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food

Halal Food in Seoul, South Korea

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Halal Food in Seoul, South Korea

Today I give you a walking tour of where to get Halal dishes in South Korea. Halal Middle Eastern restaurants are scattered throughout Seoul, but there is a big concentration of them in Itaewon near the Seoul Central Masjid (mosque). We begin with lunch at Kervan, a Turkish eatery that serves some of the best chicken I've ever had in Korea. Watch the video below to see the action unfold!

PLACES FEATURED IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

Kervan Turkish Restaurant (케르반)
Address: 127-3 Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-792-4767
Note: They have other branches at COEX and Gangnam Finance Center.

national foods mart korea

National Foods Mart (내셔널푸드마트)
Directions: Take Exit 3 from the Itaewon Station. Walk straight. Turn right at first stoplight. The market will be on your right.
Note: Located below Taj Palace Indian Restaurant.

foreign food mart itaewon

Foreign Food Mart (포린푸드마트)
Address: 137-8 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-793-0082

persian land itaewon

Persian Land (페르시안 랜드)
Address: 131-36 Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-797-7109

al baraka itaewon

Al Baraka (알바라카)
Address: 137-22 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-6404-7775

zaffran mart itaewon

Zaffran Mart (자프란 마트)
Address: 732-21 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-3785-3570

salam turkish restaurant

Salam Turkish Restaurant (쌀람 터키 전문 음식점)
Address: 732-1 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-793-4323

cairo bbq itaewon

Cairo BBQ (카이로 바비큐)
Note: located on Usadan-ro 10-gil near Makan Restaurant. 

makan restaurant korean halal

Makan Restaurant (마칸)
Address: 52 Usadan-ro 10-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 02-6012-2231

pak india itaewon

Pak India Restaurant (팍인디아레스토랑)
Address: 763-15 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-790-1509

eid korean halal food itaewon

EID (Korean Halal Food)
Address: 67 Usadan-ro 10-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

mr kebab itaewon

Mr. Kebab (미스터케밥)
Address: 127-2 Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-3463-2356

halal meat shop itaewon

Halal Meat Shop (할랄미트샵)
Address: 39 Usadan-ro 10-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-798-8611

seoul central masjid

Seoul Central Masjid (서울 중앙성원)
Address: 732-21 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-793-6908

kervan bakery itaewon

Kervan Turkish Bakery & Dessert Cafe
Address: 204 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-790-5585
Website

al hoor restaurant itaewon

Al-Hoor Restaurant
Address: 140-7 Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 10-5923-2277
Facebook

islamic bookstore itaewon

Islamic Bookstore
Address: 137/46 Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-794-0968

Siti Sarah itaewon

Siti Sarah (시티사라)
Address: 137-48 Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-796-8515
Website

salam bakery turkish delight

Salam Bakery (쌀람베이커리)
Address: 39 Usadan-ro 10-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 2-749-4323

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Korean King Dumplings at Tofu Plus

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Korean King Dumplings at Tofu Plus

Jang Su Jang, previously featured on Kingdom Koreatown, is one of the more popular restaurants in Koreatown San Jose. Less than a ten minute drive away, its owner opened a new joint only 10 days ago. Named Tofu Plus, it is tucked inside a plaza near a Chinese market. 

The twelve side dishes of Tofu Plus. One for each month! Let's assign the kelp noodles to December, shall we? 

The twelve side dishes of Tofu Plus. One for each month! Let's assign the kelp noodles to December, shall we? 

Once you've tried their King Dumplings, you'll be coming back sooner than later! So good that you'll be inspired to write a Yelp review, even if you normally aren't that type of person. 

Booth next to screen doors of a traditional Korean house (Hanok).

Booth next to screen doors of a traditional Korean house (Hanok).

Five boldly red pieces of tteokbokki.

Five boldly red pieces of tteokbokki.

Not too longer after being seated, we are greeted with a mini dish of Tteokbokki. These rice cakes are topped off with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and scallions. Mildly spicy. Take a bite to work up an appetite. 

Tangy Kelp Noodles. My favorite side dish at Tofu Plus. 

Tangy Kelp Noodles. My favorite side dish at Tofu Plus. 

Soybeans. Reserved for those with Level 5 Chopstick skills. 

Soybeans. Reserved for those with Level 5 Chopstick skills. 

Tofu Plus offers similar items as Jang Su Jang, however their menus are not exact clones. Soups such as Galbitang (beef short rib soup) and Kkorigomtang (ox tail soup) are available at Tofu Plus and not at Jang Su Jang. 

My mother and I order a boiling pot of Seafood Tofu Soup. Once it arrives, crack open your egg and let that yolk dive into its bubbly jacuzzi. Cover that raw egg with a spoonful of tofu for faster cooking. 

Mere pixels cannot capture the essence of a boiling bowl of freshly delivered tofu soup!

Mere pixels cannot capture the essence of a boiling bowl of freshly delivered tofu soup!

The tofu soup is a pleasure to listen to. When it comes to taste, the Wang Mandoo (King Dumplings) outshines everything on the dining table. Each big as your palm, forget trying to look like a lady or gentleman when devouring them. Manners go out the window in the presence of this deliciousness. Nom nom nom... I use my hands, chopsticks, spoon, then repeat. 

King Dumplings. Correctly named seeing how big each one is!

King Dumplings. Correctly named seeing how big each one is!

Upon a big bite, observing the ingredients. 

Upon a big bite, observing the ingredients. 

The bill came out to be $26.10 USD. Our lunch was worth every penny. My mother and I ended up taking another serving of food to-go. We take two fat King Dumplings home. Oh yeah, baby!

Can't get enough of these side dishes! Free refills. Unlimited rainbows in the mouth. 

Can't get enough of these side dishes! Free refills. Unlimited rainbows in the mouth. 

My mother started to take food photos! She makes me so proud. 

My mother started to take food photos! She makes me so proud. 

Interior of Tofu Plus. 

Interior of Tofu Plus. 

Storefront. Tofu Plus is next to tea and jerky shops.

Storefront. Tofu Plus is next to tea and jerky shops.

Tofu Plus
(408) 777-0900
10971 N Wolfe Rd
Cupertino, CA 95014
Hours: 11am-10pm, Mon-Sun


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Green Tea Bingsoo at Okrumong

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Green Tea Bingsoo at Okrumong

Who eats bingsoo, Korean shaved ice, first thing in the morning? Someone who has a plane to catch within three hours. Yeah, me. I'm currently stationed in NorCal and there is no Korean shaved ice as legit as the ones in Los Angeles (aside from Seoul). So as my last "meal" before heading back home, I happily get a brain freeze at 11am. My flight departs at 1:45pm. I take my sweet time, savoring each icy bite.

If bingsoo was a skyscraper, then this is a bird's eye view of it.

If bingsoo was a skyscraper, then this is a bird's eye view of it.

My bestie Yoonah accompanies me. She's a trooper. Bingsoo is typically eaten as a dessert, not as breakfast. We may get stomach aches and that's a risk I'm willing to take.  

A handful of cafes in Koreatown LA offer bingsoo. We go to Okrumong (옥루몽), the location in the same plaza as the popular Korean BBQ joint Hae Jang Chon. Another Okrumong resides in Torrance about 25 miles south. Okrumong is a bingsoo chain created in South Korea and plans for world domination! I endorse. 

While waiting for our "meal" to be prepared, we have Patbbang as an appetizer. Patbbang is bread filled with red bean paste. 

Patbbang in shape of a donut with branding on top. 

Patbbang in shape of a donut with branding on top. 

Undressing the Patbbang from its transparent veil.  

Undressing the Patbbang from its transparent veil.  

Patbbang come in various shapes. Some do not have a hole in the middle. Others are sliced to resemble flowers. Some Patbbang contain very little red bean paste with thick white bread around it. Okrumong's Patbbang has the ideal bread-to-paste ratio. Their bread allows the red bean paste to show off its flavor. 

Yum yum in the tum tum. 

Yum yum in the tum tum. 

The restaurant page buzzes. My heart tingles. Legit bingsoo, how I have missed you! The Green Tea Bingsoo with a hat of thick red bean paste arrives in its golden bowl. Mister and Misses Mochi sing a duet on the cushiony paste. 

Green Tea Bingsoo. Lookin' proper and friendly as usual. 

Green Tea Bingsoo. Lookin' proper and friendly as usual. 

The moment your spoon scoops a bite out of that shaved ice, notice how smoothly this simple action occurs. I've had bingsoo where you have to break down the ice with your spoon, otherwise all the clumped ice spins around the bowl in circles. Okrumong bingsoo takes out that extra step and gives you princess treatment.  

Eat all your red bean paste? Fear not. Dig deeper and there is more at the core.

Eat all your red bean paste? Fear not. Dig deeper and there is more at the core.

Enough talk of the looks. What about its flavor? The green tea shaved ice tastes like, well, matcha. Earthy. The white layer of ice underneath is bland. For sugary goodness, you can depend on the red bean paste. This bingsoo is suitable for those with a semi-sweethtooth. 

I consume 80% of the bingsoo as Yoonah's teeth recover from the cold bites. With a smile, we have a chill ride to the airport. Sure, I may miss my flight if traffic awaits us on the 10 and 405, but having that Green Tea Bingsoo was worth every trouble. 

Interior of Okrumong in Koreatown LA. 

Interior of Okrumong in Koreatown LA. 

 Okrumong (Koreatown LA)

(855) 627-8012
3801 W. 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020

Okrumong (Torrance)
(866) 722-1727
2814 Sepulveda Blvd, Unit C
Torrance, CA 90505


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