Exotic Flavor, Halal Food

Visit to Itaewon Halal Guys

After visiting the Mexican food specialty restaurant ‘Kuchara,’ I developed a curiosity for exotic foods. If you don’t know Kuchara, click here! So, whenever I have time, I try various foreign dishes, and recently, I tasted halal food for the first time.

Halal food refers to food permitted under Islamic law, known as ‘Sharia.’ All foods made with pork and alcohol are prohibited, while beef, lamb, chicken, various grains, fruits, and vegetables?excluding pork?are allowed. However, even ingredients permitted by Sharia must be strictly separated from prohibited ingredients during distribution and preparation.

The restaurant where I first tried halal food was ‘Halal Guys.’ Starting as a New York food truck and becoming a representative street food brand, Halal Guys is considered one of the top three must-visit eateries in New York. In Korea, you can find it in areas like Itaewon and Hongdae.

The kitchen looks similar to Kuchara or Subway. It feels like the kitchen of a food truck has been moved into a store. It’s closer to a fast-food place with a free-spirited street vibe rather than a fancy restaurant.

At Kuchara or Subway, you had to choose each filling ingredient one by one, but here, you only select the menu type and main ingredient. The menu is broadly divided into platters and sandwiches, with main ingredients including chicken, falafel (croquettes made from beans), and gyro (rotisserie-cooked beef). The combo menu lets you enjoy both chicken and gyro at once. Side dishes include hummus (a chickpea spread), falafel, and French fries. I ordered the combo platter along with hummus and falafel.

The combo platter features long-shaped basmati rice topped with chicken, gyro, lettuce, and tomato, finished with white sauce and hot sauce. Two pieces of pita bread, a white, flatbread commonly enjoyed in the Middle East, are served on the side.

It looks similar to a Mexican burrito bowl but tastes closer to kebab than a burrito bowl. It’s the authentic local flavor of kebab generously topped with sour cream and hot sauce! When I tried only the gyro, I noticed a slight gamey smell typical of meat, but the strong flavors of the white sauce like sour cream and hot sauce made it comfortable to eat. If you are sensitive to meat odors, I recommend ordering the platter with only chicken. I also liked that the platter, which could feel heavy due to the abundance of meat and rice, was freshened up with lettuce and tomato, giving it a light and refreshing feel.

When you order hummus, the pita bread that was on the platter is served alongside. You scoop an appropriate amount of hummus and spread it on the pita bread. Hummus has a texture similar to squeezed chickpea pulp, with a tangy bean flavor and the aroma of cumin. The addition of olive oil gives it a much more unique and exotic taste compared to the platter. The pita bread, served in a pizza-like shape, is quite mild. The plain, blank-canvas taste of the pita bread complements the strong flavor of the hummus well.

Falafel, which looks similar to croquettes, is also mainly made from chickpeas like the previously introduced hummus. Made entirely from plant-based ingredients, it is suitable for vegetarians as well. When I took a bite, interestingly, the inside was green. The outside is crispy, and the inside is crumbly, as if mashed beans were fried. You can taste the nuttiness of the beans along with curry-like spices, which pairs very well with the hot sauce drizzled on the platter.

The halal food I tried for the first time at Halal Guys had flavors of spices that were not overpowering but still gave a genuine feeling of being on a trip. If you are looking for exotic food that you can enjoy without burden, I recommend trying halal food. Especially at Halal Guys, where you can enjoy various halal dishes in a light and enjoyable atmosphere.

Photo by Bomi Kim

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.