What a year it has been! Plenty of excitement, plenty of MAKAN and also plenty of travel! We know y’all have been asking for more makan when we travel overseas and we’re (obviously) happy to oblige when we can 😛
We were extremely honoured to be invited by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia) to go on a trip to South Korea and explore not just the interesting spots to visit but also the interesting places to makan! And by interesting, we mean REALLY interesting (Ramyun and Budae-jjigae please wait in the queue LOL)
You can read about the highlights of our trip to Busan and Jeju in our upcoming posts (coming soon!) and definitely about all the makan places too. But first, we’re starting with the first Halal makan we encountered in Busan 😀
(BTW – head down to our Instagram profile page and watch all the IG Stories from the trip!) ??
We were going to be putting up at the Ramada Encore Haeundae (라마다 앙코르 호텔 해운대) while we were in Busan. It’s actually really near the Haeundae Beach but it’s basically a long walking street with makan spots and some light shopping. Just a short stroll from our hotel, we found Hello India Al Waha 헬로인디아알와하!
It’s located on the 2nd floor but you can’t miss the signage. You might even notice their staff inviting you in to enjoy a meal. And since it was really cold and it would be our first lunch after arriving in Busan, we were really looking forward to a nice, hot meal.
And we were not disappointed!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq4MGH8FpWp/
Imagine you’re super hungry and it’s like 15°C outside. And then… at your table arrives some steaming hot Briyani Rice and a platter of hot sizzling Tandoori Chicken! FUYOH POWER!!! 😛 Okay lah I’m not saying the food was only sedap because we were hungry and it was cold outside.. but it definitely helped lah 😛
The Briyani Rice (or at least that’s what I’m calling it) was fragrant, tasty and even had some morsels of chicken hidden underneath the blanket of Basmati. I’m thinking this would probably go well with any of the dishes on the menu be it a dry one (like the Tandoori Chicken) or even something with gravy (like the Butter Chicken). And speaking of which…
The Tandoori Chicken came on this sizzling hotplate and the aroma was simply amazing! You know that familiar aroma of spices right? Really gets the appetite going! Enjoy on its own, with some Naan and definitely with the Briyani Rice!
The above combination needs no introduction… In fact, can you name a better pairing? 😛
Naan + Butter Chicken = ❤ in a lot of people’s books (including ours). There’s just something perfect about dipping some hot Naan into that buttery, spicy gravy and chomping down on some of that succulent Chicken Tikka swimming in that gravy. The only thing missing from this picture was some Palak Paneer which I regret not ordering.
Anyways, how good was the Butter Chicken and Naan at Hello India Al Waha 헬로인디아알와하? So good that I went back in the night to buy myself some supper to enjoy back at the hotel before they closed 😛
Admittedly, I did not expect to have Indian / Lebanese / Arabic cuisine as our first meal in South Korea. But it was actually a really good meal to start with 😀 Hello India Al Waha 헬로인디아알와하 was spacious, the staff spoke English and the food was good!
When we travel, there’s always a ‘token Kebab place’ we visit. In Busan, this was ours.
PS they have quite a few outlets across South Korea apparently!
A Quick Word About Halal Food In South Korea
So in case you’re wondering, it’s (thankfully) getting easier to find Halal food in Korea these days. It may be particularly easier to find it in big cities like Seoul but cities like Busan and Jeju are doing their best as well.
You may see some of these labels when you visit restaurants that are suitable for Muslims to visit. They have 4 main categories that determine the ‘Halal-ness’ of an eatery. This is to be expected lah I guess especially where the Halal food scene is still developing.
The 4 categories are;
- Halal-certified (safest as the eatery is certified Halal by the Korea Muslim Federation)
- Self-certified (basically means eatery is Muslim-owned)
- Muslim-Friendly (serves Halal food but may serve alcoholic beverages) *most common*
- Pork Free (eatery does not have Pork but may serve non-Halal meat and/or alcoholic beverages)
It may seem complicated with 4 categories but as always, we can simplify it. Do your due diligence and do not be afraid to #AskTheQuestion especially since you’re travelling. Halal is an individual responsibility so get the info and make an informed decision. Look for these labels at the door. If there is any doubt at all, best to give it a miss 🙂
You can get useful information by clicking HERE and HERE!
Thank you Korea Tourism Organization for taking the initiative to spread more information about Halal / Muslim-travel in South Korea!
Hello India Al Waha 헬로인디아알와하
23-1 Gunam-ro 41 beon-gil
Haeundae-gu, Busan 48095, South Korea
Tel: +82 51-731-2015
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Hello-India-Al-Waha/2089385951090877
Instagram: www.instagram.com/helloindia_alwaha
Operating Hours:
11.00am til 11.00pm DAILY
(Last order at 10.00pm)
This meal was part of a trip organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia). We visited all kinds of cool places and plenty of Halal makan places including this one! All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.
