Do you like Japanese ramen?
   Ramen is a very popular food in Japan, and many people eat it.
   Recently, many tourists who visit Japan wish to eat Ramen while they are in the country.
   However, it is very difficult for people who practice Islam to eat this dish. This is because there are few ramen restaurants in Japan selling halal food that Muslims can eat.
   This article describes what halal food is, and showcases some ramen restaurants that serve halal food so that Muslims can eat without any issues.

Halal Food Is Permitted to Eat in the Teachings of Islam

   “Halal” is an Arabic word meaning “permissible,” and this word is used in the teachings of Islam.
   According to the commandments in Islam, Muslims are forbidden from eating pork as well as food products with ingredients derived from pork. Muslims can eat other kinds of meat besides pork, but only if the animal has been slaughtered and the meat has been processed according to the teachings of Islam.
   Alcohol is also forbidden in Islam, so Muslims cannot eat food that is prepared with mirin or other seasonings that include alcohol.
   Food products and meals that meet the standards set by Islamic laws are known as “halal food.”
   You cannot tell if food products or restaurants are halal just by looking at them, and so a “halal certification” system was created in Malaysia around 1970. Under this system, dedicated organizations inspect food products and restaurants and provide certification to assure people that they are halal and follow the teachings of Islam. If a restaurant is “halal certified,” Muslims can eat there without any worries.

The Process for a Ramen Restaurant to Receive Halal Certification

   It is not easy for a ramen restaurant to obtain halal certification.
   Ramen is made by putting soup and noodles in a bowl, then topping it off with other ingredients. However, pig bones are usually used for preparing the soup, and the noodles are often served with char siu—pork that is boiled or grilled and then sliced before putting in the bowl.
   The pork bone soup can be replaced with chicken stock, and the char siu can also be replaced with chicken meat in order to solve this problem. However, the chicken bones and meat need to be “halal certified,” and staff also need training because the food needs to be prepared according to the teachings of Islam.
   There are other criteria that need to be met for certification. For example, all of the ingredients and seasonings offered at the restaurant must be halal, the restaurant must have a Muslim owner or chef working there, and the restaurant must not sell any alcohol.
   There are several halal ramen restaurants that have met these strict requirements, and that let Muslims eat without any issues. This article introduces three of these restaurants.

The Flagship Store of “Mentei Naritaya” in Asakusa Serves a Popular Soy Sauce Soup with a Refreshing Taste

   “Mentei Naritaya” is a group of restaurants that serve halal ramen because the owners wanted people from all around the world to enjoy their food. The main location is in Asakusa, and there are also branches in Kyoto and Osaka. These restaurants have halal certification, and each one has a prayer room on the second floor.
   “Mentei Naritaya” serves ramen featuring a soup that mixes a soy sauce Tare (a mix of seasonings that is also known as “Kaeshi”) with an original broth made from kelp and bonito. The noodles are made in-house, and the ramen is served with toppings that are made in Japan. Because port bones are not used for this ramen, it has a refreshing taste that is popular with customers in how it resembles Japanese cuisine by utilizing the characteristics of soy sauce. The ramen is made without using pork or alcohol, and the char siu is made using roasted chicken.
   Another well-received dish known as “Aburidori Mazesoba” features noodles and roasted chicken with no soup.

“Shinjuku Gyoen Ramen Ouka” Lets You Enjoy Rice Soaked in Sea Bream Soup After Eating Your Ramen

   “Ramen Ouka” is close to Shinjuku Gyoen, a location famous for its cherry blossoms. This restaurant serves ramen with sea bream soup. Halal ramen is often made with chicken bone soup, but this restaurant uses sea bream for its stock.
   This restaurant offers a meal called “Gozen Ramen” where you can enjoy chicken meatballs, chicken teriyaki, sea bream ramen, rice, and herb tea all served in courses. The ramen is topped off with a mix of Yuzu citrus soup and egg whites that you can mix with the noodles. After enjoying the ramen, you are served boiled rice which you soak in the ramen soup before eating. This style of eating is called Ocha-zuke in Japan, and it lets you enjoy the flavor of the soup in a different way from regular ramen.
   The restaurant serves another popular dish with spicy ramen using chili peppers from Thailand.
   Ramen Ouka has obtained halal certification from the Japan Islamic Trust (Otsuka Mosque), and it uses alcohol-free Oshibori (wet towels used by customers to wipe their hands) and disinfectants.

“Ramen Honolu” (in Ebisu) Offers a Wide Range of Dishes and Is Famous for its Ramen With Chicken Paitan Soup

   Ebisu is well known as a fashionable district with many boutiques and cafes, and it is also one of the locations of the “Ramen Honolu” restaurant. This restaurant serves a wide range of dishes including sweet and spicy fried-chicken ramen, spicy yakiniku ramen, as well as its famous ramen made with chicken paitan soup. All dishes are halal. The restaurant also serves fried chicken and halal gyoza made with soy beans and chicken. There is a prayer room on the second floor as well.
   Ramen Honolu originates in Osaka and now has six restaurants across Japan. Four of these restaurants—in Ebisu, Asakusa, Otsuka, and Osaka—serve halal food.
   The restaurant’s founder began to create halal ramen after a friend of a friend expressed their desire as a Muslim to be able to enjoy delicious ramen.

Halal Food is Clean, Safe, High-Quality, and Nutritious

   Apart from checking that food products do not contain pork or alcohol, inspections for halal certification also verify that the food is managed in clean and safe conditions, and that it is high-quality, nutritious, and healthy. Halal food is appealing to non-Muslims and Muslims alike.
   Why not visit halal ramen restaurants in Japan to enjoy different types of ramen, each made with creative methods.

* We have carefully prepared the content featured in this article after confirming details with each restaurant, though we cannot guarantee the accuracy or integrity of the information provided here.