Hello everyone! 안녕하세요! We’re proud to present our special series on Halal makan places we visited during our recent trip to Seoul! This round – Persian Palace 페르시안궁전!
We were extremely honoured to be invited by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia) to visit South Korea again (we went to Busan and Jeju the last time) and also be a part of the launch of Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2019! More information about that at the end of the post so let’s start on the makan no – 나 배고파!! 
(BTW – head down to our Instagram profile page and watch all the IG Stories from the trip!) 
So I’m breaking from chronological order again here. We visited Persian Palace somewhere in the middle of our trip and I guess it was inevitable. The local cuisine of the countries we visit was much more easily accessible these days. But every once in awhile, we’re gonna whack some Middle Eastern/Indian food lah right 😛
I call this the ‘Bo Pian Kebab’ which is not always a bad thing. So for this session, we makan-ed at this popular place called Persian Palace 페르시안궁전 😀
Dr Shapour is the owner and operator of Persian Palace. You’ll probably see him there when you visit! If not, you will at least the many photos of him on the walls – Persian Palace has been featured extensively on Korean media!
The popular choices at Persian Palace are mostly the curries (they really have a lot of curries to choose from!). We somehow deviated from them and ordered the Chicken Majboos – a dish quite similar to Nasi Briyani in a lot of ways.
Tasty and fragrant Basmati rice has hints of spices here and there. Throw in some chicken and potatoes and you have a dish that is as filling as it is delicious 😀 Now that I think about it, you probably could pair this with some curry if you’d like. The Chicken Curry does look appetizing on the menu!
If you’re gonna have Middle-Eastern/Persian food then Kebabs have got to be on the cards (or the plates) right?
We enjoyed some Kobideh and Tikka Kebabs. Great smoky and spice-y flavours thanks to the traditional cooking method. And don’t underestimate – these are really quite filling! Best enjoyed with some Butter Rice and/or some Naan! And speaking of Naan…
So Gosht Bademjam has a few variations depending on what you put in it. ‘Bademjam’ apparently translates to ‘stew’ it can be anything from a variety of meats and vegetables.
The version we had involved some minced lamb which gave a really bold flavour. The flavours were a mix of spices and tomatoes so you get a good, strong flavour but it’s not really spicy lah. Think of it as kinda like a version of ‘Keema’ in a way 😀
Plenty of other dishes to enjoy with your Naan too by the way including various curries and favourites like Butter Chicken and Palak Paneer too.
You might also wanna opt for some light dessert after your meal. We had the Zaffrahn Ice Cream (Saffron Ice Cream) to finish off a monumental lunch. This ice-cream’s flavour is primarily Rose Water and Milk (and not so much Saffron). You can be assured of a SWEET ending to your meal (if you know what I mean) 😛
If you do feel the urge or find the need to enjoy some Middle-Eastern cuisine while in Seoul, there are actually a few options. Persian Palace will probably appear on a number of searches you try online (including on Halal Restaurant Week 2019’s site too!). If you’re in the area, it’s a place to consider. But better call first – it’s popular with large tour groups so even though it’s quite spacious, it can be quite packo!
PS this restaurant is Muslim-owned but like many such eateries in South Korea, they do serve alcoholic beverages.
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 South Korea these days. Across the country, Halal food and Muslim-friendly options are becoming more readily available. This is in part thanks to the efforts from organizations and events like Korea Tourism Organization and Halal Restaurant Week Korea!
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 and depending on which part of South Korea you’re visiting.
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 
Our advice is to check out the Halal Restaurant Week Korea website where you can not only find a listing of Halal/Muslim-friendly eating options in South Korea but also enjoy some perks and discounts too! This year’s Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2019 is being held from 1st September til 31st October (longer than a week lah :P).
Check out this handy micro-site – www.hrwkorea.or.kr/coupons/coupons.php – for more details on how to get your coupons okay! Thank you Korea Tourism Organization for taking the initiative to spread more information about Halal / Muslim-travel in South Korea! ??
Persian Palace
페르시안궁전
9 Sungkyunkwan-ro 6-gil,
Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Tel: +82-2-763-6050
www.persianpalace.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DrShapour
Instagram: www.instagram.com/persianpalace_irankebab
Operating Hours:
11.30am til 10.00pm DAILY
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.
