Event: Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2017
Dates: 1st September 2017 – 31st October 2017
Organized By: Korea Tourism Organization
Credits - giphy.com
What is Halal Restaurant Week Korea?
Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2017 is a two-month long event organized by the
Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). that primarily revolves around the participation of numerous Halal restaurants and vendors across South Korea. The main goal of the event is to promote
Halal food in South Korea for its Muslim minority and to diversify as well as encourage tourism in South Korea by making more Muslim-friendly facilities available for visitors.
Halal Restaurant Week Korea is an initiative that has been eagerly welcomed by more than 100 restaurants and Korean Halal food vendors who are participating in this affair. The nation-wide event is set to offer a unique experience of food and culture. Also, participating restaurants and vendors have coupons on offer for you to download, which would leave you spoilt for choice when you travel to South Korea. Featuring a wide range of cuisines from all around the world, Muslims will be able to enjoy local Korean Halal food, as well as food from cuisines like
Italian,
Turkish,
Chinese,
Indian, and so much more.
The event is also scheduled to feature various cultural activities and attractions, to give the visitor a chance to learn more about the deep and rich culture and heritage of South Korea. From cultural performances to museums, theme parks, and shops, the event offers the Muslim tourist who wishes to travel to South Korea the entire package.
The Korea Tourism Organization has set up social media pages for Halal Restaurant Week Korea. They are regularly updated so you can find a glimpse of what you can expect on their
Facebook,
Instagram, and of course, their
website.
Types of Muslim-friendly Restaurants in Korea
Each restaurant serving Muslim-friendly food in South Korea has been sorted into different types by the Korea Tourism Organization since 2016. Only restaurants that fit the standards set by KTO are allowed to sign up for Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2017. Here's a rundown of how they are categorized.
Halal Certified: This includes all the Halal certified restaurants in South Korea which has an accredited certificate issued by an agency of the
Korea Muslim Federation (KMF).
Self Certified: These restaurants serve Halal food in South Korea, given assurance by restaurant owners who are Muslims themselves.
Muslim Friendly: These restaurants provide some Halal dishes, but they may also sell alcohol separately.
Pork-free: Restaurants that do not offer a Halal menu, but do not use pork in any preparation are included in this category. Similar to the last category, alcohol may be sold at times.
Coupons & Deals at Halal Restaurant Week Korea
Picture Credit - hrwkorea.or.kr
Halal Restaurant Week Korea gets even better with a bunch of coupons and deals! Not only do Muslims get to locate new and exciting Muslim-friendly food spots and explore delectable Halal food in South Korea, they also get to do it while saving money!
The Korea Tourism Organization is giving out coupons that can be redeemed at any of the more than 100 restaurants that are part of the event. All you have to do is sign up for Halal Restaurant Week on their website and all the coupons will be made available to you. You can then simply log on and use these coupons whenever you like. Some of the coupons can even be used in combination with offers at individual restaurants.
You can also use the Halal Restaurant Week Korea website to search for restaurants; you will be delighted to find coupons, food deals and promotions in Korea for many of them.
A Sneak Peak at Halal Food in Korea
Here are some of the restaurants that are a part of Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2017 and the food they have on offer:
Muree Muslim Food
Location: 140-6 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Contact: +82-2-3785-1436
This first ever self-certified restaurant that specialized in Halal Korean food is a must-visit. Order from their popular choices like
Bulgogi and traditional medicinal chicken soup, or pick something from their special menu. And don't forget to use your coupon to get a free beverage or traditional
Korean dessert!
Migami
Picture Credit - www.english.visitkorea.or.kr
Location: Gwangil B/D 1F, 331 Gangnamdae-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul
Contact: +82-2-522-6522
If you're looking for Muslim-friendly food spots where you can try Japanese and South Korean style seafood, then this popular gourmet restaurant is where you should be! What's more, they've got a discount coupon for 10% ready for grabs as well.
Kervan Restaurant
Location: 2F, 190 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Contact: +82-2-792-4767
Kervan is a Halal-certified restaurant that serves up delicious Turkish dishes. From the hands of native Turkish chefs to the table, you'll be able to enjoy delicious and authentic
kebabs,
pides (Turkish pizzas),
baklava, and more. Order the special mix grill, or use a coupon to get free Turkish tea of dessert.
Gurkha Restaurant
Location: 4F, 16-1, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Contact: +82-2-775-8860
This is a Muslim-friendly restaurant that specializes in Indian and
Nepalese food. Their specialty lies in making rich and flavorful curries and traditional bread. They also have a coupon for 10% discount available.
Cheonhaecheon
Location: 25 Halladaehak-ro, Jeju
Contact: +82-64-742-1101
This is a Muslim-friendly restaurant where you can enjoy an unlimited shabu-shabu (a special Japanese hotpot) buffet that features amazing
Japanese dishes of varieties in seafood, Halal meats, vegetarian, and even living abalones!
Tuscany
Picture Credit - www.hoteltheplaza.com
Location: 2F(The Plaza Hotel), 119, Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
Contact: +82-2-310-7200
Located inside the famous Plaza Hotel, Tuscany is a 2-Michelin star Muslim-friendly restaurant that serves authentic Halal Italian dishes, bringing the tastes of Italy to South Korea.
You can find these and many more awesome restaurants that are a part of Halal Restaurant Week Korea from all around the country on the website. Happy searching!
Shop & Play Offers
Picture Credit - www.hapskorea.com
The Korea Tourism Organization isn't just offering amazing Halal food for their visitors, but also unbelievable offers on performances, attractions, and stores. Here are just some of the deals that you cannot miss taking advantage of:
Experience performances such as “The Queen's Banquet” and “Happy Gugak Tree” at the Busan National Gugak Center,
Learn how to cook authentic Korean food at O'ngo Food Communication at 10% off,
Be part of the surreal reality that is K-pop at the Play Kpop Theme Park,
Make your own scent of perfume at Aromind, a special perfumery studio located in a traditional Korean house called 'Hanok',
Shop til' you drop at Lotte Department Store, one of Korea's largest retail stores,
...and so much more!
Other Helpful Tips
Picture Credit - www.slideshare.net
The Korean Tourism Organization wishes to render traveling easier for Muslims. They understand that this does not stop at helping locate Muslim-friendly food spots, but extends to other Muslim-friendly amenities such as prayer facilities. This is why they have a list of all the prayer areas and mosques in Korea, categorized by city, their addresses and contact information listed on the Halal Restaurant Week Korea website as well.
The Halal Restaurant Week Korea website also lists a few helpful Korean phrases that tourists can use to make their Korean travel experience smoother. Knowing what to say will ensure that you are not served food with non-Halal meat or alcohol by accident or misunderstanding. It will also help you get around the country and ask the locals for help. They suggest that you show them these phrases (you can print them out, or use your phone) if you feel uncomfortable speaking Korean. Here are some of them:
English: Please remove pork, ham, and bacon.
Korean: Dwaeji gogi, ham, bacon ppaego juseyo.
[돼지고기, 햄, 베이컨 빼고 주세요.]
English: Please do not include alcohol in the food.
Korean: Emsige sul neochi maseyo.
[음식에 술 넣지 마세요.]
English: Please remove all meat from the food.
Korean: Gogi ppaego juseyo.
[고기 빼고 주세요.]
English: Is the meat halal?
Korean: Halal gogi eyo?
[할랄고기에요?]
English: Where is the prayer room?
Korean: Gidosil eodi eyo?
[기도실 어디에요?]
ENGLISH: I want to go to _____. Which way should I go?
Korean: _____ e gago sipeoyo. Eodiro gaya hanayo?
[_____ 에 가고 싶어요. 어디로 가야하나요?]
You can find more helpful Korean phrases like these on the Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2017
website.
Why Be a Part of Halal Restaurant Week Korea?
Halal Restaurant Week Korea is an initiative that aims to cater to Muslims when traveling to South Korea. Everything that you would need to have the ultimate Halal Korean gastronomic experience, you've got at your fingertips, so you would have no qualms in locating Muslim-friendly food spots for you to savour.
From Halal food and prayer facilities to attractions and experiences, you've got the recipe for making a memory of a lifetime! So enjoy traveling South Korea!
