taste the meat. Freshly slaughtered lamb is perfect for clear-boiled meatballs. If you deep-fried them, you would lose that fresh flavor.

They have plenty of other dishes too. It takes less than an hour to drive here from Beijing via the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway. On the way back, you have to go through a checkpoint where they check your trunk, but we barely had to wait in line on Sunday afternoon.





























After the feast, we visited the Nanying Mosque. Nanying Mosque was first built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. Legend says it was built with donations from Hui Muslims with the surnames Qian, Ma, Zhang, and Dai, after the Qian and Ma brothers moved here from Zhuxian Town in Henan. The mosque was rebuilt during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty and was rebuilt again in 1998 to become the building we see today. The mosque is kept very neat and tidy, with bright windows and clean floors. Imam Qian, who serves at the mosque, is a local. He is young, capable, and very welcoming to us.











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Reposted from the web

Summary: This eighth Beijing halal restaurant roundup covers Xinjiang, Hui Muslim, Palestinian, Pakistani, Turkish, and local Muslim-friendly food spots, with dishes and locations kept from the original guide.

Xinjiang Hui Muslim home-style cooking One Yellow Carrot (Yige Huangluobo), Liaoning Hui Muslim spicy hot pot (malatang), Hebei Daming Hui Muslim meat pie noodles (roubing yimian) Liaoyuan, Hebei Chengde Hui Muslim steamed dumplings (shaomai) Dongtucheng branch, Xilaishun Xisi branch, Longfu Mosque market, Heilongjiang Suihua Hui Muslim Ma's Muxiangyuan Baizhifang branch, Turpan Uyghur restaurant Tianshan, Niujie cafe Sanwanghu, and Heilongjiang Hui Muslim iron pot stew (tieguodun).

Xinjiang Hui Muslim home-style cooking One Yellow Carrot (Yige Huangluobo).

I wonder if any fellow friends (dosti) remember ten years ago in 2016, when there was a small shop in Beijing's Shifoying area called Two Spoons (Liangge Shaozi) run by two best friends from Changji. The head chefs were the sisters' mothers, and they made authentic Xinjiang Hui Muslim home-style food. Back then, I wanted to eat there every day. Their hand-pulled noodles (latiaozi) and meatball soup (wanzi tang) were the most authentic I had ever eaten in Beijing. Unfortunately, after the city started clearing out small shops that had broken through walls to create entrances, they were forced to close. Other Xinjiang Hui Muslim shops have opened in Beijing since, like the hand-pulled noodles (latiaozi) at Jianghu in Wangjing, which are very good. But for ten whole years, I never again tasted that specific home-cooked Xinjiang Hui Muslim flavor in Beijing.

A while ago, I heard that a new Xinjiang Hui Muslim family restaurant called One Yellow Carrot (Yige Huangluobo) opened in 798. It is also run by two Xinjiang sisters, with their mother as the head chef. I went to try it on the weekend. The place was packed, and we had to wait for a few tables to clear before we could get in. The service was great. The owner was very enthusiastic and introduced the dishes to every table.

We ordered tiger skin peppers (hupi lazi), cold starch noodles (liangpizi), meatball soup (wanzi tang), pearl meatballs (zhenzhu wanzi), and beef stew (niurou huicai). The best thing they make is the meatballs; they taste exactly like the ones made at home. The meatball soup (wanzi tang) was good overall, but the biggest problem was that the broth was too clear. At first, I suspected it was just plain water, but I asked the staff and they confirmed it was beef bone broth. I feel it hadn't been simmered long enough to bring out the flavor. Also, they only give you one steamed oil flower roll (youtazi) and you cannot buy them separately. While I understand that many Beijingers might not want to eat oil flower rolls (youtazi), there are people like us who grew up with Xinjiang flavors and feel that meatball soup (wanzi tang) must be paired with a few of them.

The cold starch noodles (liangpizi) were also quite good. The sauce is probably the best-seasoned one in Beijing. Anyone who has eaten the three cold dishes (sanliang) at a Hui Muslim place in Xinjiang would recognize that their sauce is very authentic. However, I still think a hot sauce has more flavor.

The pearl meatballs (zhenzhu wanzi) and beef stew (niurou huicai) were different from how we make them at home. Of course, I am used to the Hui Muslim style from the Saybagh District in Urumqi, and Hui Muslim cooking styles vary across Xinjiang. The pearl meatballs (zhenzhu wanzi) were a bit loose and fell apart as soon as I picked them up. I feel they should be firmer. The meatballs and beef in the beef stew (niurou huicai) were quite good, and the spicy pepper skins (lapi zi) were very authentic. They were extremely spicy, though, so friends (dosti) who cannot handle heat might struggle.

Overall, I am very happy that Beijing has another Xinjiang Hui Muslim family restaurant. I hope they continue to do well. Congratulations.



















Liaoning Hui Muslim spicy hot pot (malatang).

After work, I went to a spicy hot pot (malatang) shop run by a Liaoning Hui Muslim family at Chaowai SOHO. They have spicy hot pot (malatang), spicy mixed noodles (malaban), deep-fried skewers (zhachuan), mixed cold noodles (ban lengmian), and also sell seaweed rice rolls (zicai baofan). They mainly serve takeout for the office workers upstairs, and the dine-in area is very small.

The spicy hot pot (malatang) has that old-fashioned Northeast style with a thick sesame paste flavor. It is salty and sweet, which I really like. The deep-fried skewers (zhachuan) are sprinkled with a dry seasoning of cumin, sesame, and salt. The chicken and sausages were delicious, but the fried lotus root was a bit dry and hard. The mixed cold noodles have a good texture, but they are warm instead of cold, which I don't really like. I ended up packing the seaweed rice rolls (gimbap) to eat at the office the next day at noon.

















Hui Muslim meat pie (roubing) and braised noodles (yimian) at Liaoyuan in Daming, Hebei.















Hui Muslim steamed dumplings (shaomai) at the Dongtucheng branch in Chengde, Hebei.

After work, I went to the newly opened Chengde steamed dumpling restaurant, Dechengli, in Dongtucheng. Their Fengtai branch is larger and sells the eight big bowls (badawan) feast, while the Dongtucheng branch is smaller and focuses on steamed dumplings, steamed meat dumplings (zhengjiao), and the Chengde specialty almond tea (xingrench).

The shop is run by a Hui Muslim couple from Chengde. They steam the dumplings and brew the almond tea to order in an open, clean, and bright kitchen. I used a group-buying deal for steamed dumplings with a side of vegetarian radish ball soup. The steamer comes with eight dumplings; the skins are thin and the filling is firm, almost like a meatball. The vegetarian radish balls are also very good. The almond tea is six yuan for a big bowl. It has a very rich almond flavor and tastes great.













Xilaisun Xisi branch.

A new Xilaisun opened at the entrance of Xisi Sixth Alley, so I finally don't have to run to the Hepingmen branch every time. However, the Xisi branch is quite small and has fewer dishes. The staff said if you want to eat dishes from the main store, you can call one day in advance to order.

We ordered the classic Ma Lianliang duck, roasted lamb (shaoyangrou), stir-stir-fried meat slices with fresh mushrooms, diced chicken with cashews, mixed wild mountain vegetables, and sesame paste sugar flatbread (majiang tangbing). We also ordered an extra portion of lotus leaf buns (heyebing). Ma Lianliang duck is my favorite. I think it tastes better than Beijing roast duck, and the leavened lotus leaf buns are much better than the thin pancakes served with roast duck. Their roasted lamb skin is a bit hard, but the flavor is very fragrant, and it tastes great tucked inside a lotus leaf bun. The diced chicken with cashews is a little salty, but very fresh. The mixed wild mountain vegetables are not salty and are fine to eat on their own. The stir-stir-fried meat slices with mushrooms are delicious and go well with both rice and lotus leaf buns. The children really like the sesame paste sugar flatbread.

In short, Xilaisun has always been a Beijing restaurant I highly recommend. If you are in the north and have a small group, like a few friends or a family of three, I recommend coming here. Friends in the south should still go to the Hepingmen branch for a wider variety of dishes.



















Longfusi Market.

I went to the market at Longfu Mosque before the Spring Festival. I heard later that it became a permanent fixture, so I stopped by for a walk after work a while ago. Longfu Mosque has really turned into a pedestrian street now. There are security guards at every entrance to keep cars out, so you don't have to dodge traffic while walking around. The stalls in April are quite different from the ones in February. Coming in from the north, you'll find Longfu Mosque Snack Shop and Baikui. A bit further in is Wanhe Beef, and across from the main building entrance is Jinfang. To the east, by the entrance of the Donggong cinema, is Lianying Shaomai (steamed dumplings). The weather is warmer now, so it's easy to grab a snack outdoors after work. There are tables and chairs available.

Longfu Mosque Snack Shop and Baikui are right next to each other with four tables. I arrived after 5:00 p.m. and it wasn't crowded, but it was full by 6:00 p.m. I started with the ingot-shaped dumpling soup (yuanbao tang) and pea flour cake (wandouhuang) at Longfu Mosque Snack Shop. It tasted just like the regular shop. The dumplings are wrapped fresh. Then I had a fried chicken leg at Baikui. It tasted the same as the shop, but it wasn't freshly fried and was only lukewarm. The skin got tough after I heated it in the microwave.

After eating, I bought some mung bean milk (douzhi) at Jinfang. The bagged mung bean milk at Jinfang is their own brand, while the bottled version is from Jinxin. It's time to drink cold mung bean milk in the summer. My son really likes it.



















I had a beef and cilantro roll on a hot plate and a meat burger (roujiamo) at Wanhe Beef on Longfu Mosque Street. It's a Lanzhou-style restaurant, and there are seats in front of the stall. The beef and cilantro roll was 4 yuan and quite tasty. The meat burger was also good, but at 15 yuan, it didn't have much meat, so it wasn't really worth it.









Mashi Muxiangyuan, a Hui Muslim restaurant from Suihua, Heilongjiang, at the Baizhifang branch.

A while ago, I ate at Mashi Muxiangyuan, a Hui Muslim restaurant from Suihua, Heilongjiang, in Fangzhuang. It tasted good and wasn't expensive. I recently heard they opened a new branch in Baizhifang, so a friend and I decided to go try it.

The new shop was busy. We ordered sweet and sour pork (guobaorou), pickled cabbage with vermicelli, stir-fried beef brisket (liu xiongkou), and dry-braised sea bass. The sweet and sour pork was appetizing, though the crust was a bit hard. Overall, it was okay. The pickled cabbage with vermicelli was the best. At 28 yuan, it was a good price and went perfectly with rice. We almost finished it as soon as it arrived. The dry-braised sea bass was also delicious. It was well-seasoned and had very few bones. I have to criticize the stir-fried beef brisket. The portion was small, so they added a lot of large onion chunks to fill the plate. That was unnecessary. I've never had it served with that many onions when eating in Northeast China. If the portion is small, they should just use a smaller plate.

Because it was so crowded, we waited a long time for our food, so the restaurant gave us complimentary yogurt and lamb liver with garlic sauce. Their lamb liver was quite good. It didn't have any gamey smell at all and tasted great even on its own. I have to give them credit for that.













Tianshan, a Uyghur restaurant from Turpan.

I used to go to those Uyghur restaurants on the upper street of Ritan Park every time I took my child there for a walk. I decided to try somewhere new this time, so I went to Tianshan Restaurant near Xiushui Street. It is actually not far from Ritan Park, but I rarely go that way, so this was my first time eating there.

The owner is a Uyghur from Turpan and is very welcoming. We ordered big plate chicken (dapanji), mixed noodles with long beans (jiangdou banmian), spinach with gluten (bocai mianjin), and grilled meat skewers (kaorou). Overall, it was quite authentic. I watched them pull the noodles in the open kitchen; they were very chewy and on the firmer side, which my son loved so much he ate a lot by himself. The long bean dish was also great. The sauce tasted just right, and the meat was firm and chewy, not like the soft, soggy kind that has been marinated too long. The grilled meat skewers were very tender, which the kids especially liked. The big plate chicken was just okay. It used standard broiler chicken, but the flavor was decent. The spinach with gluten is hard to find in Beijing, and it was sour and very appetizing. The Uyghur style is a bit oilier; Hui Muslim families from Xinjiang usually use less oil when they cook.

















Niujie Cafe Sanwanghu.



















Heilongjiang Hui Muslim Iron Pot Stew.

Last Sunday afternoon, I took my son to Madian Park to play on the slides and burn off some energy, then we went to eat at Uncle Oyster's Iron Pot Stew (Haoshu Tieguodun) in Jiandemen. The big rooster set meal is a great value. It includes half a chicken, cabbage, vermicelli, potatoes, three cornmeal flatbreads (tiebingzi), and a plate of smashed cucumber, plus they gave the kid some milk skin yogurt (naipizi suannai) for free.

After the pot arrives, you stick the flatbreads on the side first, then set a timer for 15 minutes. When the time is up, you open the pot, add the vermicelli, and set another 5-minute timer before it is ready to eat. The saltiness is suited for Northern tastes. If you are from the South, you can tell the staff to make it lighter. We asked for it to be lighter because of my son, and he didn't find it too salty. The portion size of the set meal is plenty; it is just right for two adults.

They also have noodle lotus root (mianou), which was my first time trying. I looked it up and it is popular in Shandong and Henan. It is basically tube-shaped gluten made from wheat flour, and it is very chewy. The usual way to serve it is with sesame paste and garlic. They make it with a very strong garlic flavor, which really brings out the taste.

















Part 1: 10 Halal restaurants in Beijing worth trying: Pakistani restaurant Lahore Courtyard, Henan Jiaozuo beef knife-cut noodles Mai Mai Hong, Halal Mongolian food Hulun Aile, West African Ghana Tribe Garden, Xi'an Xing Laosi meatball spicy soup, Xinjiang Changji Jinying meatball soup, Xinjiang Hotan Canteen, Syrian BRBR, Beijing fusion food Gulou Eating Noodles, and Beijing traditional food Xilai Shun.

Part 2: 10 Halal restaurants in Beijing worth trying (Part 2): UAE restaurant Gulf Mandi, Xinjiang Mansion Xihan Meatball Soup, Xinjiang Mansion Lobby Altai Afternoon Tea, Muhejia Rotating Hot Pot, Xinjiang Urumqi Nazilan (closed), Beijing pastry shop Baoyuanzhai (closed), Pakistani Samosa China-Pakistan Friendship Restaurant, Master Ma's Roast Duck (closed), Bangladeshi Benjibi Restaurant, and Huairou Shihu Cheng Resort.

Part 3: 10 recently tried Beijing restaurant recommendations: JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch, Halal Hunan food Huixiangyun Stir-fry Wangjing Branch (closed), Shandong Dezhou Old Ma's Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings, Sanlitun Philly Cheesesteak, Pakistani Roma Restaurant, Muyuzhai Rotten Garlic Lamb Intestines, Inner Mongolia Lianying Shaomai Grassland Pomegranate Red, Wangfujing Gansu Spicy Hot Pot, and Yuezhen Yayuan Halal Courtyard Restaurant.

Part 4: 10 Halal restaurants in Beijing worth trying (Part 4): Hotan Rose Pilaf Yizhuang Branch, Taiba Western Bakery, Taiba South Sanlitun Road Street Shop, Zhaotong Small Meat Skewers Guijie Ganmaya BBQ (closed), Bai Xiaobei Heilongjiang BBQ, Yunnan Muwenzhai Dry Pot Beef, Sanlitun Xinjiang restaurant Jiangjiang, Huixiangyun Halal Hunan Restaurant Zuojiazhuang Branch, Yili Ice Cream Shop Bazaar Sweetheart, and Dongzhimen Inner Street Qianyuan Hotel.

Part 5: 10 halal restaurants in Beijing worth trying (Part 5). Sandyq Kazakh Restaurant, Kashgar Restaurant, Ahmed Restaurant, Jingbalang Naan Bazaar, MacMac Lebanese Restaurant, Humaer Xinjiang Specialty Food, Lao Huihui Dumpling Restaurant (Zoo branch), Fresh Milk Town (Shuangjing branch, now closed), Nawab Restaurant, and Liu's Watch Repair and Barbecue.

Part 6: 10 halal restaurants in Beijing worth trying (Part 6). Hongyunlou Huaiyang Cuisine, Sanhe Beef Noodles (now closed), JM Coffee and Bakery (Daji Lane branch), Wanhe Fatty Beef, Xiangqing Roast Duck (now closed), Culture Pakistani Restaurant, Firenze Italian Restaurant, Niujie Dashuntang, Zhenweizhai Tianjin Cuisine, and Dardanelles Kids' Meal.

Part 7: 10 halal restaurants in Beijing worth trying (Part 7). JM Western Restaurant (Chaonei branch), Rose City Palestinian Restaurant, Baoding beef cover pancake (niurou zhaobing), Al Rayyan Pakistani Restaurant, Yili Loulan Restaurant (Guijie branch), Dianxinyuan Yunnan Cuisine, Muxiangyuan Heilongjiang Suihua Restaurant, Sanli Tun Turkish Restaurant, Chaoyangmen fast food stall, and Habibi Pakistani buffet. Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This halal Hainanese food guide follows the first half of a trip through Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, covering chicken rice, kopitiam cafes, noodles, seafood, and Nanyang-style Muslim-friendly restaurants.

Malaysia

The Chicken Rice Shop in Kuala Lumpur

Oriental Kopi at Kuala Lumpur Airport

Hua Mui Restaurant in Johor Bahru

Yut Loy Coffee Shop in Kuala Kangsar

Sin Hua Air-Conditioned Restaurant in Kota Bharu

Fook Yuen Coffee Shop in Kota Kinabalu

Yit Chang Coffee Shop in Kota Kinabalu

Yee Fung Coffee Shop in Kota Kinabalu

Ling Long Seafood in Kuching

Rex Restaurant in Singapore

Ying Chew Restaurant in Brunei

Babu's Kitchen in Brunei

Mei Guang Coffee Shop in Brunei

Malaysia

The Chicken Rice Shop in Kuala Lumpur

After getting off the plane at Kuala Lumpur Airport, we take the airport express train to the final stop, KL Sentral. Once we go upstairs, we are at the Nu Sentral shopping mall. We eat there almost every time we visit Kuala Lumpur. There are many types of restaurants in the mall. There are three halal Nyonya cuisine restaurants alone, and many other halal Chinese restaurants.

This time, we ate at the famous halal Hainanese chicken rice chain in Malaysia, The Chicken Rice Shop. The founder, Wong Kah Bee, was once an executive director at KFC Malaysia. She had worked in the fast-food industry for 25 years before starting her own business. In 2000, 54-year-old Wong Kah Bee and her daughter, Wong Jia Lian, opened the first The Chicken Rice Shop in Taipan, Selangor, officially launching their halal Hainanese chicken rice brand.

Wong Kah Bee's parents were from Penang and her grandmother was from Hainan. She loved Hainanese chicken rice very much since she was a child. During the 20th century, Hainanese chicken rice was mostly sold at food stalls, and almost none of it was halal. When Wong Kah Bee and her daughter started the business, they had a clear goal: to bring Hainanese chicken rice into shopping malls with clean, comfortable, and independent storefronts suitable for family meals, and to make it halal food for everyone. Today, The Chicken Rice Shop has 135 locations, making it the largest halal Hainanese chicken rice chain in Malaysia. Led by them, halal Chinese food is growing in Malaysia, allowing friends (dosti) from all over the world to enjoy delicious Chinese cuisine here.

We ordered a set meal for three, which included Nyonya top hats (pai tee), mango salad, roasted chicken, Hainanese curry chicken, okra, wolf herring fish balls (sai tou yu wan), and rice. We also ordered an extra side of roasted tofu, which was perfect for our family. Top hats (pai tee) are a classic snack for weddings and New Year celebrations among the Peranakan Chinese in Malaysia. They originated in Singapore, where they are also called little gold cups (xiao jin bei), and are filled with shredded carrots and white radishes. Wolf herring fish balls (sai tou yu wan) are Teochew-style fish balls made from wolf herring, and they are very popular in Malaysia.

















Oriental Kopi at Kuala Lumpur Airport

Taking a car from Malacca back to Kuala Lumpur Airport, the most popular restaurant at Terminal 2 is the Hainanese coffee shop chain Oriental Kopi (huayang). There is almost always a line whenever you go.

They have a huge variety of dishes and are currently one of the most famous halal Hainanese coffee shops. Hainanese people began immigrating to Malaysia in the 19th century. Many early immigrants worked as chefs and servers in British hotels and restaurants, while some worked as servants for British officers. Influenced by their British employers, the Hainanese learned to cook Western food and combined it with Hainanese culinary elements to create the unique Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam) culture.

We ordered flaky egg tarts, pineapple buns with butter (bing huo bo luo bao), Hainanese chicken rice, classic mee siam, curry fish balls, coffee, soy milk with grass jelly, and longan sea coconut sweet soup (tang shui). The coffee, flaky egg tarts, and pineapple buns with butter are known as the 'Oriental Kopi Three Treasures' and make a classic Nanyang breakfast combination. Their flaky egg tarts are indeed well-made, with a very tender egg custard and a rich aroma. Their sweet soup (tang shui) is also delicious. We rarely drank sweet soup in the north, so it felt very authentic to the Nanyang style.

However, their Hainanese chicken rice was not good. The quality of the rice seemed poor, and it felt gritty, lacking the texture of rice at other places.



















Hua Mui Restaurant in Johor Bahru

We took the train from Woodlands, Singapore, in the morning and arrived at the Johor Bahru station in Malaysia in 5 minutes. We walked from the Johor Bahru station to the old town to visit Restoran Hua Mui to experience an authentic Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam).

Restoran Hua Mui opened in 1946 and has a 78-year history, making it the oldest Hainanese coffee shop in Johor Bahru. Like many old-school Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia, although the owner is Hainanese Chinese, they hire Malay chefs and staff so that Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers can all enjoy the food.

The term coffee shop (kopitiam) is made up of the Malay word 'kopi' (coffee) and the Hokkien word 'tiam' (shop), specializing in charcoal-grilled toast, white coffee, and soft-boiled eggs. Early Hainanese coffee shops were very popular with the British. Today, they have become places where older people discuss news and daily life, serving as important social hubs.

At Hua Mui, we ordered mutton stew rice, Hainanese noodles, coffee and tea mix (cham c), and a breakfast platter. Coffee and tea mix (cham c) is just coffee, tea, and milk. The restaurant's setting is still very traditional, with a classic two-story arcade building (qilou) and bamboo curtains hanging on the doors and windows, easily bringing to mind the old days.





















Yut Loy Coffee Shop in Kuala Kangsar

Taking the train north from Ipoh, it is a 30-minute ride to Kuala Kangsar District. Kuala Kangsar has been the royal city of the Sultan of Perak since the 18th century. The town center still keeps an old street of arcade buildings, where you can find an old-school Hainanese coffee shop called Yut Loy Coffee Shop (Yue Lai Cha Shi). The Hainanese owner hires Malay staff here, allowing the three major ethnic groups—Chinese, Malay, and Indian—to all dine in the shop.

Since Yut Loy Coffee Shop only serves main meals after 1:00 PM, we spent the morning there having coffee with toast, topped with honey and butter. In Nanyang-themed novels, I often read about old people sitting in these Hainanese coffee shops all morning with a cup of coffee, a piece of toast, and a newspaper. This time, we got to experience it ourselves.

















Sin Hua Air-Conditioned Restaurant in Kota Bharu

Hainanese people are an important part of the Chinese community in Kelantan. We ate at the Sin Hua Air-Conditioned Restaurant, a long-standing Hainanese eatery in Kota Bharu with over 50 years of history. We had Hainanese chicken chop, Hainanese noodles, and toasted bread, all of which are authentic Nanyang Hainanese dishes. Next door, there is also a Sin Shing Coffee Shop (Xin Cheng Cha Can Shi), which is said to have the best Hainanese chicken rice in Kota Bharu.

















Fook Yuen Coffee Shop in Kota Kinabalu

Although there are many Hakka and Hokkien people on Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu, the restaurants are still mostly run by Hainanese people. I started my morning with breakfast at Fook Yuen Coffee Shop (Fuyuan Cha Canting), which is very popular and crowded with tourists. Ordering is semi-self-service. They offer Cantonese-style congee and dim sum, Malay coconut milk rice (nasi lemak), and Western-style bread and coffee, meeting the needs of all ethnic groups in Malaysia. I had a serving of Hainanese chicken rice, two portions of steamed dumplings (shaomai), and a glass of iced milk tea. Their chicken rice is a modified version; they add dried small fish to the rice, a style that should be more popular with Malay customers.

















Yit Chang Coffee Shop in Kota Kinabalu

Opened in 1896, Yee Fung Coffee Shop (Yue Chang Cha Shi) is the oldest Hainanese restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, with a history even longer than the city itself. The shop was originally located at the headquarters of the British North Borneo Chartered Company on Gaya Island. After the settlement on the island was destroyed in 1898 by an anti-British uprising led by the indigenous leader Mat Salleh, the shop moved to its current location on Gaya Street. You could say Yee Fung Coffee Shop has witnessed the entire transformation of Kota Kinabalu. Old photos hang on their walls, including one from the 1960s showing Yee Fung Coffee Shop in the exact same spot as today.

The shop is divided into two sections, with the Hainanese owner personally making coffee and toasting bread. The owner is very enthusiastic, provides excellent service, and speaks great Korean, which helps him attract many Korean guests. Another stall invites Muslim sisters to make Hainanese beef offal noodles (niuzamian) and various Malay dishes, which is a major feature of traditional Hainanese coffee shops. To attract customers from all ethnic groups, they must make food that suits everyone's taste. This is why many long-standing Hainanese restaurants in Malaysia have been open for decades or even a century.

We ordered white coffee, three-layer coffee, monk fruit herbal tea (luohanguo liangcha), oats, toast, and beef offal noodles. Monk fruit herbal tea and barley water (yimi shui) are really perfect for the weather here.



















Yee Fung Coffee Shop in Kota Kinabalu

The most popular halal Chinese restaurant on Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu is Yee Fung Tea House. The owner of Yee Fung Tea House, Zhuang Qiuwang, is from Johor. He started selling laksa on Gaya Street in 1984, which is exactly 40 years ago. Like many halal Chinese restaurants in Malaysia, they hire Muslim chefs and staff to ensure the ingredients are halal.

Their signature dishes are the "three treasures": laksa, claypot chicken rice, and beef offal. We ordered lettuce with oyster sauce, plain beef offal, plain fish balls, and chicken wonton noodles. Hainanese beef offal mainly includes beef balls, beef tripe, stewed beef, and beef slices. Many Hainanese restaurants in Kota Kinabalu serve it, and it is a major local specialty. Authentic Hainanese beef offal does not use MSG. It relies purely on spices to stew out the flavor, so you do not feel thirsty after eating it.



















Ling Long Seafood in Kuching

I strongly recommend the Top Spot Food Court in the city center to friends (dosti) visiting Kuching. It is a Chinese halal seafood city with a Nanyang style. The food court is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. It looks like a very plain parking garage from the outside, but once you take the elevator to the top floor, you enter a very lively seafood open-air food court. Most of the stalls in the food court are Chinese-run with halal certifications. Various fish, shrimp, and vegetables are displayed openly, so you can pick whatever you want to eat.

We chose a stall called "Ling Long Seafood." The lady who took our order is Hainanese. Hainanese people running halal Chinese restaurants in Malaysia is also a major feature. The lady spoke great Mandarin and enthusiastically helped us order according to our needs. We ordered Sarawak-style stir-fried midin (a type of fern) with shrimp paste and stir-fried mani cai (a local vegetable) with eggs. Their stir-fried dishes come in small, medium, and large sizes, so even one person can eat very well.

Midin is a fern native to Borneo. It is not bitter at all when stir-fried and has a very fresh fragrance. Mani cai, also known as star gooseberry leaves, is a wild vegetable that Sarawak Hakka people love to cook. You can find it in homes and small restaurants. The picked mani cai leaves must be crushed in water and drained to remove toxins, and the small stems must be picked out before stir-frying, so it is much more troublesome than other vegetables.

For seafood, we ordered lokan (white clams), sea shrimp, and seven-star grouper. The waiter told us which ones were the freshest and which were frozen. After we ordered, the food was indeed very delicious. Since this is a food court by the sea in the city center, I am not sure if other stalls overcharge, but I think this one offers good value for money. In the end, our five dishes, rice, and 6% sales tax cost 313 RMB in total. Small stir-fried dishes were 24 RMB each, a seven-star grouper was 148 RMB, though they have cheaper fish too. A plate of sea shrimp was 48 RMB, and a plate of clams was 40 RMB.



































Rex Restaurant in Singapore

If you visit the National Museum of Singapore and Fort Canning Park, it is well worth going to the nearby MacKenzie Rex Restaurant to taste authentic halal Hainanese chicken rice. MacKenzie Rex Restaurant opened in 1966. It is the first and most famous halal Hainanese chicken rice restaurant in Singapore. The owner is a Hainanese Chinese who speaks good Mandarin and is happy to introduce dishes to guests. Besides Hainanese chicken rice, they are also good at making various home-style Chinese dishes, known in Singapore as Zi char (home-style stir-fry).

We ordered the classic chicken rice and five-spice meat rolls (Ngor Hiang per roll), plus stir-fried mixed vegetables and fish soup. Everything was delicious, and it was arguably the best meal of our Singapore trip. The best part of their chicken rice is not the chicken itself, but the rice steamed with chicken fat. You can eat it plain and never want to stop. The halal version of the five-spice meat roll adds five-spice powder to the chicken filling, which is then wrapped in bean curd skin and deep-fried. It is very fragrant when freshly fried.



















Ying Chew Restaurant in Brunei

When traveling in Brunei, you must visit the most famous legendary Hainanese teahouse, Ying Chew (Yingzhou Hao).

The founder of Ying Chew, Han Qiongyuan, was from Wenchang, Hainan. During the Japanese invasion of China in 1939, 17-year-old Han Qiongyuan traveled to Southeast Asia and arrived in Brunei to work as a helper in his uncle's coffee shop. In 1946, Han Qiongyuan officially opened Ying Chew Teahouse, selling coffee, bread, and other food. It became widely known for its longevity bread (Roti Kuning). As the teahouse business grew, Han Qiongyuan expanded into real estate and led the construction of the Brunei Hainan Building. After 1993, Han Qiongyuan returned to his hometown every year to visit relatives and invested heavily there. He was awarded the title of 'Patriotic Hainanese' by Hainan Province three times.

Like many old-fashioned Nanyang Hainanese teahouses, they serve halal food and have Brunei halal certification, making them popular with all ethnic groups. They have a very rich variety of bread. The most classic sandwich breads come in four flavors: peanut, red bean paste, butter, and coconut. There are also peanut and kaya mix bread, cheese bread, yellow bread with kaya and butter, and French toast. You can add a fried egg and cheese, or order a soft-boiled egg on the side. Cakes include custard cakes, egg tarts, coconut tarts, red bean cakes, butter cakes, pandan cakes, and more. Western-style breads and pastries were learned by Hainanese people while working as kitchen helpers for the British in the 19th century. Today, they have become a classic part of Nanyang Hainanese restaurants.

Besides bread and pastries, they also have various noodles, such as sesame flat rice noodles (guotiao), dry-tossed noodles, stir-fried noodles, Hainanese noodles, stir-fried rice vermicelli, and silky egg flat rice noodles (hefen). These suit Chinese tastes very well. We ordered silky egg flat rice noodles, sesame flat rice noodles, egg tarts, custard cakes, yellow bread with fried egg, chicken curry puffs, peanut and kaya mix bread, ginger milk tea, and lemon tea for a mix of Chinese and Western flavors. The peanut and kaya mix bread contains kaya jam, butter, and crushed peanuts, giving it a very rich texture. The sesame rice noodles (zhima guotiao) are a mix of sweet, salty, and spicy, served with fried tofu and fried fish chunks. They are a signature dish at this shop.



















Babu's Kitchen in Brunei

We had lunch in the old town of Brunei Town. There are many Chinese-owned shops here, and it is also a great place to find halal Hainanese restaurants. We chose a place called Babu's Kitchen. It was very busy at lunchtime with Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers, which is a classic scene at a Hainanese restaurant. Since they did not have a Chinese menu, we asked the owner to recommend dishes. We ordered the Assam fish fillets, salted egg fried mushrooms, beef yee mee noodles, and bean curd skin with tofu and chicken. Just like in Malaysia, the Chinese people in Brunei speak very standard Mandarin. Overall, the food was very good. It blends Chinese cooking with Malay flavors, but it is still very easy for Chinese people to enjoy.





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