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A halal guide to Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s efforts to accommodate Muslim citizens and visitors alike has resulted in a city that now proudly possesses six mosques, 62 halal-certified restaurants and food outlets, and the only Disneyland in the world with halal options. If you’re travelling to or from Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific flight, halal food options are available, while HKIA itself provides two prayer rooms complete with ablution facilities, as well as a Popeye’s restaurant with halal items on the menu.
To eat
Halal Chinese cuisine
Muslims in the know head straight to the Islamic Centre Canteen for its delicious dim sum. Famed as the only halal Cantonese food in Hong Kong, it serves up tasty and affordable beef, chicken and seafood dumplings. At Ma’s, a Chinese restaurant with the best veal goulash pastry in town, Mr. Ma and his family serve up juicy meat dishes – including a particularly good lamb roll – that pack a flavoursome punch. Eating roast duck is an essential part of any Hong Kong itinerary so it's good news that halal eatery Wai Kee exists to provide Muslim visitors with this local staple. Arrive hungry because your plate will soon be heaped high with its renowned roast duck, resplendent in its beautifully golden skin. For curry lovers, there are scrumptious lamb, beef and chicken options on offer.
Islamic Centre Canteen
Muslim Owned 
100% Halal Ingredients
Ma’s
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
Wai Kee
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
Malaysian and more South East Asian cuisine
While the majority of Hong Kong’s halal restaurants tend to be Indian or Middle Eastern, the smartly decorated Spice in Tsim Sha Tsui offers a pan-Asian menu that includes fresh, spicy dishes taken from Malaysian, Thai and Indian cuisines. At Syed Bukhara in Kowloon, local Malaysian dishes and Singaporean dishes are served in a casual atmosphere at wallet-friendly prices. Order the nasi lemak, a Malaysian breakfast speciality where fragrant rice is adorned with spicy sambal, deep-fried anchovies, fried peanuts and boiled eggs. Or you can follow the lead of traveling Indonesians who flock to Warung Malay in Causeway Bay for an authentic taste of home. A huge variety of filling Indonesian dishes are on display behind the counter of this popular cafe, from the rice-based nasi goreng to chicken satay with peanut sauce.
Spice
100% Halal Ingredients
Syed Bukhara
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
Warung Malay
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
Best places for an Indian feast
At Aladin Mess, finger-licking halal Indian food – think tikka meats, vegetarian curries and a full tandoori leg of lamb – is served in a small, perennially popular restaurant in the midst of bustling Causeway Bay. The cozy Shaffi’s opened in 1972 and first served curries to the British military; these days, its wide selection of meat and vegetarian curries draws an appreciative crowd who will queue for their supper. At JoJo Indian Cuisine, another stalwart on the scene since the ‘80s, all the usual treats are on offer, as well as a wide selection of indulgent Indian desserts. Save room for the cottage cheese dumplings. Got money to burn? Head to Bombay Dreams, an acclaimed restaurant with superb food. For lunchtime diners, the buffet option is great value for money.
Aladin Mess
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
Shaffi’s
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
Bombay Dreams
100% Halal Ingredients
JoJo Indian Cuisine
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean
At Sumac, an atmospheric Lebanese restaurant with classic French windows and rustic furnishings, patrons can enjoy al fresco dining on its outdoor terrace. The Mediterranean menu includes mezze staples like hummus and labneh, juicy chunks of grilled meats and seafood, and fresh fattoush salad with toasted pita bread and tangy citrus dressing. If you head to Lantau Island for the day, swing by Bahce Turkish restaurant for tasty mezze and chicken and beef kebabs served with a side of bread to mop it all up. Or there’s Kowloon-based 1453 Ottoman , which prides itself on fantastic doner kebabs, Turkish-style pide and cheese rolls stuffed with feta and parsley.
Bahce Turkish Restaurant
100% Halal Ingredients
Sumac
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
1453 Ottoman
Muslim Owned
100% Halal Ingredients
To do
Theme parks
The kids will go crazy at Hong Kong’s Disneyland Resort, a spectacular theme park that melds traditional elements of Chinese culture with all the expected Disney-centric attractions. Better yet, the park sells halal-certified food at three of its on-site restaurants, as well as offering halal dishes on its room service menu at the Disneyland Hotel. Theme park aficionados should also devote a day to Ocean Park, an amusement park with a marine angle. Educational sea life exhibits sit alongside thrilling rides and the world’s largest aquarium dome. When you’re hungry, choose from a selection of dishes at two halal-friendly eateries.
Hong Kong’s mosques
Home to approximately 250,000 Muslims, Hong Kong boasts five mosques dotted around the city. The oldest, Jamia Mosque, was first built in the 1840s and can be found on Hong Kong Island. Kowloon Mosque – which can accommodate 3,500 worshippers at once – is a grand structure that reflects the unique identity of Muslims in Hong Kong while Ammar Mosque was designed by a Chinese Muslim and includes a halal bakery, medical services, classrooms and library. Chan Wan Mosque is a small worship space, but it’s luxuriously fitted in white marble, and Ibrahim Mosque – completed in 2013 – is the city’s newest addition.
Visit Tsim Sha Tsui
The neighbourhood of Tsim Sha Tsui also goes by another name: Paradise of Shoppers. Browse this heavily built-up area bursting with shopping malls, restaurants and bright lights before ending up at the Avenue of Stars promenade, which boasts a star-studded walkway honouring local celebrities. The Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre are a short walk away, as are a number of halal-certified restaurants, including The Great Indian Kebab Factory and the more affordable Ebeneezer’s Kebab & Pizzeria (both non-Muslim but 100% halal).
To stay
Halal-friendly hotels
The Butterfly on Morrison brings modern amenities and sleek style to the heart of Causeway. Within walking distance of Ammar Mosque (which has a halal canteen of its own), the hotel’s central location sits close to a wide range of Indian and Middle Eastern eateries. The four-star Kowloon Hotel is another comfortable option, ideally located near an abundance of shops, markets and halal-certified restaurants.