What is halal food? The short answer to that question is that halal foods are foods and drinks permitted for Muslims to eat under Islamic dietary guidelines. Of course, most of you probably already know that pork and alcohol are HUGE no-no’s.
Is that important?
Well, unless you want to unknowingly offend your Muslim friends or business clients/associates/partners by taking them to restaurants that serve mostly pork dishes – it’s probably a good idea to go with a halal restaurant just to be safe.
Thankfully, there are PLENTY of terrific halal restaurants out there that serve delicious food that you and your guests will enjoy, and you don’t have to burst your budget doing so, with this list of awesome halal restaurants that provide the best combination of atmosphere, good food and good prices.
Here are a few halal restaurants I highly recommend:
#1 Badoque Cafe
I never had the opportunity to try out the Simpang Bedok location, since every time I go; the place is as packed as a bank on pay day! So my first dining experience was at Badoque’s 246 Upper Thomson Road location.
What separates Badoque from other cafes I’ve come across? Simple, it’s the great service and the FANTASTIC food! It’s worth coming here for the fantastic starters, such as the chicken wings (a tad spicy) and the potato wrapped prawns, which should be required eating for any true foodie out there.
The real draw for me was the beef ribs. Badoque’s Fred Flintstone-sized ribs (yeah, the ribs are HUGE) are definitely worth the $24 price tag, as I have yet to try beef ribs that tasty and tender in Singapore.
It’s a dish best shared, but if you’re incredibly hungry, you can try eating them solo – but you’ll be in a catatonic state for the rest of the day.
Location: 298 Bedok Road & 246 Upper Thomson Road
Contact: 6446-6928
Hours: Daily (12pm-11pm) at 298 Bedok Road & Tuesday-Sunday (3pm-10pm)
Damage: $20+
Website: https://www.facebook.com/badoquecafeSG
#2 I Am Café
I’ll be honest. I didn’t have a very good opinion of this place before I ate here. For one thing, it displaced one of my favorite cheap halal restaurants (RIP Mossi Café, you’ll be missed), and it bugged me with its long queues full of hipsters.
Thankfully, I saw the error of my ways and joined the ridiculously long queue to eat at I Am Café. Yeah, you can bitch about the long queues (as I did) and the fact that there’s no air-conditioning. But honestly, the good food (and hopefully good company) make it pretty easy to forget such inconveniences.
Having been here a few times, I can tell you that the dishes you must try are the chicken satay burger (damn, getting hungry thinking about it), the fish and chips, the signature beef burger, and the meatballs pizza.
In fact, the meatballs pizza is my favorite. It’s quite cheesy, the homemade sauce is deliciously tangy, and the nicely seasoned meatballs make this a must have dish if you’re a pizza lover.
Location: 674 North Bridge Road #01-01 (off Haji Lane)
Contact: 6295-5509
Hours: Monday-Thursday (11am-11pm) Friday-Saturday(11am-1am) Sunday (11am-10pm)
Damage: $20+
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Iamathajilane
#3 Rouse Café
Call Rouse a “hipster” café if you want, but this quaint little eatery that’s hidden in the outskirts of Little India is always packed for a reason – it’s artistic, yet tasty main dishes and desserts (red velvet cake lovers must try the “Rouse’s Red” dessert).
As with other “hip” cafes, it took me a few visits before I was actually lucky enough to nab a seat. And I wasn’t disappointed when I finally got my hands on the menu and started ordering.
A word of advice, if you’re looking for a café with typical western fare such as burgers and fries, this isn’t the place to visit. Rouse offers are dishes that are light, healthy, and incredibly flavorful. The desserts are… decidedly less healthy, but pretty damn tasty!
If you’re looking to have a light meal/brunch, you must try the open-faced roast beef sandwich, the beef wrapped asparagus with pumpkin mash, and the Quinoa Quake, which is a healthy take on eggs Benedict using a quinoa patty instead of an English muffin ( a MUST try).
Location: 36 Dunlop Street
Contact: 6292-2642
Hours: Monday-Thursday *Wednesday closed* (11am-9pm) Friday-Saturday (11am-11pm) Sunday (22am-
Damage: $20+
Website: https://www.facebook.com/rouseondunlop
#4 Fika
The first time someone told me there was a Swedish halal restaurant in Singapore, I laughed because I thought it was a joke. But when I finally visited Fika’s 257 Beach Road location, I was shocked that such a place existed.
Of all the restaurants on this list, I this one has the quietest atmosphere. Maybe it’s the minimalist décor. Maybe it’s the somewhat helfty price tag (which is probably the highest on this list). But whatever the reason is, if you’re looking for peace and quiet, you’ve come to the right place.
Enough about the atmosphere, let’s get down to the food! Swedish food is low on extravagance and complexity, but high on taste. Fika has plenty of delicious open-faced sandwiches to choose from for both meat and seafood lovers (my personal favorite is the meatball melt).
At Fika, the must-try main dishew include the Swedish homemade meatballs (of course!), Pannbiff (beef patties in cream sauce), Korvstroganoff (chicken sausage stew), Seafood Pasta, and Grilled Salmon.
However, my personal favorite is the steak with warm potato salad, which features a delicious 250g ribeye steak with a servicing of sautéed potatoes topped with delicious garlic butter.
Location: 257 Beach Road & 9 Raffles Boulevard, #01-20 Millenia Walk
Contact: 6396-9096
Hours: Monday-Friday (11am-11pm) Saturday-Sunday (12pm-11pm)
Damage: $30+
Website: http://www.fikacafe.com/
What other Halal restaurants would you add to this list? Share your suggestions with us on Facebook! For even more useful information on everything personal finance, visit MoneySmart today!
Images:
http://susanwong.blogspot.sg, http://www.burpple.com, http://www.hungrygowhere.com, Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro Facebook Page