Digging into Halal Ramen

Everyone always says that RAMEN is a must if you go to Japan. Rich, brothy, and flavorful, ramen is something that you’ve got to try at least once while you’re in Japan. But even if you took out the chashu (stewed pork belly), its’ base, which is made from hours-long simmering of pork bones, isn’t halal. Additionally, even if it were made from halal meat, what about the utensils that were used? Well, don’t worry about it, because we’ve got you covered with a MUSLIM FRIENDLY RAMEN SHOP!!

Situated down in Susukino, HORYU serves four different kinds of authentic Sapporo ramen. They’ve got the good old miso-ramen called “Kire-Uma Miso Ramen” (903 yen for a regular) and one with spicy bean base called “Ramen Noodles in Peppery-bean-paste Broth” a.k.a “Spicy Miso Ramen” (801 yen for a regular). On top of having those two staples, they’ve also got something that’s unique to Sapporo, and that’s “Genghis Khan Ramen”!

Juicy, succulent, and so very indulgent, the “Genghis Khan Ramen” was exactly what I was looking for after walking in the cold autumn night. For the Genghis Khan ramen, they have two different bases. The miso base (1100 yen for a regular), and peppery-bean-paste base (1208 yen for a regular).

I had the one with peppery-bean-paste base, and my gosh was it good! Flavorful and robust, you really can’t go wrong with having it while after braving the cold of Sapporo. While the other two were mostly vegetables, this was loaded with meat approved for HALAL. You’ll be surprised when it’s served up as it comes with a heaping lump of lamb on top. Soft and succulent, the meat was truly a treat that also added flavor to the broth, making it even richer than regular ramen.

From the pots to the bowls, and even to the chopsticks, each utensil used in the making of the ramen was specially marked to indicate that those were the tools meant for the preparation of each bowl of noodle. On the tables there are chopsticks, but for those who order from the HALAL MENU, there is a separate set of wooden chopsticks and sauce bottles which are marked with green dots to avoid confusion.

While the menu for the halal food wasn’t as extensive as the non-halal one, they definitely have a couple of options that will satisfy your craving for a big hearty bowl of noodles. Ramen is a signature dish of Japan while Genghis Khan is a signature dish of Sapporo, so why not combine them both and have them served up piping hot in one big bowl? If you’re into that, this is the place for you!