The Philippines is a Catholic country. Although it may not practice Islam as widely in the country, it does possess a good number of the Muslim population. With that, there are surely some Halal joints and mosques that can be found around a certain area. For those who haven’t tried Filipino or ‘Pinoy’ cuisines, basically, their food is a combo of different cultures and as tourists, you will absolutely fancy all the great mixture of sweet, sour and salty tastes of their food. Not an easy task, but we have listed down 7 halal fast food you can only find in the Philippines.
1) Kabab Roll
This joint serves Pakistani’s ‘Kabab’ roll. Situated at South Wing of the largest mall in Asia, SM Mall of Asia, it can be spotted easily as it is right in front of Kenny Rogers. Their specialties are ‘Chutni’ roll, beef ‘Bihari’, and chicken ‘Tikka’ to name a few. Don’t forget to try the striving and satisfying selections on the menu as they are all curated carefully to win the customer’s heart!
2) Potato Corner
Potato Corner is a well-known halal fast food place all over the Philippines. According to many, they are one of the best-flavoured fries in the country. It has been a leading brand in the Philippines’ food industry for more than two decades and they are also expanding globally. In the Philippines’ itself, they have more than 500 branches.
3) Sharifa Halal Food
Sharifa Halal Food is situated at the food court of V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Centre in San Juan City. They serve fast-food as all the food are prepared in advanced serving. All you need to do is pick your choice. At approximately PHP200, you can easily satisfy a hungry tummy of two people. The food they serve is a mix of everything but one thing for sure, it has the authenticity of a Filipino style of cooking presented really well in each and every dish.
Editor’s Update (April 2020) : This establishment has been permanently closed
4) Jacob’s Shawarma
The owner of this joint, Mr Jacob is superbly confident that any customers who come over to try out his Shawarma will totally love it. A young Turk entrepreneur, Jacob Cortes’s restaurant serves delicious and healthy Shawarmas in town. By using, the freshest and finest vegetables with no preservatives included, along with Halal meats wrapped deliciously in Lavas, the dish they have is a total winner!
5) Iza’s Chicken Corner
Newly opened, only in 2013, Iza’s Corner serves affordable and palatable delicacies to the hectic streets of Sampaloc in Manila. This restaurant is owned by a Muslim family originating from Zamboanga City, Philippines. At only PHP39, you can purchase their well-known fried chicken along with rice. Their other specialties for instance grilled chicken is priced at around PHP49 to PHP79. Simply affordable!
6) The Halal Guys
Did you know that the Halal Guys Philippines is the very first restaurant to gain the Halal certification from the Halal Development Institute of the Philippines? Their main goal is to ensure that all Muslims will enjoy eating their delicacies without having any doubt or uncertainty. The HDIP checks every single aspect from the sourcing, kitchen, as well as all ingredients, must be Halal certified too. Their famous dishes are Falafel, Gyro, and Combo. They also have mouthwatering desserts to pair with a tasty main course.
Editor’s Update (April 2020): This establishment has been permanently closed
Sometimes, travelling the Halal way is not an easy task. However, with thorough research and persistence, you can achieve it successfully even when you are travelling in a non-Islamic country. With that, hopefully, our team has contributed a little bit to your next adventure in the Philippines and when you are feeling hungry, try looking for these halal fast food spots!