Exotic interiors of Gilak by Hossein in Greenbelt mall, Makati City. Photo by Peter C. Marquez, InterAksyon.com.
With the end of the month-long Ramadan this week, the festive celebration of Eid al-Fitr takes place on August 9 (Friday), a non-working holiday in the Philippines. During Ramadan, adults fast from sunset to sunrise. The breaking of the fast is set during dusk and is referred to as Iftaar. With Eid al-Fitr, which is literally translated as “breaking of the fast,” Muslim families gather with their loved ones and friends to feast on sweet delicacies and other elaborate dishes and drinks.
Prayers are a focal point, of course, though food also plays an important role during the Ramadan period (at dusk each day to break the fast) and the day of Eid al-Fitr itself. In both important occasions, Halal cuisine is enjoyed.
Jameela Bernardo, owner of Dar-ul Deli and administrator of Halal Manila Blog shared, “It is stated in the Quran that we eat from what is lawful—halal. If we do not do so, then we go against Islam and this specific ruling of eating and consuming that’s in accordance with the the law.”
Bernardo added that halal meat, such as lamb and beef (but not pork), is considered as such because of the way the animal has been slaughtered. “We let the blood pour out of the animal. After cutting the throat of the animal with a sharp knife—no other method is Halal; you cannot kill the animal with a gun or by electricity—the blood of the animal is drained so that it becomes more cleansed. Only after this method does the meat become halal, and anything from this animal, we are allowed to consume.”
“Halal refers to anything: from food, actions, cosmetics, and others. It is a general Arabic term from the Quran and it is used for anything we do on a day-to-day basis. If something is allowed for us to do, then it is halal,” disclosed Bernardo.
Whether one is celebrating Eid al-Fitr or simply looking for some tasty and flavorful alternatives to your usual restaurant fare, Metro Manila is filled with several halal dining places. Here are some of them.
1. New Bombay Restaurant
Open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
3/F Food Choices Glorietta and Ground floor
Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel.no. (+632) 986-8622
Whether you’re craving for fast food or dining out in style, New Bombay serves Indian food with flare. It has an outlet in the food court of Glorietta and has branches scattered in Makati, Ortigas and Taguig City.
New Bombay meal sets consist of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, samosa, tamarind and cilantro sauces, and iced tea. Photo by Peter C. Marquez, InterAksyon.com.
“It’s home-cooked, Indian-style cooking,” revealed Rainy ‘Tony’ Khanchandani, Operations Manager of New Bombay. “But, when we cook it, we cook it according to your preference.”
New Bombay started as a canteen, but later expanded with its first branch on H.V. dela Costa Street (and continues to grow with branches opening in Robinsons Manila and Alabang.) Sixty-five percent of customers are Filipinos, who prefer to have their dishes prepared in mild. S
For first-timers, Khanchandani recommends the Chicken Tikka Masala Php245 and Chicken Tikka Dry, Php225. Desserts to try are Kulfi Php125 (a popular ice cream-like dessert made with condensed and evaporated milk, mildly flavored with cardamom) and Gulab Jamon PhpP125 (a cheese-based, spongy treat shaped into balls).
2. Moud Halal Restaurant
829 Globo de Oro St. Quaipo, Manila
Tel. no. (+632) 488-5006
The roasted chicken is what makes people come back to this Quiapo diner. Photo by Ana Valenzuela, InterAksyon.com.
From the many eateries around Quaipo, home to the biggest Muslim community in Manila, this small resto stands out as it gets top recommendations among locals. Proof perhaps is the number of chickens roasting at a time when its regular patrons are supposed to be fasting.
Moud is one of the few eating places open during Ramadan. Acording to owner Melanie Shaheen they had to make way for the many take-home orders they have been getting. “Ours is a combination of Saudi food and Filipino food, we also offer Chinese food,” she shared with InterAksyon.com. But Moud’s bestseller is the roasted chicken served with kabsa rice. Patrons would order these to take home to their families and picked up during the early evenings.
Shaheen disclosed that to keep up with Islam tradition, the restaurant follows halal rituals and adjusts ingredients in Filipino dishes by using chicken, beef, or goat when the ingredient calls for pork.
3. Martabak Café
10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
G/F SM Mall of Asia
Tel. no. (+632)556-0566
Attracting customers for seven years now with their sumptuous take on Indo-Malay cuisine, Martabak offers a more flavorful option to fast-food eats with dishes like beef rendang and seafood soup. Pinoys and Southeast Asian expats and tourists alike keep coming back to this one branch. Set meals are from Php973 to Php1,448. To be sure, Halal certification and a “no pork sign” are plastered on its glass door.
4. Al Batra Restaurant and Coffee Shop
Open 24 hours
Makati Avenue corner Constellation Street, Makati City
(+632) 403-5552
A light meal at Al Batra Restaurant and Coffee Shop. On the left, mixed appetizers plate (Php180) consisting of hummus, motabal, tabular, and baba ganoush. On the right is the Al Batra Mixed Grill consisting of kebab chicken, kebab meat, and shish tawouk (Php360). Extra order of pita bread (Php20 per piece). Sweet and salted lassi for drinks (Php150 each). Photo by Peter C. Marquez, InterAksyon.com.
Unwind from the worries of work, shy away from Makati’s rush-hour traffic, or have a midnight snack or early breakfast in this 24-hours open Gulf, Mediterranean, Indian restaurant. Albatra offers Ramadan buffet for only Php650 per head from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For a lighter meal, have a cup of Arabic or Turkish coffee and pair it with a slice of freshly baked pies. Albatra has special pies like cheese, labna and honey, meat, and za’atar or thyme pies.
Shisha or waterpipes are also available for smokers.
5. Kashmir
9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Rustan’s Supermarket, Ayala Center, Makati
If you are in Makati, and want a quick bite, then head towards Rustan’s Supermarket and go straight to the stall of Kashmir, one of Manila’s oldest Indian fine dining restaurants. Give in to your cravings with a shawarma (and drink) Php120, lamb curry Php170, burger (and drink) Php6o. The place is especially popular among office workers taking their lunch or coffee breaks.
6. Gilak by Hossein
11 a.m. to 12 m.n.
2/F Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. no. (+632) 7290266
Gilak’s baklava (Php 85) with Arabian tea (Php150). Photo by Peter C. Marquez, InterAksyon.com.
Gilak in Greenbelt is just one of the many restaurants under the Hossein group of restaurants scattered all over the metro’s malls. With its Mediterranean feel, of Middle Eastern type chandeliers and string curtains over private dining space, Hossein transports you away from the mall’s chaos and into a more exotic atmosphere.
Apart from its interiors, however, this restaurant has been delighting palates for more than 25 years now with offerings like lamb shish kebab (Php571), lamb chops (Php870), and baklava (Php85).
7. The Chicken Rice Shop
Harbor S, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard;
Sta. Lucia Mall
Robinson’s Place Manila
A popular chicken rice fast-food restaurant from Malaysia that claims it serves “grandmother’s traditional Hainanese secret recipe chicken rice.” But there’s more to enjoy other than this popular Malaysian and Singaporean dish. The restaurant also offers curry laksa, fish laksa, and chicken springrolls, to name a few.
The Chicken Rice Shop’s curry laksa. Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/TheChickenRiceShopPhilippines.
